Show me your priorities, then show me your programme.

I was discussing a client’s programme with him last week and he said that he wanted to keep his training a priority. He had heard a phrase that said “Show me your priorities then show me your calendar” and it had really made him think about what he was prioritising.

There are lots of angles I could take this newsletter - how you work too much, how you don’t see the kids enough, and how you don’t look after your health, but I shan’t. I’ll keep it fitness based because that’s what I’m all about.

What You Say vs What You’re Doing

So moving onto a second conversation I had with a potential client, where I asked him what his main goals were. His reply was that he just wanted to be functional for his kids, to be able to play with them, take them to rugby, etc.

Then I asked him what programme he was following.

He told me he was doing an Ultimate Performance physique programme.

And for those of you who don’t know, that is COMPLETELY the opposite of a functional programme. It’s a bodybuilding get a six pack programme.

I figured he might have been doing it for a couple of reasons

He just grabbed a programme and went with it because he had done it before
He hadn’t really thought about it
Secretly, he wanted the good physique just as much or slightly more than being functional

Let’s be honest. It’s great to be functionally fit, able to train with the kids, and pain free… but you still don’t want to look like a melted wheelie bin.

You Can Look Good and Be Functional Just Not Like That

Now comes the great news. You can do BOTH - just not the way you’re doing it now. Most people I speak to are still doing traditional bodybuilding splits. Chest and triceps. Back and biceps. And so on.

Let’s look at the facts

After training a muscle, the muscle building process is elevated for two to three days. After that, you start losing the gains you made
If you train one body part once a week, you’re missing out on growth for the rest of the week
The more you train a muscle, the better you become at recruiting the muscle fibres, which increases strength
If you train each muscle group only once a week, you miss out on these recruitment improvements
If you try to train six times a week to hit everything more often, your recovery tanks. You improve when you rest, not when you train

This style of training became popular because of bodybuilding. And unfortunately, most bodybuilders are on steroids. Not all, but most. Steroids stop the muscle breakdown that naturally happens and help recovery, so they can keep growing and getting stronger.

You can’t.

And if your goal is to be functional, you don’t want to be hobbling for three days after leg day either.

The Full Body Fix

Before I go on, I don’t want you to think that bodybuilding training is all bad. That’s not the case. Who doesn’t like to go in and destroy their chest and arms once in a while?

But if functional strength is part of the plan, there are better ways to train.

Enter the full body approach

If you train with a more full body focus, the benefits include

Training the same muscles multiple times per week to boost muscle mass
Improving recruitment and strength by repeating patterns across the week
Less soreness and fatigue from smashing one muscle group to bits
More options for movement based or functional training
More flexibility to train around other things like running, biking or swimming — without feeling wrecked

Sounds better, right? The only thing you might miss is the feeling of a big pump. But with a smart programme, you can get that too.

What It’s Really About

To round this off, I think it’s important to consider the people I train. Most are parents, and either already in their forties or heading there fast. At this point in life, training becomes a vehicle, a way to escape, to find happiness, to get a bit of alone time and peace.

You all know what I mean.

I want this newsletter to give those people clear direction. To show how they can stay functionally fit, look good, and get the best results from the time they have.

I also want them to move well, to be able to head out for a run whenever they feel like it, to take on events and challenges, and to rediscover how athletic they can be.

You can absolutely still include a bit of bodybuilding in this, just don’t make it the main thing.

Because it’s not.

Whats been happening at Razor Performance.

Upon writing this the marathon has not happened, but when its released it will have, so I'll update you next time on those taking part. I get nervous/excited at these times, but feel safe in the knowledge that they are well prepared.

This weekend a good mate of mine is riding the Majorca 312, which I have been helping him with, and I reckon he's going to smash it.

I also received two amazing recommendations this week from clients who have finished up with me and smashed their targets. Linkedin seems to be a place for lots of talk but very little evidence, so lets buck that trend.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-reay-71874a23/details/recommendations/?detailScreenTabIndex=0

And finally

I hear excuses galore about not having time, maybe not being ready, kids, spouses, blah blah blah.

Do me a favour and read the first recommendation on the link above.

He had 3 hours a week.

He handed over control.

He admitted he needed help.

He did what was asked of him.

He saved time by not having to think.

His results were accelerated from taking the leap.

In 6 months he is a different person.

Where could you be in that time. PB'ing a marathon? Ironman? Or 10kgs lifter and lifting like a machine.