Do you train or just work out?

[oldsuperman]

You may have noticed, or not, I never say "I work out"....what I do is,

"train."

IMO "Working out" is when you go to the gym to do something, yet it is usually lacks, consistency or intensity, or both.

Consistency with intensity means, training with a commitment to a goal that is attainable, yet challenging.

For example, mine is to compete in BB. Qualify for Nationals Masters 50 to 59 year old by winning the Emerald Cup. Go to Nationals, and place in the top ten! There are other qualifiers, yet, that is the show I want to qualify in!

Some it is to lose fat, and tone up. Some, to hit a lift, that proves increased strength and virility. Ther are many other worthy pursuits that are rewarding, yet challenging!

At least twice a week or more, people ask me how they can lose weight, look more like me, lose their belly, etc.. cause I am fit and muscled. When someone tells me, "I don't want to have "big muscles," just want to lose weight, belly, get fit, bla bla bla...." They are most always short term lifters. Why?

Because when I give them advice, 95% will not put forth the intensity, even tho I see them coming to the gym "working out," consistently.

So, the question is, "do you train," or "just work out?"

[slackdaddy]

From someone who is primarily a lifter in the winter months and a cyclist in the summer months, I train in both sports. My lifting is centered around the big 3 lifts and I try to add weight every workout. I have clocks on 2 different walls in my home gym so that I can always see one and make sure that I'm not just dragging through my workout or resting too much.

On the cycling front, I have an interval day and a hill day. I have a few good size hills that I ride up, turn around and recover on the way down. Then go back up again for a set number of times. The bike I ride on my indoor trainer has a cadence counter on the pedal and I wear a heart rate monitor to make sure that I stay in the high pedaling range and at the target heart rate for whatever workout I'm doing.

My goals are:
1. Be the best looking old guy out there in cycling clothes
2. Win races

[IR45N]

You may have noticed, or not, I never say "I work out"....what I do is,

"train."

IMO "Working out" is when you go to the gym to do something, yet it is usually lacks, consistency or intensity, or both.

Consistency with intensity means, training with a commitment to a goal that is attainable, yet challenging.

For example, mine is to compete in BB. Qualify for Nationals Masters 50 to 59 year old by winning the Emerald Cup. Go to Nationals, and place in the top ten! There are other qualifiers, yet, that is the show I want to qualify in!

Some it is to lose fat, and tone up. Some, to hit a lift, that proves increased strength and virility. Ther are many other worthy pursuits that are rewarding, yet challenging!

At least twice a week or more, people ask me how they can lose weight, look more like me, lose their belly, etc.. cause I am fit and muscled. When someone tells me, "I don't want to have "big muscles," just want to lose weight, belly, get fit, bla bla bla...." They are most always short term lifters. Why?

Because when I give them advice, 95% will not put forth the intensity, even tho I see them coming to the gym "working out," consistently.

So, the question is, "do you train," or "just work out?"

Tough question.
Personally, I'd like to say I go to train specific body part(s) with the current short goal of added strength, definition and size. Long term goal (in the next year) probably would be surpassing appearing 'in shape' and more looking like I've really hit the iron in the gym. 'Train' includes diet and enough rest, so it isn't just about gym time.

'Just workout' does kind of imply a vague goal of trying to get in shape. Wanting to lose weight doesn't mean much unless one knows there are also gains to be made in made in muscle strength, size and better body definition. This 'don't want big muscles'; especially from a guy instantly makes me think a chromosome replacement is in order. The quick answer is 'big muscles are a whole 'nother level; right now work on good muscle gains. Frankly, I'd kill to be Mariusz Pudzianowski (sp?) for five years. Maybe with sensible diet and cardio in place, someone who's overweight might focus on muscle gains rather than fat loss. And, with educated info.,consistency, and sensible intensity, that would be training.

Interesting tough complex question worth chewing over. Thx for posting it.

[Baldsnake]

I am trying to put your words into my day to day application. I guess I go to the gym to give a muscle group/groups a good Work Out but I am there to Train for an imaginary contest that is at this time of my life out there in the ether. My best Work Outs happened when I was Training for something.

