Training, or Just Working Out?

Tony Gentilcore has a terrific new article at T-nation, featuring five exercises you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. I can’t wait to try them, and experience that magnificent sense of total inadequacy you can only get when you do stuff that’s a lot harder than what you’re currently doing.

But here’s a hypothetical problem: Let’s say I’m currently in the middle of a serious, goal-oriented training program. If I do those exercises the next time I’m in the gym, I’ll have to deviate from that program. At that point, I’m no longer “training.” I’m just working out. And Tony frowns on that:

Whenever I happen to train at a commercial gym, one of the biggest mistakes that I see guys making is the fact that they’re not training, they’re working out. Most (not all) tend to just flounder around, do a few sets of this, a couple of sets of that, watch a few highlights on Sports Center, flex in the mirror (yeah, I saw you), throw in some crunches, pound a protein shake, give each other a high five, and call it a day.

I agree that the scenario he describes — half-ass exercise selection, half-ass effort, half-ass focus — is suboptimal. What I don’t agree with is the distinction Tony draws between “training” and merely “working out.”

Let’s say the person he describes is doing a real program, created by someone like Tony, who knows how to write a good one. The program has a defined goal — strength, hypertrophy, fat loss, or some combination. Unfortunately, the person is performing it with the exact same effort and execution Tony disparaged.

By my definition, that person is “training.” But he’s not accomplishing anything because he’s not working hard enough.

Now let’s say he doesn’t have a plan when he goes to the gym, other than trying out some new exercises he saw on T-nation. But this guy doesn’t do anything half-assed. He’s full-assed from the minute he walks into the weight room.

By my definition, that guy is “working out.” He’s not “training” because he’s not following a plan with a defined goal. There’s no progression other than “if I like these exercises I’ll try them again, only I’ll use more weight.” 

Two years from now, that guy probably won’t be any bigger, stronger, or leaner than he is today. But if he works that hard on a regular basis, I’d guess he’s already bigger, stronger, and leaner than the rest of us. Two years without measurable improvement is still two years in which almost every other adult on the planet has gotten weaker and fatter. 

I’m sure Tony would agree. I’m just playing with semantics here to defend the idea of “working out.” Ultimately, I think we all make our biggest gains when we’re actively training — that is, working toward a defined goal with a program that includes systematic progressions. But there’s still a lot to be said for just working out, pushing yourself without any particular destination in mind. 

What you accomplish or don’t accomplish ultimately depends on how hard you work. That’s a law without loopholes.

Tags: Tags: new exercises, strength, t-nation, tony gentilcore, training, working out