The Best Workout Isn't the Hardest One

There’s a misconception in fitness that a harder workout is automatically a better workout.

More exercises.

More sets.

More reps.

More sweat.

More time in the gym.

More exhaustion when you’re finished.

It can definitely feel like you accomplished more.

But ultimately, the goal of training isn’t to see how much work you can possibly do.

The goal is to get results.

That might mean getting stronger.

Moving better.

Adding muscle.

Improving your conditioning.

Playing better golf.

Or simply feeling better and being able to do more of the things you enjoy outside the gym.

Whatever your goal is, your training should be designed to move you closer to it.

And doing more isn't always the best way to get there.

One of the things we're constantly trying to find as coaches is the minimum effective dose.

In other words, what's the minimum amount of training we actually need to get the result we're looking for?

If three sets of an exercise give us the stimulus we need that particular day for that particular exercise, doing six sets doesn't automatically make the workout twice as effective. It might just make you more tired.

And fatigue isn't the same thing as progress.

This is where understanding the relationship between volume and intensity becomes important.

Generally, the harder you're working, the less total work you're going to be able to do.

If you're lifting heavier weights or performing exercises at a higher intensity, you can't sustain that for the same amount of volume.

On the other hand, if we're doing more total work, the intensity usually needs to come down.

We can't maximize everything at once.

That's why good programming is constantly adjusting those variables.

How much weight?

How many reps?

How many sets?

How often are you training?

How much recovery do you have between sessions?

And perhaps most importantly, what are we actually trying to accomplish?

Because training itself is only part of the equation.

When we exercise, we're intentionally stressing the body.

That stress is the signal that tells your body it needs to adapt.

But the workout isn't when that adaptation actually happens.

Your body needs time and resources to recover from the stress we've created.

That's when tissues rebuild.

That's when energy stores are restored.

That's when your body adapts so it's better prepared to handle that same challenge the next time.

If we continually pile more stress on top without allowing enough recovery, we're not necessarily creating more progress.

We're often just creating more fatigue.

That's why the hardest workout isn't always the best workout.

The best workout is the one that keeps working.

And what that looks like is going to be different for everyone.

Someone who wants to improve their golf game may need a very different training program than someone trying to add muscle.

Someone who can train four days per week gives us different options than someone whose schedule only allows for two.

Someone with decades of training experience can tolerate different exercises, loads, and volumes than someone who walked into a gym for the first time last month.

Your injury history matters.

Your goals matter.

Your schedule matters.

Your recovery matters.

What your body responds well to matters.

All of those variables help determine the right dose.

And that dose can change.

There will be times when we increase volume.

There will be times when we increase intensity.

There will be times when we intentionally pull both back.

There may even be days when you leave the gym feeling like you could have done more.

That's okay.

The goal isn't to squeeze every possible ounce of effort out of every workout.

The goal is to give your body enough of a reason to adapt, recover from it, and then come back ready to build on it again.

Because we're not trying to win today's workout.

We're trying to make progress over weeks, months, and years.

And we're trying to do it without requiring you to spend endless hours in the gym.

Your training should improve your life outside the gym, not consume it.

If we can help you get stronger, move better, feel better, and accomplish the things you care about with three purposeful hours of training each week, there's no prize for needing six.

That's good programming.

Find the right exercises.

Use the right amount of volume.

Apply the right amount of intensity.

Allow enough recovery.

Then adjust those variables as your body, goals, and life change.

Any workout can make you tired.

A good program keeps producing results.

And that's what we're chasing at Core.