Are you prepared?
Is your body prepared?
Most people aren’t.
When It comes to fitness, exercise, and working out one of the main things that is neglected is just getting our body generally prepared. But we tend to be too caught up in our goal or how we look to have any care in the world outside of those things.
So what the hell do we mean by “general preparation”?
I heard this term years ago when I was trying out some powerlifting. They kept saying GPP over and over again. GPP = General Physical Preparedness.
The basic idea behind this is how fit and able we are to do just about any task during a given day. Can you pick-up that box, run to get something, or catch yourself after a stumble?
We neglect this general preparation because we are so focused on our end goal. If we want to lose weight, every single thing we do is to get us closer to that goal.
So instead of working on something like balance or strength in awkward positions we are looking for that next “fat burning” exercise. Not everything has to revolve around that one tiny little goal.
Let’s open our eyes and our minds to the other possibilities that can come from our workout routine. How happy would you be with your efforts if you grew your general preparedness and were able to do just about everything you set out to do.
You want to play some sports- you are ready.
You want to help a friend move (probably not “want” to but..) – you are ready
You want to carry some heavy ass groceries- you are ready
You want to show your kids you can still kick their ass- you are ready
These are things that have CARRY OVER in your life, it’s not just about that one small goal. There is a bigger picture!
My favorite ways to increase general preparation:
#1: Being Mobile
The ability to move well and free is a VERY desired goal right now and for good reason. Your body’s ability to move has a big impact on the quality of life over time.
Find time throughout your week to work on your mobility. I like to start people out with AT LEAST one dedicated session per week. If you are already in the gym 3-5 days per week, these types of things can be added to not just your warm-up but also the actual exercises you do during your workouts.
#2: Being Strong
Overall strength will only have positive effects on your body over time. You don’t have to be the strongest person in the world but being able to build, maintain, and express your strengths will be KEY.
#3: Being FIT
Now “FIT” is a very broad term but we can tie in a few different things under this umbrella.
First off, we should have a healthy bodyfat percentage on our frame. Excess fat is not going to have any positive effects on your body. If you do have excess bodyfat, this might be a good place to start. Working your way down to a healthy range.
Also, we need to be fit in the cardiovascular aspects as well. We don’t want to just be strong, we also want to be able to WORK efficiently.
It might be time to take a look at your plan and add in some general preparation work!
In good health,
Jeff
