The Train Keeps Chugging...

I   just walked through the sliding doors of the fourth decade of my life. Now that I'm 31, I have three full train cars behind me and two of them were jammed with all types of joint killing athletic activity. However, as I sit in the first seat of this car, I stare at the possibility of another decade with pain free joints.

I know what you're thinking. At age 31 there is no way that you have that much mileage on your joints. On the contrary, with a decade of competing as a sprinter on the highest level, my joints(which only break down with use) can be light years older than the rest of my body with improper training... This is when you stop looking out the window and take off your headphones. I'll try to keep this short so you can have something to think about until the next stop. If you have more questions, hit me on twitter @tis4train, facebook Terrence M. Walcott or post it on this blog.

Your body is a moving machine with many moving parts. Any place where movement occurs is subject to wear and tear. ANY MOVEMENT! That means you can be breaking down joints every time you get out of a chair. Imagine what happens every time you run, spin or jump. Unlike muscles that can grow stronger with challenge, your joints NEVER get stronger.

We all have physical activities that we love doing and want to do for the rest of our lives. It's usually something we think we can do relatively well. Whether it's dancing, running, spinning, yoga, TRX or power lifting and many more, they all have their price. Their price is one day you won't be able to enjoy them.

The concept of less is more is what saved my joint life in my mid-twenties(car number three if you are counting). As stated in my second blog "You Can't Outrun A Train", you must consider what you are really getting out of over doing these activities. It is usually more of a mental satiation than it is physical benefit. There are only two options to increase the chances of healthier joints for longer use over the decades. You can find less destructive ways to clear your mind and stop doing what you love entirely: or you can train smart! Periodize your program. Make sure you are strength training to support the integrity of your joints. Turn long runs into intervals and take the inertia out of those power lifting sets for a while. Don't workout for now, Train4LIFE, TrainOrDIE!!!

YOU CAN'T OUTRUN A TRAIN

           

Consider this when you are on that proverbial calorie counting clock. Ticking away with every stride on the treadmill, every revolution of a pedal, or, more importantly during the commercial breaks of the show you choose to watch during your cardio session. The amount of calories you burn during one hour of steady state cardio(jogging, walking etc at a steady pace) can easily be consumed with one glass of juice. If calorie burn is the battle you choose to fight, you chose a losing battle. Unless you plan to fight for eight hours a day and eat bird food for the rest of your life, you need a more efficient system. The goal of your training program shouldn't be chasing sensations or a perceived workout. ie: Calorie burn or sweating. If you think that breaking a sweat is an indicator of great training, I challenge you to sit in the hot sun fully clothed without moving a muscle for one hour and see how wet you are. The goal of any program for an individual with limited time to workout(anyone who doesn't get paid to workout) should be to promote adaptations in the body that makes the bodies metabolic system function more efficiently when the body IS NOT WORKING OUT(or the other 23 hours of your day!!!). The best way to do this is with strength training and interval training. If you only have two to three hours a week to train, you can throw out those 45 minute joint killers you call cardio. Joint killers?? That's a topic for another ride...

TrainSmart
Train4LIFE
TrainOrDIE

ALL ABOARD

Welcome aboard.
Have a seat, relax and expand your mind. This isn't your ordinary fitness blog. I will not inundate you with random workouts and impersonal nutrition tips. It is deeper than that. This blog is about training. Training as a metaphor for life. I will speak about concepts that challenge the beliefs of the commercial fitness industry and I may challenge beliefs you have about life in general. Don't be afraid to stand and speak or just look out the window and take in the scenery. Prepare for the unexpected. There are no tangential topics in training as long as the ideas are formulated through logical progressions. I will keep us on track. Let's talk about training and everything that can mean. Training is life, train smart, TrainOrDIE!


T is for TRAIN
@Tis4TRAIN