FitLifeSF

I believe “proper form” is the most important part of all workouts.  If you don’t have proper form, when you are training (this applies to much more than weight training), you can hurt yourself or not target muscle groups correctly.  Intensity, is nearly as important as form, and if it is lacking you might as well stop before you begin.  Intensity is a combination of mental focus, breathing, intent, desire and heart.  If you train without intensity you end up not getting the results you want and I find you ultimately lose the desire to keep going. (No progress leads to feeling like what are you are doing is a waste of time)  The thing about intensity is that once you learn how to apply it, you can use it in all aspects of your life, not just training.

It is funny how mood affects intensity, but even more so, how upping your intensity will significantly improve your mood.  How many times have you not worked out because you felt blah? And how many time have you gotten over the blah hump, made yourself work out, and then felt better for it?  (Most times unless you are coming down with the flu or something)  Think of focus, intent, desire and heart as lenses, and intensity as the light shining though them.  If you want to get the light to burn a hole through paper, you would need to move the lenses to target the beam into a point.  Depending on where one lens is stuck on a given try, you have to adjust the others to compensate.  The same holds true for the intensity in you.

If you don’t “feel like” working out, you need to motivate yourself to do it.  Focus on why you are staying fit, embrace that desire to look good, or feel good, or whatever it is that got you started.  Get your heart pumping, and your energy level up, and focus your intent to do better than you did the last time.  All of these things will kick up your intensity, and get you motivated, and help you carry though that workout with high energy.

When I work out, I try to keep my intensity way up.  And anyone who has ever worked out with me, or near me for that matter, will never tell you otherwise.  When I begin working out, I get in my training mindset which is to kick my own ass, and take myself to the limit.  (Unless I am doing Sambo and Jud is around, then I like to crack jokes, and talk smack)  I am a loud, grunty, face making jackass who says things like “You can do one more you wimp!” and “Do it you wussy!” to himself.  And I don’t mean a quite whisper or in my head, but out loud as I am struggling to get that last rep out.  This is the kind of weird self motivation that keeps me pushing with everything I have.  (I used to get odd looks in those commercial gyms, in hardcore gyms it is more the norm)

What I am trying to say is working out without intensity is like having sex with no passion.  It may feel like you are doing something, but in the end you are just going through the motions.

-Rob