Friday, February 01, 2013

Fitness Friday - Easier?

One of the hardest things for me to under about fitness was also one of the simplest: It never gets easier. Instead, you get stronger. You get faster. You get better. But but fitness never gets easier.

Here's an example: I have different strength training routines. Back, biceps, chest, triceps, etc. The amount of force required to lift a given amount of weight never changes. Physics never change. Instead, I get stronger. I'm able to lift the weights with less perceived effort. It may feel easier, but I'm still exerting the same force to move the weights.

Running may be affected by weight loss, initially. But I've peaked around 185lbs and I'm not going to get more aerodynamic. Running never gets easier. Biking? I could actually BUY speed by spending more on a bike. It would be lighter, more streamlined. But most of gains from sub-17MPH to almost 20MPH comes from my own development. I can power up hills now, but biking never gets easier. And how about swimming? Techniques help. Strength helps.  Though, I'll never be Aquaman.

The road will always be road. The water will always be water. And the weights will always mercilessly obey the timeless laws of physics. But fitness is a moving target. The only thing we can affect is our fitness. The rest never gets easier.

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