Hell, I just confused myself.

[dartol]

My daughter is 2. I am training to be big enough to scare the Bajeezus out of the boys she brings home when she gets to be a teenager.

Seriously, excellent food for thought. I want to continue to lose fat. I want to gain muscle and strength. I want to look good when I take my shirt off. The weather stays warm here in the Houston area for most of the year so there is plenty of opportunity for that. I don't think I will ever do a contest, but I want to look like I could if I wanted to.

Most of all I want to continue to maintain and improve the fat loss journey that I started years ago.

Darren

[redweston]

Something to think on! Thanks OldSuperDude!

[lukamar]

That's one very hard one to answer Ed. To be really honest at the moment I'm somewhere in the middle. I would like to think I train but maybe not always. I try to do my workouts with intensity - bang-bang-bang-45 minutes done. But there are other times when I'm trying something new and it's probably more like a workout.

I decided that I would lose excess weight rather than trying, fruitlessly, to lose weight and gain mass as I've been trying for a year. I have an image in my mind of what I want to accomplish and a time frame I want to accomplish that in, it should be attainable for me.

Getting and staying in shape is probably just as important for me than becoming muscular but I'll take muscular if that comes with the package...

[FittyFour]

So, the question is, "do you train," or "just work out?"

"Just work out" connotes some type of failure. I don't see it that way.

"Working out" can be seen in a broader context - working out a problem, resolving an issue, untying a knot, solving a puzzle.

Training is a subset - while training, you're "working things out" - for better health, endurance, greater strength.

And you don't train without goals - greater muscle density, fat loss, bone strength.

None are mutually exclusive of the other.

"Working out" to me has a sense of optimism to it - a determination, a destination to go to, a daily step towards growth and accomplishment.

The gym where I go is my daily meditation - I cast off cell phones, suit and tie, dress shoes, and slip into something a little more introspective, where I "work" things "out" from the inside.

"Working out" is how I "grow"...

[Hibiscus09]

I stay fit so I can do activities I enjoy, feel great and look good in (and out of) my bikini!

[oldsuperman]

My daughter is 2. I am training to be big enough to scare the Bajeezus out of the boys she brings home when she gets to be a teenager.
Darren

When the boys used to come over to see my girls, I would shake their hand and keep their hand just for a moment as I looked into their eyes, I call it the Pit Bull Stare, stand about 10" in their face and say, "Hello son. What are your plans tonight?"

My daughters would always say, "Dad, you scare the guys, and they think you don't like them!" And I say,..."Good!!!" LOL!

The funny thing is I'm a big softy when it comes to my girls, they just can't believe the boys were afraid of me at all ! LOL!

[John Prophet]

I think that is a big problem with average gym goers....its not "going anywhere"

they have no plan, no strategy and its just become a habit


its almost like the difference between a career and a job.....for most peeeps in the gym its "just a job"


I was the same way for many years. Then last year and this year I did some powerlfiting comps...I did 3 comps and i also trained specifically for some comps I ended up not doing.

There is a big difference between working out and training.

When training, you have a plan and a goal. The guys who "workout" are the ones who "throw in a few sets of this or that" or they ask their partner "what do you want to do now?"...no rhyme or reason

they stay on a certain program until they are bored and then they "change up it to keep things fresh"......whereas an athlete or someone training for a goal has specific "phases"

[Athena]

My daughter is 2. I am training to be big enough to scare the Bajeezus out of the boys she brings home when she gets to be a teenager.

Darren

I'm 41.


My father still does that.

[Athena]

When the folks at work ask me, "Oh, did you work out this morning?" I reply, "I TRAIN. I do not work out."

The difference is that TRAINING implies a goal is in mind.

Working out is what the cardio bunnies do.

[empresscat]

I was keeping very well to my exercise, staying on top of it (for the first time in my life, mind you) while I was training for the 3-Day walk.

