It’s very easy to get caught up in a fitness routine that relies exclusively on weight training exercises and minimal cardio or other physical activities.

The term All Show & No Go often applies to bodybuilders, as they are often most concerned with looking aesthetically perfect. You may have heard stories of bodybuilders who couldn’t run a block’s worth without feeling like they’d keel over or some who were so big that they depended on their spouses to actually wipe them when they went to the bathroom. That’s just crazy!

I don’t know about you, but I don’t ONLY want to look the best I can, I want to also physically perform the very best I can. Besides the health and fitness benefits that I receive from my fitness training regimen, there are also many additional benefits that I gain from working out. Here are just some of the MANY incredibly beneficial results that improve all aspects of my life and I guarantee that they'll do the same for you!

*I have more energy.

*I’m in a much better mood, more often.

*I feel like I can perform just about any physical activity or at least know I have the physicality to give  
  it a go.

*I am much more productive in business.

*I have more confidence, which people can sense.

*I attract more attention.

*I am preserving myself to live a longer life with my moved ones! 

Adding Some Active Fun To The Mix
Just this past October, I started playing racquetball with a few buddies of mine. I cannot begin to tell you how awesome this sport is at helping me get in awesome shape. It’s my opinion, but I have never felt more alive in my life. I am a maniac on the racquetball court. I use my weight workout acquired strength to both move more explosively and to smack the snot out of that ball. In turn, I use my newly developed wind, improved hand/eye coordination & power that I gain from racquetball and bring it back to my weight workouts, which are now more productive than ever before! It’s a total win-win.

When I first began playing racquetball, I could barely play for a couple of minutes before I needed to stop to TRY and catch my breath. I can now play for a couple of hours, non stop!

Performing more than one activity over a couple of days is the essence of cross-training and is one of the most brilliant ways of compounding your efforts to achieve optimum fitness results.

You must understand the nature of an activity like weight training and a sport like racquetball. Weight training is a very cerebral sport (And just to be clear, weight training is actually a sport to me!). If you want to achieve your greatest results possible, you must learn to harness the power of your mind to elicit the mind over muscle connection and fully engage your muscles during your workout. If you take your mind off of the weight training activity, you will just be going through the motions and it will have a super negative affect on your weight training results.

On the other hand a sport like racquetball is different. Yes, you must still think about what you’re doing during a game, but there is SO much going on, that it’s as if you get lost in the fun. You’re running, jumping, diving, doing your best to avoid getting hit by the ball and by other players, etc. It’s the best of both worlds!

You can bring this degree of sport and exercise fun to many activities. Think explosive and non-stop play. Things like basketball, tennis, squash, sprint swimming & mixed martial arts are all amazing choices that will surely enhance your overall health and fitness results.

The last thing you want to be is All Show & No Go – It’s nothing more than a façade; looks good on the outside, but beyond that, everything else is worthless.

What could be better than having a combination of a great looking body with a body that is more than capable of physically performing, at will? I love the fact that I can keep up with professional bodybuilders during my weight training workouts, but I can also out perform most of my friends in most physical activities. I am not genetically gifted by any means. I just train hard and make sure to bring balance between my weight training workouts and my sporting activities.

Since October, I can move much more quickly & run faster than most guys in their 20’s – Not bad for a 232 pound 38 year old. Please Note: I am by no means a professional athlete, so I consider myself more average than elite. I spend as little time as possible in the gym, just making sure that I adequately hit all major muscle groups with great intensity. I simply follow a direct plan of weight training action, and make sure to engage in my extra sporting activities about 3 times per week.

I do obviously spend some time taking care of myself, but not nearly as much time as most would think. I have a beautiful family that I’d much rather spend my time with, than spend too much time working out. I love my workouts and enjoy spending some time with my training partners, but my primary training objective is to get in and get out of the gym as quickly as possible. If I wanted to waste time or spend time socializing with my friends, I’d rather do it at dinner or a planned get together. When I train, I want to train and that’s it!

So, I hope that I have shed some light on this topic for you. To briefly summarize, your training routine should not only be about weight training. It should be a combination of weight training, cardio & a sports specific activity. These three components will create the perfect recipe for achieving optimum fitness results!

Keep Going Strong!

James Villepigue CSCS