18 Nov How Purposeful is Your Training? (Purpose Driven Training)

Why are you doing what you’re doing?

This is the rationale behind Purpose Driven Training.

This is something I’ve always been extremely committed to in my own training.

I always ask myself, “why am I doing this exercise?”

Purpose Driven Training is exactly what it sounds like, training with a purpose.

And, it doesn’t matter if you’re a recreational exerciser or an elite athlete, you should ALWAYS be asking “why am I doing this?”

Instead of doing things just to do them, do them with a clear understanding and a rationale.

If you can’t come up with a specific reason or you don’t understand of why you’re doing something, guess what you should do with it?

Don’t do it.

If you don’t understand it or if you have no idea why you’re doing something, why would you continue to include it in your training program?

I’m a big believer in always having a solid “rationale” for every single thing I do and also in what I teach.

For every exercise, every drill, and every activity I want to challenge you to ask yourself, “why am I doing this?”

You will have a few possible answers, with at least one and maybe all of these listed below.

1. I enjoy doing the exercise or activity
2. It is directly related to my training goals
3. It’s safe for me to do and I understand how this will make me better

If none of these are your answers, then you need to reconsider why you’re doing it.

Here’s an example.

Let’s take box jumps, when done correctly and with good jumping mechanics, they are a very effective higher level training method for explosive strength and reactive ability.

Today, they’re also used as a common training method for conditioning and for fat loss.

You need to be able to answer the question of “why am I doing this?”

Does this make sense to you and do you really understand the “rationale” for the exercise and what it’s used for?

If you do, great.

If you don’t understand why and are doing it simply because it’s part of a “the program,” you need to re-evaluate whether it’s a fit for you as an educated athlete.

Remember, this is Purpose Driven Training, which is training with a purpose and having a reason for everything you do.

It’s a very simple concept, but I’m afraid it’s something that’s often missed and many follow blindly without asking why.

Question everything.

You should do this with every exercise you do.

Whether it’s a deadlift, a squat, or a kettlebell swing, ask the same question.

“Why am I doing this?”

Make sure you know the answer.

The answer should be painfully obvious with these exercises, but make sure you know why you’re doing them and that they address your goals.

Training with purpose will make you a better athlete, minimize risk for injury, and help you better achieve the goals you want.

What’s the big take away here?

Have a reason and rationale for everything.

Don’t go through the motions for the sake of completing a workout, always ask “why am I doing this?”

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