Since then, I've been finding it difficult to maintain my motivation - despite enjoying lifting, and knowing I need to lose weight/fat. There are lots of reasons, including holiday blues with my mom gone this year... but mostly, I think it's that "losing weight" is just too vague for me to use as a motivator. Especially since I'm working toward a goal I can't even visualize well, since I've been over 200 lbs and outta shape since I was a teen.

So I've chosen a 5k in three months to train for, and I'm already getting excited about it.

I'd have to definitely say, for me - training is the only way I'll keep it up. Working out just doesn't do the trick.

[Stenn]

My daughter is 2. I am training to be big enough to scare the Bajeezus out of the boys she brings home when she gets to be a teenager.

You and me both, buddy, except that my daughter is 5 instead of 2. I also want to be able to be able to play with her and generally participate in an active life with her without throwing out my back or getting tired too soon like an "old man".

I also train for the sheer pleasure of maintaining the running joke that is my physical transformation. When I see myself naked in the mirror these days, I just have to laugh because I know what I used to look like. (For your own personal chuckle, see my BodySpace page.)

At this point, I have no serious intentions to compete. I'd sooner plan a trip to Mars. But still, I feel that I'm training for my own personal goals and satisfaction and my workouts are part of that training.

Everyone has their own aspirations that keep them in the gym and if they don't have anything in particular that they are working towards, they tend to gravitate away from the gym and back onto the couch in front of the idiot box with a big bag of chips.

[pastorgbc]

You may have noticed, or not, I never say "I work out"....what I do is,

"train."

IMO "Working out" is when you go to the gym to do something, yet it is usually lacks, consistency or intensity, or both.

Consistency with intensity means, training with a commitment to a goal that is attainable, yet challenging.

For example, mine is to compete in BB. Qualify for Nationals Masters 50 to 59 year old by winning the Emerald Cup. Go to Nationals, and place in the top ten! There are other qualifiers, yet, that is the show I want to qualify in!

Some it is to lose fat, and tone up. Some, to hit a lift, that proves increased strength and virility. Ther are many other worthy pursuits that are rewarding, yet challenging!

At least twice a week or more, people ask me how they can lose weight, look more like me, lose their belly, etc.. cause I am fit and muscled. When someone tells me, "I don't want to have "big muscles," just want to lose weight, belly, get fit, bla bla bla...." They are most always short term lifters. Why?

Because when I give them advice, 95% will not put forth the intensity, even tho I see them coming to the gym "working out," consistently.

So, the question is, "do you train," or "just work out?"

Excellent point. I use both terms, but I think that you get the most meaningful "workouts" when they are part of a systematized training schedule that is goal oriented. My philosophy is that there must a meaning to each and every workout, and each one must relate to the goals set in some fashion.

That is not to say that there is not some room for instinctive training and variability given the way an individual workout may feel or progress, but my eye has to remain fixed on the greater goal.

Ray

[c502cid]

I think some of us have different goals here. I admire you all training for competitions and know it takes a lot of effort, intensity, and hard work. However, I'll never do that nor do I have any desire to. Working out has given me lower blood pressure, normal cholesterol, and most importantly, a fighting chance to watch my beautiful daughters grow up. I also look good in a t-shirt again so I guess it has given me increased self esteem too. I love working out and dont consider it or myself lesser than those in training. I work out with great intensity though and my results speak for themselves.
Great thread topic!

[Mark1T]

I train, with specific goals and effort to progress. However, I am guilty of saying that I "workout." For some such as me, I guess it is a matter of semantics, because when I "train" there are mostly people there that are merely working out.

But, credit to Superman, I will now refer it as Training.

[oldsuperman]

"Just work out" connotes some type of failure. I don't see it that way.

"Working out" can be seen in a broader context - working out a problem, resolving an issue, untying a knot, solving a puzzle.

Training is a subset - while training, you're "working things out" - for better health, endurance, greater strength.

And you don't train without goals - greater muscle density, fat loss, bone strength.

None are mutually exclusive of the other.

