Training Maturity

By: Michael Beiter

Over the years, priorities shift for an exerciser similarly to that of a maturing adolescent. For lack of a better term, let's call it training maturity.

Mature exercisers can delay gratification versus needing it to be immediate.

Fitness is a complete picture instead of a fractional, closed perspective.

Developing training maturity can't be expedited, just like growing your first mustache and driving a car. Time seems to be the only way through.

I rarely see training maturity in anyone who's spent less than 7-10 years in the game, though the reflections are fascinating once reached. Like everyone's unique high school experience, those who've been training for a long time each have their own stories to share that lead them to their current conclusions.

"4 years ago, at 220 lbs, I about got killed by a 2-mile hike at Yellowstone. This weekend I did a 3-mile course with a ton of elevation change in Tahoe and breezed right through. I could have done more."

Being 25 lbs lighter certainly helps.

"I'm in better shape now than I was throughout my 20's. I was never an active weekend guy, let alone an entire vacation. Now I prefer to travel to the mountains with my family and stay active the entire time. Beaches are cool, but they're not much more than lying on a towel and drinking. I seek out activity in my downtime now. I never thought I'd live that life."

These quotes are from a forty-something client with more than fifteen years of exercise experience talking about how his priorities have shifted as he matured.

I like to contrast them with a sixteen-year-old who recently came in with an arm full of supplements, two for before he works out, one for during, and one for after. He followed Arnold's 6-day, two-hour-per-day lifting routine and three days of at least an hour of lifting with his football team. He's trying to gain weight for the upcoming football season.

I asked him how it was going, and he replied that he was up seven pounds. I countered by asking him if he thought it was from his supplements and fifteen hours per week lifting weights or puberty. He shut down pretty quickly after that question.

I'm not trying to throw stones; we've all been duped by supplements, programs of the pros, and instant gratification. This boy's only shot of learning is to go through and fail. I told him as much, but he wasn't listening by then.

Training maturity is real, just like nutritional maturity is, and the only way to is through it.