Maintenance in Training

I’m often asked about what I am training for at the moment. The question is always asked with the assumption that I must be training for something that is new or different. After all, we’ve all been told that we must constantly pursue new goals to improve. There’s nothing flashy or sexy about working hard to maintain what has already been built. The reality though is that much of my training is based on maintaining the physical attributes that I’ve already worked so hard to achieve. I won’t turn my back on what’s already been built simply to pursue new goals or challenges. There must be balance between chasing down new challenges and holding on to the foundation that’s already been established.

Train To Maintain

In the video that follows, I discuss the importance of maintenance in training. If you are familiar with the site, you may recall seeing a similar entry in the past.

Training to maintain something that you’ve already achieved is a topic that will never garner much attention from the fitness industry. The marketing powers that be typically aren’t fans of realistic thinking. It is obviously more lucrative to sell you on the idea of doing something that is new or different.

Realistically though, if you’ve already developed any considerable strength, you can’t forget what got you there in the first place. Rather than constantly trying to reinvent the wheel, much of your time should be spent continuing to use what has already worked.

It is also important to recognize that we all have limits, despite what others would like us to believe. As mentioned within the video, what goes up will eventually come down. With that in mind, it becomes increasingly important to maintain the strength that you worked so hard to develop. And even if you don’t recognize this simple truth now, it will someday become apparent as time continues to pass.

Final Thoughts

When I was younger, I would have brushed off anything even remotely related to maintenance. All that I wanted to do was improve. Now that I’m older and wiser, I realize that I won’t continue to make gains at the rate I did when I first started. I’ll certainly continue to try (improving), but I’m also able to recognize the accomplishment in still being able to do what I did many years before.

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“The years teach much which the days never knew.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

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