"Working out" to me has a sense of optimism to it - a determination, a destination to go to, a daily step towards growth and accomplishment.

The gym where I go is my daily meditation - I cast off cell phones, suit and tie, dress shoes, and slip into something a little more introspective, where I "work" things "out" from the inside.

"Working out" is how I "grow"...

All true friend.

Yet, what I here in the gyms daily, mostly cause I'm older and I know it is cause they all start by saying, "For and older guy", "Man you look amazing." True, I'm training hard, yet I see it more than "just working out."

Most of the people that say something to me have been working out for some time, some for years! I guess that is why they feel somewhat compelled to approach me and talk about it, not that they look bad themselves either.

They always, always ask, " how much time do you spend in the gym?" And they always are surprised when I say, "about 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hrs." "How many days?" they ask. "Five or six." They are surprised cause they expected it took more time to do what I've done. They may even spend as much or more time in the gym than I!

YET, they lack the intensity, a real goal, a marker. They "work out" without real purpose in mind. No real direction as to what they want to accomplish AND, they have know idea of the "INTENSITY" and some, "CONSISTENSY" it takes to get you there.

I guess what gets me the most is they want to look like me, and ask almost silly questions like, "Do you eat whey? Do u take supplements, do you take? Do you....? Do you....? etc" expecting me to give them a magic bullet like, "Keep working out, take amino's and drink whey and you'll look like me" when the truth is they "just want to work out," day in and day out. No real goal in sight no "training" to do things better to get them anywhere specific.

If I take time to explain the difference between "training" and just "working out" BTW, I don't do it most of the time, just smile and say "thank you and I gotta get back to my training," they never, never take my advice. It's too hard.

A very succesful BB friend of mine, and a mentor asked me how my training is going? I said, "Man, it is so much work, and it's so, so, hard!" He said, "Ed, it's ment to be hard! Otherwise, EVERYONE would do it. That's the difference between us and others! We train, other just go to the gym, and work out."

It may be semantics here, yet to me words can compel us to do amazing things when they inspire us to be better than we are. Training is just that, to have a specific goal, while working out is unspecific in direction. IMO.

[oldsuperman]

I think some of us have different goals here. I admire you all training for competitions and know it takes a lot of effort, intensity, and hard work. However, I'll never do that nor do I have any desire to. Working out has given me lower blood pressure, normal cholesterol, and most importantly, a fighting chance to watch my beautiful daughters grow up. I also look good in a t-shirt again so I guess it has given me increased self esteem too. I love working out and dont consider it or myself lesser than those in training. I work out with great intensity though and my results speak for themselves.
Great thread topic!

Sound pretty specific to me friend! Great goals, especially being there for your daughters, no better goal than that! Family is everything! Keep training hard bud!

[thorra]

I work out. I do it consistently and with intensity. Within my workouts, maybe I'm training a certain bodypart to grow or training my body to burn fat, but I tend to think of my time down in the basement (from warm-up, to cool-down and everything in between) as a workout.

[c502cid]

OldSuperman, I admire what you have accomplished. Maybe I should call it training because you are right about setting goals. Thanks for an excellent thread topic, great food for thought!

[Dutchman]

I recently turned 65, am now on Medicare, SS etc. Most of my retired and semi-retired friends here exercise to stay healthy in one way or another. A few of them work-out at the gym to maintain strength as well. I break the mold here, along with only a few others, in that I/we train to reach some particular short or long term performance goal. For me its powerlifting. This drives me to be consistent, intelligent and dedicated in my approach and makes it easier to recover from setbacks and overcome a variety of obstacles. Were it not for a goal, I would have slid off into the abyss long ago. My life, my health and my golf swing are richer for it.

[oldsuperman]

I was keeping very well to my exercise, staying on top of it (for the first time in my life, mind you) while I was training for the 3-Day walk.

