Feel free to borrow from both ends of the ‘no pain, no gain’ continuum
Nothing has both inspired and terrified budding fitness enthusiasts than the age-old adage “no pain, no gain.” Question is, does it work?
Well, depending on your perspective, this can be a good news/bad news story. The details of the story revolve around individual goals and the motivations that inspire them.
There is a significant difference between exercising for health and exercising for performance or esthetic purposes.
Those in the health camp can rest easy. To achieve results, pain doesn’t necessarily factor into the deal — unless, of course, you consider the mere thought of movement painful.
Transitioning from a sedentary to a more active lifestyle is like a factory reset — a return to baseline if you will. No complicated formulas or routines. Unplug and press restart.
Getting off the couch is more of mind than muscle. The exercise doesn’t need to be overly taxing, with increments being gradual. Walking, for example, can be a good alternative to running. The comfort of a low impact elliptical trainer can be more appealing than an intense spin class. Gardening is much less intimidating than weight training.
The key to better health is consistency. Simply determine your activity of choice and ensure it becomes part of your daily routine. If you enjoy being around people, make your activity social in nature. If you value privacy, pop on some headphones and become lost in the music.
In this case, not much pain, but a lot of gain.
If health anchors one end of the exercise continuum, athletics and esthetics can be found at the opposite end — right under the sign that says, “no pain, no gain.”
Pain comes not from injury, although damage can be inherent with activities that are repetitive or if form is poor. Pain is the result of pushing your limits to illicit some form of physiological adaptation.
Think of it this way. Driving to work for most of us can be accomplished on autopilot. Sometimes you arrive at your destination completely oblivious of the past 20 minutes. If a significant event happens along your route, like a crash, your brain kicks into gear and forces a response.
To improve performance or achieve a developmental response when exercising, the stimulus must be significant enough to produce change. A stronger, firmer physique and a more efficient cardiovascular system comes from your body reacting and acclimating. That’s why progress stalls after a few months if the stimulus remains unchanged. Essentially, same equals same.
There are many ways to jumpstart progress when weight training. Increase your resistance, shorten or lengthen your rest periods, set a new tempo, eliminate momentum, pre-exhaust your muscle or superset your exercises, to name a few.
Too many exercisers feel simply adding exercises or increasing weight are the only ways to stimulate growth. This thinking inevitably ends in overtraining or bad form, with both leading to injury.
Does training for performance or esthetics ever become easy? Let’s just say it becomes more manageable. Elite performers have calibrated their brains to welcome change. Exercise that becomes easy is more about maintenance than progress.
So, with outer ends of the “no pain, no gain” continuum addressed, how about the happy medium?
People looking to lose a bit of weight or grow muscle should borrow from both ends of the continuum. Be consistent and balanced but fire your inner athlete from time to time.
Sometimes life gets busy and driving hard in the weight room every day isn’t an option. In this case, breaking sedentary habits with a simple walk or stretch can alleviate stress and keep your mind in the game. You will also find it’s much easier to ramp up your routine if you aren’t starting from a dead stop.
Will light-but-regular activity promote significant weight loss? Probably not, unless you’ve made some healthy dietary changes to accompany your exercise or you are holding a lot of extra weight. Will it build and grow muscle? Again, not really, unless you are starting from a very deconditioned state.
When it comes time to prep for your vacation or upcoming wedding photos, turn up the heat and move over to the “gain” side of the “no pain, no gain” continuum. Yes, that means a bit of discomfort.
Again, don’t expect things to get easy, as easy translates to autopilot. Like the pros, learn to challenge yourself a little more each time to keep things progressing.
The “no pain, no gain” protocol definitely works. But it isn’t for everyone. If it’s not right for you, don’t be discouraged. Eating well and moving every day are the keys to healthy living. For those looking to sculpt a trimmer profile, plan out your approach and slowly turn up the heat.
Paul Robinson has enjoyed 29 years as a personal trainer, executive, speaker and consultant in the fitness industry. He owns Kneifel Robinson (KR) Personal Training with his partner Monica Kneifel Robinson, serving St. Albert and Edmonton. KR specializes in helping beginners and gym-phobics achieve success. Reach them at info@krpersonaltraining.com