Functionality Rant

The fitness industry is a flawed industry. Walk into any commercial gym in the world and you will find people working hard and not getting results, people not working hard and expecting results, people spending money for results they won't get and people getting results that aren't what they need.

This is not the fault of the paying customers. Everyone in those gyms deserves the results they want, or at least the results they are willing to work for. However, the notions of what is healthy, what is desirable and what is good for us has been skewered beyond all recognition for a reason as simple as this: $$$.

Fitness is not about: being skinny, having big muscles, benching big numbers or looking awesome in your matching Nike dry-fit compression gear. It's about being fit to function. Being able to control your body efficiently under a range of different circumstances, whether that's climbing a ledge, pushing your malfunctioning car or running from zombies.

Sure, lifting the entire weight rack on the Lat Pulldown is impressive, but it's not functional. Leg Pressing a thousand pounds impresses your friends but it doesn't impress the joints in your lower body. The same goes for cardio equipment, treadmills are designed to simulate running, but running on a machine is not the same as functional running. The flat belt does not account for the ever-changing terrain of the outside world. Air conditioned rooms cannot replace the wind resistance of the great outdoors. These differences may seem small but they make a difference. Running five miles on a treadmill is much easier than running five miles on a dirt track, if you find that hard to believe, try it for yourself.

When it comes down to it, the one and only thing I want you to gain from this post is that fitness is about being able to use what you've got. Train for the right reasons. There are a lot of things out there telling you the opposite- don't listen to them, ask yourself: How is this making me a more effective machine?

If the answer is: "It's not", then find something that will.

And thank me when you're not a zombie =)