Since then, I've been finding it difficult to maintain my motivation - despite enjoying lifting, and knowing I need to lose weight/fat. There are lots of reasons, including holiday blues with my mom gone this year... but mostly, I think it's that "losing weight" is just too vague for me to use as a motivator. Especially since I'm working toward a goal I can't even visualize well, since I've been over 200 lbs and outta shape since I was a teen.

So I've chosen a 5k in three months to train for, and I'm already getting excited about it.

I'd have to definitely say, for me - training is the only way I'll keep it up. Working out just doesn't do the trick.

YES! YES! YES!

YOU GOT IT KITTY QUEEN!!!!

It's not all about big muscles! It's about being driven with DIRECTION and a purpose in mind. TO ACCOMPLISH A GOAL.

That is the great reward! Attaining your degree of perfection! It comes from TRAINING. Anyone can work out.

[BuffedStuff]

I'm in training.....its the old age challenge... how strong, how powerful...and how healthly I can be...yea its training

[Stenn]

I guess what gets me the most is they want to look like me, and ask almost silly questions like, "Do you eat whey? Do u take supplements, do you take? Do you....? Do you....? etc" expecting me to give them a magic bullet like, "Keep working out, take amino's and drink whey and you'll look like me" when the truth is they "just want to work out," day in and day out. No real goal in sight no "training" to do things better to get them anywhere specific.

If I take time to explain the difference between "training" and just "working out" BTW, I don't do it most of the time, just smile and say "thank you and I gotta get back to my training," they never, never take my advice. It's too hard.

This is a great observation and I'd like to point out that the folks asking you the silly questions may not be as stupid as you think. Most folks in the gym would LOVE to have a body like yours but are inocently ignorant of what it takes to be a competitive bodybuilder. They ask you, an obvious expert, questions to figure out for themselves if the prize is worth the effort. The folks who don't take your advice aren't necessarily slackers. They may simply be those who heard what they needed to hear to make a decision not to follow the bodybuilding path. For them, the prize wasn't worth the effort. And there's nothing wrong with that. They may be exerting themselves whole-heartedly in other areas of their lives and, for now at least, having 18" biceps (or whatever) just isn't a priority.

[BurritoMan]

I tend to use the phrase "work out" or "lift" but it's pretty clear to me that I am very focused, have a plan that I work hard on sticking to and fine-tuning, and do a ton of research with the aim of improving these. My plan has clear progressive goals and I've derived enough results already, and really enjoy and look forward to lifting - that I intend to keep doing this.

However, becasue I am rather new to all this -and also because I am scientific by nature - it is also a big experiment. Because I don't know yet what I will achieve. But I'll keep going with my plan which so far is working quite well.

So more than anything it is a well-executed experiment, so far.

[EMISGOD]

I am trying to put your words into my day to day application. I guess I go to the gym to give a muscle group/groups a good Work Out but I am there to Train for an imaginary contest that is at this time of my life out there in the ether. My best Work Outs happened when I was Training for something.

Hell, I just confused myself.

I think this is the problem with much of the bodybuilding terminology in general. So many words are used so interchangeably and so many of the definitions are subjective to the individual using them and to the audience and do not typically align...

"Just work out" connotes some type of failure. I don't see it that way.

"Working out" can be seen in a broader context - working out a problem, resolving an issue, untying a knot, solving a puzzle.

Training is a subset - while training, you're "working things out" - for better health, endurance, greater strength.

And you don't train without goals - greater muscle density, fat loss, bone strength.

None are mutually exclusive of the other.

"Working out" to me has a sense of optimism to it - a determination, a destination to go to, a daily step towards growth and accomplishment.

The gym where I go is my daily meditation - I cast off cell phones, suit and tie, dress shoes, and slip into something a little more introspective, where I "work" things "out" from the inside.

"Working out" is how I "grow"...

I agree more with this. Henry Rollins call the gym his "sanctuary", with all the spiritual and purity connotations and very often, I tend to agree with that...

I think that is a big problem with average gym goers....its not "going anywhere"

they have no plan, no strategy and its just become a habit

A lack of goals or a lack of clearly defined goals is a very common mistake and I'd daresay that probably everyone who either posts here or reads the Forums or is interested in bodybuilding at all has done it at one time or another.

