I thoroughly enjoy those “two types of people” memes. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, here are some of my favorites:
There are two types of people: those who can extrapolate from incomplete data…
There are 10 types of people: those who understand binary, and those who don’t. (What can I say? I’m a former I.T. professional. If you’re curious, you can learn what binary numbers are and how to read them.)
And here are a bunch that use pictures: There Are Two Types of People | BuzzFeed.
Just about any topic could obviously be used in the meme. Here’s my semi-serious take on applying it to the process of improving our fitness:
There are two types of people: those who train (with a plan), and those who exercise (without one).
Exercising (without a plan)
Based on the structure of the meme, you might assume that “exercising (without a plan)” is the less-advantageous of the two options. If you’re serious about reaching specific fitness goals, then you’d be correct. However, that’s not meant to imply that unstructured or unplanned exercise has no benefit.
Numerous studies have shown that almost any amount of physical movement—including activities as simple as gardening, walking, and light housework to more strenuous activities like biking, splitting wood, hiking, and weight training—reduces the likelihood of mortality from all causes (to varying degrees, of course).
Unstructured/unplanned physical activity of any kind is also great for relieving stress; inducing modest increases in strength, conditioning, and mobility; and providing a small degree of weight-management benefits.
So the main takeaway here should be: Movement is good for your mind, body, and general health; so high-five yourself any time you take part in any type of physical activity, even (or especially) if your inner “that wasn’t enough” voice starts lipping off.
That said, following some type of progressive overload plan for your fitness regimen will still produce more consistent, long-term progress, especially if you’ve begun exercising, seen some progress, and then noticed your progress stall.
Training (with a plan)
Now is a good time to explain those seemingly unnecessary parentheses above. I intentionally tied exercise to without a plan and training to with a plan while also isolating the plan parts in order to emphasize there’s an important difference in mindset between the two terms (exercise & training) even though they’re colloquially understood to be the same.
Exercise is physical activity, implemented randomly or possibly with a plan. But in either case, the emphasis is on the physical activity piece and often having a mindset of needing to push hard all the time. (That mindset can apply to activities like stretching and yoga as well, so don’t think that you’re off the hook about this simply because you don’t lift weights.)
This leads to some physical progress along with the stress relief, etc. mentioned above. But that progress typically plateaus at a lower level because of the randomness of the activity and lack of true recovery time. It’s generally the default strategy for most people, however, exactly because of that randomness. Randomness is novel and fun. What’s not to like about that?!?
Training is also physical activity (i.e. exercise), but it implies that a plan is definitely in place and that varying degrees of difficulty and intentional rest are both a part of that plan.
This leads to regular progress that can continue for decades and that levels out at a much higher point when it does eventually plateau. It tends to not be the default strategy for most people though because it requires a bit of knowledge (or a coach), planning, and a willingness to tolerate some boredom that comes from a lot of repetition of the basics.
So the takeaway here should be: Training requires more effort initially than does general exercise, but it produces better results for longer if you’re willing to put in that effort. And better results for longer is crazy fun.
Putting it into practice
Next week I’ll offer a simple, proven training template that you can use to implement a successful training plan. I’ll also offer an idea that will both add some excitement to the process and increase your tolerance to the boredom that will pop up from time to time.
For now, spend a few minutes reflecting on your current movement regimen. Do you exercise, train, or do a little of both (or neither)? Does that strategy seem to align with your fitness goals? Alternatively, have you been experiencing actual progress toward your goals, or do you feel a bit stagnant? What do you think might be the results of modifying your approach? What might be the drawbacks?
We’ll figure out what to do about those answers next week.