As a personal trainer, I’m knee-deep in sets and reps, but my clients are not. Most want to know how I can help them achieve their goals yesterday. Sets and reps are needed for that, but on any given day, there is much more to it than that.
To me, exercise is easy and a habit, but to many, it’s not. Life’s daily battles mean some don’t have the time for self-care and are often forced to seek help when health conditions crop up. There’s an old saying that if you don’t make time for your health, you’ll have to make time for sickness.
Or something to that effect.
If it were as easy as just performing the sets and reps, there wouldn’t be a worldwide obesity problem. So, what’s the issue? Let’s dive deep into my 16 years of experience in barking orders to see if I can help.
What Are Sets And Reps?
Before diving in, when you hear the terms sets and reps, what comes to mind? To avoid any confusion, here is what it means.
Reps (short for repetitions) are the number of times you complete a movement without stopping. For example, if you’re doing squats, every time you lower your hips and stand back up is one rep.
Sets: This is the number of cycles you do of those reps. Say you do ten squats, rest for a bit, and then do another ten squats, that’s two sets of 10 reps.
They’re not complicated terms, but what’s preventing some from diving in and experiencing the divine beauty of sets and reps?
Well, this is where it gets interesting.
Barriers to Sets & Reps
Let’s rule out those with physical and mental disabilities, as they require specific care that goes beyond this article’s scope. I assume people can stand on their two feet and are mobile. So, no physical barriers outside of injury niggles.
Here are three things that crop up in the effort to get your sets and reps in
Time
Let’s get the obvious over and done with. We all have the same 24 hours; for parts of them, we get to choose how we spend them. The parts that are non-negotiable or should be are the time you work to provide for yourself and your family, alone time, and time you spend with family and friends.
The rest is up to you, but here is the thing: The time spent on these things takes a toll on your energy levels. It does with me because, believe it or not, parts of my job are demanding because wearing tracksuit pants and carrying a clipboard is hard work.
Your time and energy for the rest of your day, sets, and reps are diminished. It’s a catch-22 because working out will give you more energy, but you don’t have the energy to work out. This is a common problem even with my clients who lack time but are still motivated to work out.
My solution is the no-time triset, and here are the guidelines for this workout method.
1. Use one piece of equipment.
2. Performing Tri sets (three exercises back to back to back with little rest in between).
Running through this two or three times takes about six minutes and leaves you with a feeling of accomplishment. My YouTube Channel has more examples.
Mindset
Believe it or not, there are days when the VERY last thing I want to do is exercise, so I can only imagine how you feel. Getting into mindset stuff will spiral into a two-bit philosopher, a Dr. Phil-type conversation, and I want to avoid that.
Here’s my current mindset regarding workouts, especially when I try to talk myself out of it.
It’s part of my job.
Setting a good example is crucial if I’m torturing someone else. My mindset works for me, but may not work for you, so below are some tips for developing a positive health mindset.
Embrace Your Humanity: Setbacks are a natural part of being human. You are not alone here; your journey will have ups and downs. It’s okay not to be perfect. Embracing your humanity with kindness and understanding is the first step towards being kinder to yourself.
Keep Learning from Your Setbacks: Instead of viewing setbacks as failures, see them as opportunities for growth and learning. Ask yourself, “What can this teach me?” This shift in perspective transforms challenges into valuable lessons.
Speak Kindly to Yourself: Pay attention to how you talk to yourself, especially during tough times. Replace critical self-talk with words of encouragement and support. Speak to yourself as you would a friend facing similar challenges.
Pat Yourself On The Back: Focus on your effort, not just the outcome. Celebrate your steps towards your goals, no matter how small. Doing so reinforces a positive relationship with yourself.
These tips will help you develop some space upstairs and a better attitude toward your health and fitness.
Knowledge
It’s a safe assumption that I know more about health and fitness than many of you reading. And many more of my contemporaries and heroes know way more than I do and do cooler stuff.
But I don’t let that stop me from getting after it with what I do know, and neither should you.
There is a lot of conflicting health and fitness info, and seeking more of it before starting or trying to perfect your workout experience will lead to paralysis by analysis. If you think you need to know more before getting after it with diet and exercise, you are wrong. Start with what you do know, and you’ll fill in those knowledge gaps as you go.
Sets and reps you learn by doing, and can be understood as you go along. Even after doing this for a while, I’m still learning, but it doesn’t stop me from getting after it now, and neither should it with you.
Wrapping Up
The overarching message here is to start with what you know, and with the time you have, and be kinder to yourself. Doing something good for your health and fitness, no matter how small, is so much better than doing nothing.
My online program, The Disgraceful Aging Manifesto, can help if you need further guidance.
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