When the folks at work ask me, "Oh, did you work out this morning?" I reply, "I TRAIN. I do not work out."

The difference is that TRAINING implies a goal is in mind.

Working out is what the cardio bunnies do.

Just "training" by itself does not really specify the goal and different types of training require different things. If you are training your cardiovascular system, which implies a lot of "cardio bunny" type things, it is still "training", even though it may involve little to no weights at various points...

I work out. I do it consistently and with intensity. Within my workouts, maybe I'm training a certain bodypart to grow or training my body to burn fat, but I tend to think of my time down in the basement (from warm-up, to cool-down and everything in between) as a workout.

I tend to use these interchangeably also. "Working out" implies exercise, which is what "training" consists of. If I feel a need to be specific, I will say something along the lines of training for a 6 minute mile or training for a bodybuilding comp or training for a movie role, et al, but I never feel like that is anything particularly different from working my body...

[dartol]

[QUOTE=oldsuperman;13401503]When the boys used to come over to see my girls, I would shake their hand and keep their hand just for a moment as I looked into their eyes, I call it the Pit Bull Stare, stand about 10" in their face and say, "Hello son. What are your plans tonight?"[QUOTE]

Awesome, I am going to remember that one! LOL

I'm 41. My father still does that.

What a loving father you have...

You and me both, buddy, except that my daughter is 5 instead of 2. I also want to be able to be able to play with her and generally participate in an active life with her without throwing out my back or getting tired too soon like an "old man".

A-men, I definately am going to need to be fit to keep up with this one! LOL

OldSuperman, I admire what you have accomplished. Maybe I should call it training because you are right about setting goals. Thanks for an excellent thread topic, great food for thought!

I sure do too, I hope I can do 1/4 as well. Yes, great topic!

a fighting chance to watch my beautiful daughters grow up. I also look good in a t-shirt again so I guess it has given me increased self esteem too.

Both are great motivation for me too. My father didn't live to see my daughter... I sure want to live to see her kids! And looking good in a t-shirt is a great added bonus. I never have. LOL

Darren

[oldsuperman]

P

This is a great observation and I'd like to point out that the folks asking you the silly questions may not be as stupid as you think. Most folks in the gym would LOVE to have a body like yours but are inocently ignorant of what it takes to be a competitive bodybuilder. They ask you, an obvious expert, questions to figure out for themselves if the prize is worth the effort. The folks who don't take your advice aren't necessarily slackers. They may simply be those who heard what they needed to hear to make a decision not to follow the bodybuilding path. For them, the prize wasn't worth the effort. And there's nothing wrong with that. They may be exerting themselves whole-heartedly in other areas of their lives and, for now at least, having 18" biceps (or whatever) just isn't a priority.

Hey Steve. Never considered them "Stupid" just "lazy." Believe me when I say it happens all the time. Not all are that way, mostly the people about 35 and up!

The young guys are most likely to take my advice and I've seen these young men get huge fast because they have the drive to put in the intensity, consistency and set goals to achieve success. DANG THAT YOUTH!

Sometimes, although rarely, I can see in someones eyes that are older an eagerness to achieve something great in themselves, and I do take the time to consult them.

Have a new friend, Ron 46, that loved power lifting. Only competed against himself, which is great. He approached me and said he would like to compete in BB. So, my trainer and I are working with him and he has had great success chose a show to compete in this April.

Yet, most older guys want my body or something like it, they think. Yet, what they really want is for me to tell them, "Ya, do this, eat that and six months u'll look like me." They lack consistency, intensity and goals. They work out, and TRAIN FOR NOTHING.

I TAKE ALL THAT BACK!

I think they "work out" because of guilt. Most don't even like it.
We "train" cause we LOVE IT, the challenge of it all, Whether it is to compete at shows, lifting or BB, or competing against ourselves, or what ever bar we set up in front of us!

God, I LOVE epiphanies!

Yep, I think that's the difference. We love to train!