As a personal trainer, I am constantly being asked questions day in and day out regarding some aspect within the world of fitness–anything from strength training, nutrition, rehabilitation, cardio, etc. Part of this job is being able to provide answers and solutions to questions or concerns that my clients may have, whatever it may be. Regardless of what the specific question may be, I’ve noticed that it’s not necessarily the single “what,” “why,” or “how” that needs to be answered. In order to get the most out of training, we need to dive a little deeper past the surface. It’s easy to fall off track when we lose sight of the purpose behind our actions. So the single best piece of advice I could give somebody is to:
Recognize Your “What,” Know Your “Why,” and Learn Your “How”
I don’t mean to offend anyone by this, but in general, people are inherently lazy. We all want an easy fix, a fast solution, and a quick access to what we need. This world is highly demanding and having access to information at a moments’ notice whether it’s through a quick search on the internet or a simple conversation, can be incredibly useful. Sounds familiar right? We all do this every single day and get by just fine. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and place for this, but this will normally lead to some vague surface information that won’t get you very far. You may be able to get by in the moment, but this is the problem, case and point. In order to be truly successful at anything, you need to learn, understand, and master it. This simply cannot happen with just a single question approach (“what,” “why,” or “how”). The more you ask, the more you know! So now what?
Recognizing your “What”: ACKNOWLEDGING
This is typically the easiest part to notice. We have an issue, so we want to know what to do to change it. They say that the best way to conquer a problem is to recognize it in the first place. Recognizing your “what” is that first step in the process. Once you see the issue, it generally will lead to a surface question that I’m referring to. These questions are ones that should never be answered without follow-up questions. By recognizing our “what,” we can then shift gears into creating a plan of action through our “why” and “how.”
Here are some examples:
“What is the best form of cardio?”
“What should I eat after a before or after my workout?”
“What exercise should I do for a bigger chest?”
Knowing your “Why”: UNDERSTANDING
Most of the time when people ask me a question, I follow back up with “why?” and I find that usually, they stop and need some time to think. This process is crucial towards long term success, because it determines how you learn and understand importance in what you’re ultimately trying to achieve. Usually your “why” will call for some deeper thinking and psychological reasoning. Once you begin to reason with yourself, you can dig deeper into the root of the problem which needs addressing.
“When you know your “why”, your “what” has more impact, because you are walking in or towards your purpose” – Michael Jr.
Here are some examples:
“What is the best form of cardio?”
Why: Because I want to lose body fat.
“What should I eat after a before or after my workout?” Why: Because I want to perform better.
“What exercise should I do for a bigger chest?”
Why: Because I want to fill out my shirt.
Learning your “How”: TAKING ACTION
So you’ve recognized your “what” and know your “why,” now comes the time to take action. The “how” is simply your plan of attack that will be made to achieve your goal. Your vision is clear, and your purpose is full, but now comes the time to develop a process to achieve success. Once you see what’s wrong, understand why it’s happening, then you can change how you will proceed in future actions. More often than not, people understand what needs to be done, they just don’t do it. Stop over thinking, stop being worried about failure, and simply do what needs to be done. Believe in yourself and you’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish.
Here are some examples:
“What is the best form of cardio?
Why: Because I want to lose body fat.
How: Learn how the body uses fat as an energy source & implement it into your plan accordingly.
“What should I eat after a before or after my workout?”
Why: Because I want to perform better.
How: Learn how different nutrients are processed & implement it into your plan accordingly.
“What exercise should I do for a bigger chest?”
Why: Because I want to fill out my shirt.
How: Learn how muscle growth occurs & implement it into your plan accordingly.
I’m a very firm believer that the more you truly know and understand about what you’re doing, the better you will be at that given task. This goes way beyond fitness, and can benefit you in other areas of your life as well. If you need help with these aspects, then reach out for it! A professional trainer/coach will be able to target these key factors in your life and tailor a plan towards your needs. By understanding your “what,” “why,” and “how,” you will then hold more accountability for your actions and adhere towards your specific plan. There will be less question and doubt, ultimately giving you a higher rate of success. Recognizing your “what,” knowing your “why,” and learning your “how” is all about purpose. Once you fully know these three aspects, the only thing left is do go out and earn your success!
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