Tools - Understand them. Don't be one.

Do you remember the last time you wanted to have work done on your house? I rent so the answer is no for me, but play along.

When you first talked to the contractor the conversation probably went something like this:

You: Hi, I was wondering if you use screwdrivers.
Contractor: We sure do!
You: Great! What about sanders? Saws??
Contractor: Yup!
You: Awesome! How much does it cost? When can we get started?!

Sound familiar? I hope not.

I would hope the first thing you do in this situation is explain exactly what you want done…what result you want to come from their services. You trust the professional to choose the tools best suited for the job.

As ridiculous as that sounds I can’t tell you how many times we hear questions like, “do you do kettle bells?” in the fitness industry.

To (quality) coaches, the “kettlebell” questions sounds just as funny as the hypothetical conversation with the contractor.

“It’s not your fault. Listen to me. It’s not your fault” (Just imagine that in my best Robin Williams voice from Good Will Hunting)

The fact is you are bombarded by so much commercial advertising and gyms promoting whatever their new fanciest toy is in the gym that it’s impossible not to fall into the trap. The best trainers and gyms will promote the same way a contractor would – By demonstrating great results. What do you really want with an exercise program? Is it to use a TRX or to lose 10 pounds of fat? Do you want to do cone agility drills, or improve your defense for the upcoming basketball season? These are not necessarily mutually exclusive but they can be when used incorrectly.

The same holds true for individual exercises and drills – these are all just tools in the toolbox. Until we know the specific goal the tools don’t matter. Almost every piece of equipment, and every exercise, can be used to accomplish multiple different outcomes. Until we know what that outcome is we shouldn’t be deciding on what tools we will be using (or how we will be using them).

There are people making a lot of money by only using a single tool for an entire class/program (TRX, kettlebells, spin bikes, etc). Some of them do a good job using these tools to accomplish specific goals but many of them are simply taking advantage of the latest buzzword and running with it.

So the next time you think to yourself, “I need to do more cardio”, try to boil that down to what you REALLY want at the end of an exercise routine or program. Having a clearly defined goal will make it easier to ask the right questions and decide which tool is best for you.