Don’t Meta-exercise.

Yesterday a client asked me if I listened to my iPod during my workouts, to which I responded, “Never.”  Incredulous, she asked how I managed to block out external distractions (like other people, for instance) while strength training, and my embarassingly lame response was, “I don’t know; I guess I just focus.”

Aside: I learned how to focus when I cut my teeth in my local college’s gym years ago.  Being the sole 12 year old Asian nerd in a sweathog gym with college linebackers walking around, you quickly learn to be aware of and yet ignore loud, sweaty dudes throwing iron all around you.

You may hem and haw about how much you don’t like to exercise.  You can complain all you want about how much work lifting weights is.  You can cry and moan all you want about how unfair it is that you have to keep working out, over and over and over again, lest you lose your hard-earned muscle.  Heck, you can even whine between exercises.  But when it comes down to the work, don’t meta-exercise.  Focus on your efforts, keeping your technique as perfect as possible.

Meta-exercise?

It’s a made-up term, of course.  It refers to meta-level (or abstract) discussion of exercise.  As in:

• Saying to yourself, “It’s too heavy” before you pick up the weight
• Thinking about whether or not you should use machines, free weights, kettlebells, or other human bodies
• Worrying about whether or not your program is too simple/complex/long/short
• Arguing over the Internet over whether single or multiple sets of an exercise are required for optimum muscle growth

…in lieu of exhibiting consistency, discipline, and effort in an actual nutrition and exercise program.

All of these things are great distractions from getting down to business – i.e., the actual process of exercising.  Don’t meta-exercise.  Focus, and get things done.