MetaPhysique Weekly #014- I'm Inherently Lazy

The Most Uncomfortable Workout of My Life

The most uncomfortable workout I’ve ever done wasn’t a trail race in 105 degree Texas Heat.

It wasn’t a heavy squat day, or the day we we decided to do walking lunges all the way around the local high school track (I threw up).

It was a 50-minute blur of house music, random “core” exercises, and a trainer in a Britney Spears headset yelling at me.

My wife still says she’s never seen me look more miserable.

To set the stage, a colleague of mine had invited me to a fundraiser workout—one where you pay $50 and all the money goes to a local charity.

And so I went to support the cause, even if it meant doing a group class, which isn’t really my thing.

But when I walked in…I realized that it REALLY wasn’t my thing.

There was a DJ set up in the corner spinning house music. Heather, the instructor, was at the front of the room, headset mic blazing. I was one of 3 guys (out of like 40 people). I was NOT in my element.

This was a million miles from all the training I had ever done in my life. I’m introverted, I like to let my mind wander during workouts, I like to go at my own pace, focus on what I’m doing.

This wasn’t that.

The class was one of those blends of treadmill intervals and “floor work”—where you flop around on an aerobics box or “lift” tiny dumbbells.

The entire 50 minutes was a blur of noise, cheesy motivational sayings, random “core” exercises, and of course…sweat.

What Makes a Workout “Great”?

Sure the workout was hard. And I think a lot of people who do these types of classes take pride in how hard the work is...and maybe even some satisfaction when "fit" dudes like me have a hard time with the class.

"See? I told you so! It's a great workout isn't it?"

I guess that comes down to what you consider a great workout.

Hard work is great, I guess.

But I'm inherently lazy.

I don't want to waste any effort.

If the outcome I was looking for was endorphins, sweat, or torching calories (and my dignity), then sure…this could have been considered a great workout.

But I workout for specific reasons...and I want to be able to draw a straight line from everything that I do in a workout to a desired outcome.

So what is a great workout?

For my purposes—a great workout is one that gets me closer to what I want with as little wasted effort as possible.

There will be effort.

Anything worthwhile requires that.

But a great workout will direct that effort in a focused manner, like a laser.

And that’s the thing—not only do we confuse ‘hard’ with ‘effective,’ we also drown in choices about what to do in the first place.

The Bigger Problem

And this creates a bit of a problem for us.

Because there are a million different exercises that we could be doing.

How do we choose which ones to do?

How do we know what matters?

And to make matters worse, there are all sorts of charlatans on the internet who are willing to lie about the benefits of their "unique" programs or make outlandish claims in order to convince us that they've stumbled on the latest "hack" or secret that promises us outsized returns.

So how do we cut through the clutter?

We need a framework.

We have to start at the top and look at what we really, truly want...and then work downstream to figure out what will actually get us what we want.

What Men Really Want from Training

From the thousands of conversations that I've had with men over the years...I know that the essence of what they want boils down to:

Confidence

And that confidence comes from a presence that can only be found in the combination of looks and capability.  These guys want to be physically capable, never have their strength or endurance be a limiting factor in life....they want to be able to trust their bodies- no have the risk of injury become a liability.

And most importantly, they want to be a good role model for their kids- show them what a balanced, well adjusted individual looks like.

That’s a tall order...and in order to accomplish that we're going to need to be intentional.

From Theory to Practice

To bring this from theory to practice, these guys will need to focus on building muscle, getting stronger, building a base of endurance, and focus on being able to move athletically to make them more resilient and less injury prone.

So now I know that my workouts will have the following elements:

• Lifting weights (minimum 3 days per week)
  

• Endurance building (lots of easy zone 2, at that will have the greatest benefit while not interfering with our lifting)
  

• Athletic work- Joint mobility, core stability, and maintaining the bouncy qualities of muscle and tendons so that we can be explosive and athletic without being scared of tearing something.
  

As you can see- we're going to be really intentional about this program. Each session needs to feed the bigger picture.

The exact details about what this looks like for each individual are different- your strategy will reflect your life, your time budget, and which of the above goals need most attention right now.

In other words- many of the ingredients for an exercise program are Universal- but how you put them together in your own proprietary blend is unique.

The Big Benefits

The benefits of training with intention come down to two things:

Efficiency. Time and energy are your most valuable resources—especially as you hit your 40s. You can’t afford to waste them on random exercises. With a clear plan, every rep and every mile is an investment, not a guess. Your effort becomes a laser, not a shotgun blast.

Clarity. Nothing is more stressful than sweating through a workout and wondering if it even mattered. Clarity erases that doubt. You know what’s essential, what can wait, and when you need to course-correct. That mental freedom is as valuable as the physical progress—it lets you train with confidence instead of anxiety.

And that’s why that group class will always stick in my mind. Not because it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done—but because it was the clearest reminder that sweat and suffering don’t equal results. Intention does.

Train with focus, and you’ll not only save time and energy—you’ll actually get the outcomes you care about.

Much love,

P.S. I write programs for men all over the country who want to train with purpose, not just sweat. If you’re tired of guessing and want a plan that’s built for you, just hit reply to this email and tell me where you’re stuck.