The Goal sets the program
Why are you working out?
Such a simple question, but there are a dozen ways to digest it. The reasons could be short-term or long-term, driven by health or vanity, or because you want to accomplish something specific.
It’s critical to know the answer to this question, though, as it will shape your entire program.
Kettlebells, for example, take a lot of practice. There are only a few ‘primary’ kettlebell exercises, but they require skill and technique, as much as strength, to gain proficiency. This is even more true with heavy clubs. And steel mace - forget about it; the complexity can go to infinity.
This is very different from going to the gym, where most exercises can be learned in one or two sessions - then it’s just a matter of getting stronger each week.
I encourage you to think about this before you start, or at least as you’re considering the next steps of, your program. I love the program I’ve built, but I also realize it’s not for everybody. It took a long time to figure out, a long time to gain proficiency in the movements, and even today I spend more time tracking and making adjustments than most folks who just go to the gym.
Why do I do this? What were/are my goals?
My original goal was to fix my back. I knew deep down that swinging a kettlebell made my back feel better, but I couldn’t do enough of it to get over the proverbial hump.
Once I fixed my technique, my back injury dissolved, and I felt reborn.
From that moment on, I wanted to dig deeper into functional strength, movement patterns, natural movement, balance and flexibility - basically making my body function to its potential, as nature designed it, before we humans conquered nature with couches and chairs and computers and cell phones. Oh, and I wanted to live many more decades pain-free, because that back injury sucked.
My program now includes kettlebells, heavy clubs, steel maces, light clubs, stretching, ground work, hiking-rucking with my son, and playing tennis.
Back to the original question: Why am I working out?
I have lots of reasons, but they all stem from one main reason:
I want to live many more decades, pain-free, with as much movement, balance, and flexibility as possible - more like a 30-something than an 80-something.
I want to be able to handle whatever comes my way, rising to challenges and playing games, for the rest of my life. Loading a trailer, climbing a tree, diving from a boat deck, shoveling snow - I want to train for the real world’s uneven loads and unplanned moments.
Now that I’ve gained proficiency with some of my exercises, I realize there is so much more I want to learn how to do - The workouts are actually more fun the better you get! It’s not unlike a white-belt watching the black-belts practice and yearning for the day when he can do those things.
Every study ever done shows that some level of aerobic exercise and some level of weight training combine to result in the longest life expectancy. My workouts incorporate both of these, handily.
I also get a bonus in that these workouts are super efficient. They fatigue my entire body, re-energize my spirit, push my cardio and heart rate to the limit, and increase my flexibility - all at the same time in less than 30 minutes.
For all of these reasons, especially the long-term aspect whereby I plan to do these workouts for many years, the longer runway to getting started and the extra tracking needed is worth it. 100%.
Why are you working out?
- Chris Butterworth