Making exercise a habit probably isn’t a struggle for most of the people that read this site. Yet, every once in awhile even the best of us slip up.
When I travel I don’t always have time to workout. This is for a couple reasons. Generally, my trips are short so I use it as a break. Other times I do have access to somewhere I’d like to workout so over a weekend trip I might get one good workout in. But if I don’t I don’t worry about it. A little time off never hurt anybody.
Like this past weekend I did some NatMov style training with my brothers. Fun stuff and very different from my normal training. More on that later.
And usually when I get back home I get right back into training.
However, after this last trip that wasn’t the case. I went a full two days back without using my gym.
I know what you’re saying, oh man Logan, you’re really starting to slip. Two days you lazy bastard! All joking aside I am quite serious. Going two days without working out when I have no real excuse, when I feel I should, is a huge deal for me.
Sure I could blame it on all the work I had to catch up on. And the fact that the weather changed and now it’s very cold up here. Or I injured my hand in the martial arts. But those are just excuses and you know what they say about excuses.
Yesterday I finally got back in the gym, after what seemed like a long lay off to me. I did some squats, chinnups and barbell presses and felt great afterwards.
For me exercises is a habit. In fact, if I don’t do it regularly I begin to become depressed, real fast. And the longer I don’t do it the harder it becomes to not do it again. Resistance builds up. However since I’ve been doing it so long as a habit, I really can’t do without. I’m addicted!
Many people have to force themselves to workout. But if you enjoy what you do (and there are so many ways you can exercise, so find one, two or five things you enjoy doing) it is not a chore. I always tell people that if I had to spend 45 minutes on a hamster wheel treadmill I wouldn’t exercise either. But tossing some kettlebells around, lifting heavy weights or doing handstands and I’m in.
For me I couldn’t stop if I wanted to. When you reach this place you’ll never have to worry about not doing enough for you fitness and what that can do for you health.
Making exercise a habit is simply a matter of doing it long enough, with enough enjoyment, that you need to exert no effort in making it happen again and again.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. Join us for the Oldtime Strongman Blueprint Workshop and discover the habits of becoming a strongman.
Comments
Man, it sounds like you really do have an addiction to exercise.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15438629809512532
(for those who haven’t heard of it. And if you have disagreements I’d like to her them)
Logan, I know it isn’t your focus, but how are you doing in the “conventional” lifts? I ask because Bud Jeffries, obviously, has put an emphasis here in the past.
@Davv: Wow that’s awesome, I guess I do have a disease. From that site:
Exercise dependence describes a condition in which moderate to intense physical activity becomes compulsive behaviour. An exercise‐dependent individual is not only more likely to suffer increased injury and illness, but is also more likely to ignore clinical advice and continue to exercise while injured or ill. Several theories, including the β‐endorphin theory of endogenous opioids, the sympathetic arousal hypothesis, and the opponent‐process model of addiction, have been suggested to explain exercise dependence. While investigators have linked exercise dependence to a wide range of pathology, including eating disorders, Type A personality and neuroticism, research in this area has been vulnerable to criticism, particularly in terms of the methods used to assess dependence. The absence of well‐controlled investigation into the condition, in particular the precise identification and measurement of dependent symptomology and its consequences, requires that further research be undertaken to study exercise dependence and its relationship to sports injury.
Seriously though, I would call it dependence, just something I love to do. I wouldn’t say I’m “shower dependent” since I take a shower daily and feel unclean if I don’t for several days straight.
I haven’t spent a lot of time on the “conventional” lifts except the deadlift. Recently hit a 505 lb. lift there. Currently working a bit on squats and military presses but haven’t maxed out in some time.
Enjoyed your post Logan!! I am the same way! I train 6 days a week, taking Sundays off. Anything more than that, I begin to go through withdrawls (lol) and all I can think about is the next training session and what I will be doing! You are definetly not alone! By the way, I am getting prepared to start training for the car over my abbs stunt I mentioned to you before. My pastor is going to assist me. My strategy is to continue to train abbs daily (Which I do anyway) and to develop weight tolerance…which I will just have weights placed on top of me. I will also focus on breathing techniques and conditioning. Anyway, I will keep you posted and be sure to send you the video wants this is accomplished!
I’m the same, if I go a couple of days without working out I get bad depress.
But this time the right side of my back keeps getting worse and the other day
I couldn’t even put my bodyweight on my right leg. My wife said it was the TGU with
them dam 97lb. kettlebells I was doing, she said I was crazy, so I going to get an
MRI to see what is going on. Now I haven’t been to a doctor in 20 yrs. and i’m an
ols man 47 yrs. old LOL… so looks like about two weeks of stoping will have to do.
It is killing me and only been five days….Later..
Hi my name is Andrew Torgersen, and I am a 22 male who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah! I know you get hundreds of emails a day, but I felt the need to reply to this email just to let you know how much I enjoyed this article! I printed it out and highlighted a few parts just so I can re-read them everyday! I agree with you in this article in every way possible! For me, fitness and my training is a essential part of life just like showering, eating, and sleeping! Does a person need to workout everyday? Probably not, but for me I have a hunger to train myself as hard mentally and physically as possible every day and allow my mind to know that I can conquer anything that comes my way! There are no if’s and excuses anymore on whether I will train hard today or tomorrow or next week! I know that I will kick ass in my training every single day whether I have a huge exam that day or I am about to pitch the biggest game of my life, because I know that this is the most important training a person can do! (Other then his family responsibilities of course!) I don’t mean to talk about myself, I just wanted to let you know that this article touches home for me and I bet it does for many others as well! It is an amazing feeling to know that there are people like you who I can look up to as I go about my training everyday! If I sound passionate it’s because I have been getting alot of scrutiny for how much I train and workout by some of my family and friends and you have just re-assured what I try to explain to them everyday! Fitness is a lifestyle that I will embrace and get better in every single day of my life! The countless hours I spend training and studying guys like you isn’t holding me back, but rather allowing me to suceed mentally in whatever I do in life! I do have a strong urge and obsession to workout day in and day out, and I am damn proud of that because no matter hard things get in my life, I have my training to look foward to and make me stronger in every single way possible! Thanks for all you do and giving guys like me someone to look up to when all these obese people around us are telling us there are much more important things in life! Lotta respect sir!