SOME PEOPLE TRAIN. SOME PEOPLE WORK OUT
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
One isn’t better than the other – it’s based on needs and goals.
By the age of 29 I knew, one day, I wanted a family. I knew I wanted to build generational wealth for the children I didn’t have at the time. At this point in my career, I realized pursuing football wasn’t going to provide the lifestyle and financial security I wanted in my thirties.
Also at the age of 29, I developed my ideal physique and size. From high school to professionals, the “eye test” was always my biggest challenge. I worked so hard at gaining the mass and the “look” so I never thought I would lose it. I’ve always loved the lifestyle of an athlete. I always pride myself on training harder than the next guy. In sports, I had to. I was always undersized. Sure, maybe I would lose 7-8lbs, but that wouldn’t matter because I was ripped.
Well, I was wrong about losing weight and my physique. After playing football, I transitioned into the NASCAR pit crew world. Even though it provided me the competitive environment and locker room camaraderie I desired, it did not demand the same physical investment. NASCAR pit crew was/is going through a culture shift – not only with its fan base but also with pit crew personnel. No longer are mechanics working on cars and changing tires. Now, mechanics are the mechanics and the pit stops are handled solely by the pit crews. Now, pit stops are getting exponentially faster by the year – from 12-14 second stops in 2014 to 10-12 sec stops in 2017 (12 seconds at a Cup race won’t win you any races).
Now, pit crews need stronger, faster, disciplined, coachable and more explosive “athletes.” These athletes are from different backgrounds – collegiate & professional football, baseball, wrestling, and etc. Winning, losing and the difference in millions of dollars are now based on 1/10 of a second and other racing times that keep getting faster every year.
In NASCAR, preparation and training is based on mental fortitude, core stability, movement patterns (prehabbing their imbalance), and explosion in 10-12 secs of action. This is significantly different from basketball training where you are running up and down the court or football training where you explode off the ball only to repeatedly run into another strong guy in front of you.
Ultimately, I found my self in a sport that was still trying to understand what their pit crew composition looked like. Thus, what type of workout/training is needed to compete and sustain a competitive edge is very valuable. Prior to becoming a coach for my team, I was in an environment that required us to “workout” not “train.”
Workouts do not involve many requirements except activity. There are hundreds of workout styles – zumba, crossfit, personal training and etc. This style is ideal for “weekend warriors” – individuals who do not make a living off of their body maintenance, health and overall performance. These individuals may workout for their individual lifestyle goals and hobbies.
Training requires an athlete to identify and focus on sport specific movement patterns, performance and needs. This style is very valuable to athletes who are always trying to find an edge and stay healthy. The ability to do so can result in thousands and millions of dollars a year, and most importantly, wins and loses. Athletes who train value their time, they are cautious of their bodily impact, expect results and understand the importance of investing money in their body to reach these goals (also known as Return Of Investments – ROI).
Once again, one isn’t better than the other – it’s just based on needs and goals. Know the difference.
