Shawn Phillips

Is Exercise Making You Fat? FOR A LEANER, MORE MUSCULAR PHYSIQUE...
STOP EXERCISING AND START TRAINING!

By Shawn Phillips

YOU CAN HARDLY GO A DAY WITHOUT BEING REMINDED THAT AS A NATION, WE'RE GETTING FATTER—AND WE'RE ALL SUFFERING FOR IT.

Yes, Americans continue to pack on the pounds, and I believe I may have uncovered the cause. I've not been alone in calling out to Americans to, "stop experimenting with radical diets and betting on quick fixes, and get off the couch, set the chips and soda down, and start exercising!"

But chances are good I'm the first to say "stop exercising!"

Yes, you read that right; I was wrong, mistaken, off base...any way you want to say it; I'm absolutely convinced that exercise is failing us—or more accurately, exercise has failed to produce the anticipated positive impact on the ever-increasing number of overweight Americans.

The most recent statistics speak for themselves: 65% of Americans are overweight (with 31% listed as obese), up 6% from 2001, yet just last year alone, the percentage of Americans exercising was up to 75. Last year over nine million joined a gym, bringing the total to an all-time high of an estimated 33.8 million... you don't have to be Einstein to see that exercise is simply not working.

IS EXERCISE MAKING AMERICA FAT?

It may sound funny, but it's no joking matter. When I train, whether it's in my home, gym, or on the road, I'm on a mission: focused, head down, and most often "in the zone." In fact, I'm so focused that it's rare for me to notice the other people around me using the gym. But last week while training in a well-appointed gym inside a posh Dallas hotel (and spa) something was different: I did notice. And what I witnessed that day propelled me to a new level of clarity about the problem with exercise.

The gym was busy. Not overcrowded but bustling with people exercising, some under the guidance of a trainer; some on their own. They were exercising arms, chest, legs, abs, and heart, but even more so, these people were exercising their mouths and flexing their social muscles—talking about relationships, work, friends, sharing recipes... one man watched stock quotes scroll on the TV while a female trainer successfully put her hair up and took it down at least a half-dozen times while "exercising" her client. An impressive feat for sure, but I'm not sure her client truly benefited.

WHY EXERCISE FAILS?

In my view, without exception, these people were simply going through the motions; exercising with all the intensity of a flickering candle as they dutifully performed exercises as one would attend to a despised job. It was clear to me that the objective was to be "done with it." And perhaps to release some guilt by saying they were "there." In one "Aha!" moment, it was all crystal clear to me. This dull, uninspired shuffle is the problem with exercise! A distinction I'd never before made was so very apparent to me—"exercising" and "training" are two entirely different things, as different from each other as night is from day. What may appear as only semantics on paper, rest assured, in the gym, on the field, and in life, is a very important and definite distinction.

Exercise is physical labor performed for no other reason than itself. It's what my grandmother does when she walks around the block. Exercise is movement without purpose, motion without direction—to put it quite crudely, it's the physical equivalent of "mental masturbation."

Don't get me wrong—I am for anything that elevates the heart rate and gets a body moving. Anything at all. And the truth is that for many, this is all they aspire to.

But while I applaud physical activities in any form, if you are serious about making measurable gains... if you want your time in the gym to be efficient and effective... it's critical that you understand that moving—exercising—is not the answer. Training is! And it's my firm belief that armed with knowledge and understanding of the stark contrast between exercising and training, you'll be free to make an intelligent choice...one that serves your true desires and puts you on the right path.

EXERCISE VS. TRAINING

While often used interchangeably, there's a clear-cut difference between exercising and training. Allow me to explain...

Exercise is a response to a "need"—a decision you make with your mind, and thus, it is often pressured, desperate, and totally lacking in inspiration. In contrast, training is motivated by a "want"—an inspired, emotionally charged vision. Exercise requires significant effort; it's a grueling activity, like a chore you can't wait to be done with. Training is energizing, with clearly defined goals, measures, and feedback: it has all the elements to put you in a state of "flow" and strengthen you from the inside out.

For a clear example of the difference, consider the fact that athletes don't go to "exercise camp": they go to training camp. Why? Because they are "in training." They are focused on achieving specific goals with an intense motivation to achieve. When "in training," you're on a quest to achieve a specific result through focused, purposeful action.

