TPL#7: They Don't Workout in Russia...

Happy Monday!

In the spirit of iteration, Thrive Protocol is being subtly adjusted to “The Thrive Protocol Letter.”

I’ve decided to name my coaching business Thrive Protocol Training; I’m doubling down on the name.

This is carrying on from the ultimately short-lived Monday Mashup series, so I’m continuing where I left off with #7.

Thursday will still feature an article focused on health, mindset, performance, or self-development.

This week at a glance:

One of the key differences between people who struggle to build a fitness habit and those who do is the distinction between training vs. exercising.

I’ll dig into the difference and try to convince you that you should be training no matter how old you are or what your goals are.

A Quote

Content

This episode is seven years old, but if you haven’t seen it and you’re interested in improving performance, it’s definitely worth your time.

The man who brought kettlebells to America from Russia is called Pavel Tsatouline.

He’s got a training program called “Strong First” and several great kettlebell training books.

He’s been on the Joe Rogan and Tim Ferriss show.

I listened to both episodes a couple of years back. I remember they’re both loaded with actionable information, but most details escape me.

Except for one quote from Pavel:

Obviously, he doesn’t mean they don’t lift weights in Russia.

Russia has the most weightlifting titles of any country on Earth.

In Russia, they don’t work out.

They train.

Understanding the nuance here can be the difference between sticking with fitness for one year vs. sticking with it for 30 years.

Exercise Vs. Training

Training is following a protocol to create adaptations in a specific area of fitness.

It means intentionally improving at:

• Cardiovascular Endurance

• Muscular Endurance

• Aerobic capacity

• Hypertrophy

• Flexibility

• Strength

• Speed

• Power

• Skill

Notice that fat loss isn’t on this list.

Fat loss isn’t an adaptation of fitness that can be trained; it’s a byproduct of training for any of these adaptations.

The concept of exercise — of going to the gym to burn calories and “get a good workout in” is an American idea.

Training: Follow a system with progressive overload to adapt in an area of fitness.

Exercise: Going to the gym to move, burn calories, and get a “good workout.”

Is it wrong to exercise?

Absolutely not.

Movement is vital for good health, and if somebody enjoys doing their boot camp classes or just following any program that gets them moving, that’s great.

But there are a couple of potential issues with “exercise.”

Fitness as punishment.

With the exercise view, working out can be seen as a chore and even a punishment. It’s something you do to work off the wine and pizza from the night before.

Not everyone looks at it this way, but it’s possible to fall into this.

It can create a disordered view of physical activity and an unhealthy attitude toward fitness.

I have to vs. I GET to

If you have to do fitness as a chore to burn off calories, it gets tedious pretty quickly.

But when you’re training — when you’re specifically trying to get better at something with a goal in mind, you’re more likely to embrace the “I GET to” mindset.

You have the privilege of pushing your body to take on greater challenges.

You have something to set goals for and to look forward to.

Embracing training as opposed to exercising is the best way to ensure your fitness is a lifelong habit.

Look at people who have truly transformed their lives with fitness; I can bet you they’re not just “exercising.”

They train — they have something they’re specifically working toward that provides them with dopamine (the good kind ) and keeps things exciting and meaningful.

This has been incredibly apparent to me, even with the small example of my cardio routine.

I do steady-state cardio two mornings per week and high-intensity sprinting two mornings per week.

I have goals for my 1-mile and 2-mile time for the sprints.

These days are SO much more enjoyable than the steady state days, where to be honest, I sometimes have to drag myself down the hall to the gym in my apartment building.

“But I’m no athlete,” you say.

Training is something for serious people, for athletes…

I love this quote from Bill Bowerman, a coach and co-founder of Nike.

We’re all athletes in the sport of life, and we owe it to ourselves to do what we can to make sure our bodies are functioning at their best.

Your goals don’t have to be to deadlift three times your body weight, run a sub-5 minute mile or do an Iron Man.

But if you want to make fitness a lifelong habit and 1000x times more meaningful and enjoyable, you should have goals.

Goals that you train for.

Set a goal for a number of pushups, a better 5k time, or to be able to make it up that hill in the neighborhood on your bike without having to stop.

I can promise you that you will enjoy fitness more if you train.

When you’re ready, here’s how you can work with me.

I want to help you ditch confusing diets and workout programs and help you achieve your fitness goals in a way that works for you.

If you’re tired of spinning your tires, failing to get results, and wondering what you’re doing wrong, apply for 1-1 coaching now.

I guarantee your results.

You’ll hit your goals, or I’ll work with you for free until you do.

-Colin “Train, Don’t Exercise” Matson