Health vs. Competition

As another competition approaches (This next weekend for all of you interested!), I have to remind myself about the differences in what I am currently doing versus a normal "healthy" lifestyle.

A competitive athelete (whether a football player, swimmer, bodybuilder, etc) all need to train significantly harder than the norm if they want to stay "competitive". However, it is very important to remember that these atheletes are training for a very specific purpose. The average American adult does not need to workout as intensely or as frequently as most competitive atheletes to get their body into or remain in a "healthy" state.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA) defines healthy exercise guidelines for people under the age of 65 as cardiovascular exercise 3-5 times/week for 20-30 minutes from moderate to vigorous intensity along with resistance training a couple times/week. That is basically all it takes to maintain a healthy body and help diminish the prevalence of chronic diseases.

That, to me, is the baseline standard! Regardless of whatever else is going on in life, I must make sure I am doing at least 3 days of exercise made up of cardio and some strength training. Now, I also realize that 3 days/week is not enough to help me achieve higher strength levels or enough to really help me lose weight. But, it is enough to keep my body happy and help delay muscle atrophy.

To help put this concept into a practical example, let me give you a little history about my bodybuilding career:

I started bodybuilding back in 2003 when I first did the Body-For-Life challenge and became the 1st runner-up in my category. I then competed in my first formal natural bodybuilding competition in the summer of 2004. After that, I competed in the fall of 2005. However, after that competition, I took approximately 3 years off from competing as I finished up my degree. Although, during that time, I still made sure to workout with weights approximately 3-4x's each week and do intense cardio for 20-30mins three times each week. Doing that allowed me to keep my weight at a relatively lean level (+/- 10% bodyfat). I didn't notice much strength gain, but I didn't notice that much muscle atrophy either.

Last year in the summer of 2008, when I decided it was time to get back into bodybuilding, it took about 2 months of hard training (5-6 days/week of strength training and cardio, which is the norm for bodybuilders) to get back to a similar strength level as compared to 2005. From that point, I have been able to keep making gains. However, it wouldn't have been that simple if I didn't keep up the baseline healthy guidelines when my life was too hectic to compete.

I personally don't believe that bodybuilding is for everyone. Just like swimming isn't for everyone (and football or any other sport for that matter). However, I do believe that the baseline healthy guidelines ARE for EVERYONE!

Regardless of your current lifestyle, no excuse is good enough to prevent you from spending 20-30mins, 3-5 days/week on keeping yourself healthy! That is YOUR baseline standard. Even when your mom is in the hospital and the kids are sick! Taking 20 minutes out of the day to give back to yourself will help you become a better you! Doing so will help you cope with whatever life turmoil you are currently going through.

"Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones." Proverbs 3: 7-8 (NIV)