TRAINING WITH FOCUSED INTENSITY

When you're training, you're intensely focused yet remarkably calm. Think about the image of a baseball player (a batter) ready to swing at a 90-mph pitch: he's as focused as a human being can get, yet his body is relaxed, his face is not tense...he's mentally focused, totally in the moment, and ready to react with absolute peak physical intensity.

When I'm training, during the set, I place my focus totally inside the muscle, feeling each fiber. I find myself naturally remaining totally in the moment and fully connected to my body. The only way to describe the way I feel, as cliche as it may sound, is to say I feel energized and exhilarated. When you've engrained the pattern of truly effective, focused training, it creates a "high" you'll look forward to experiencing.

In a previous issue of Real SOLUTIONS magazine, I shared the specific techniques I use in my training to achieve maximum focused intensity in each and every set in my article "AB-F.I.T.: SHAWN'S ABSOLUTE Focused Intensity Training Techniques." These are precisely the details you can apply to ensure you reach this new level of training effectiveness and satisfaction. The result of focused training is greater strength in the moment, more explosive power for the athlete, and even increased endurance.

THE ESSENTIALS OF A TRAINING PROGRAM

A resistance training program is somewhat like a game plan for football—it requires that you develop a strategy and that you execute on the fundamentals.

For any training strategy to be effective, it must stimulate a sufficient level of intensity in your body, in an effective manner to produce the desired result and stimulate the mind, to keep one motivated, involved, and receiving feedback.

A simple way to determine if you've been training or exercising is how often you reach a state of "flow" or get "in the zone," as Michael Jordan calls it. A real, well-designed training program has all the essential elements of a game plan—all the elements required to be in the zone, like any peak-performing athlete.

ARE YOU EXERCISING OR TRAINING?

We've all be in the zone at one time or another—feeling invincible, calm, and clear as if everything is going in slow motion, and we can do no wrong... unfortunately, too many people believe the zone or "flow" as it's been called is reserved for the super-star athletes or at best, if we're lucky, we may slip in now and then. I'm here to tell you that your workouts are ideally designed to put you in a delicious state of flow—and that it is not just a lucky occurrence... you can set yourself up to be "in the zone" simply by ensuring that your workouts have all the essential elements, like specific goals, clear and steady feedback, deadlines, and more (see your training checklist below).

If your training is uninspired, if you feel you may be "exercising," I strongly urge you to engage in a training regimen that meets the criteria for an effective "training" program. Should you be adhering to my training protocol in ABSolution or if you've been following my brother Bill's Body-for-LIFE, odds are in your favor that you will not succumb to "exercising." These programs are masterfully designed to include the essentials of a real training program.

Your Training Checklist

• I have a plan and know what I am doing each workout (short and long term)
• I have a set time limit for how long I will train and adhere to it
• I'm so focused during my workouts, the place could catch on fire and I'd still finish
• I challenge myself each workout—setting new High Points
• I'm charged with emotional energy during my workouts
• I often find myself "in the zone" while training
• The thought of going to the gym is energizing: I can't wait!
• I have clear measures and track performance and progress.

That's the good news. The harsh reality is even with the best program, from time to time, we all lose focus, and like when driving a formula-1 racecar while daydreaming, your foot lifts, the car slows...and you find yourself coasting. And when you're coasting in the gym, when you're exercising, it's time to reconnect with an inspiring vision and set some new, crystal clear goals for reaching your vision of your best body and self. By staying on purpose, designing compelling goals, you can stay focused and have training remain a powerful source of strength and renewal in your life.

It's not my objective to put a stop to exercise, nor am I suggesting that training is for everyone; it's certainly not for weak minded nor faint of heart. I am asking you to be honest with yourself; to ask yourself the difficult question: am I training or am I exercising? You do yourself a great injustice exercising and hoping for results that can only come from real, focused training.

In the journey to your absolute best body, you must make a decision to abandon exercise and take on the serious challenge of training. With a commitment to training, your ability to remain mentally focused and the intensity of your physical presence will be evident not only in the gym but in all facets of your LIFE.

Have you decided whether to exercise or train?

• Read the Next Article: "Success Story"
• Back to Issue 29 Table of Contents

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