Sometimes Yin but Other Times Yang

            I was having lunch a couple of summers ago with noted double threat Helen Wan, novelist/lawyer, and as I complained about writer’s block and misrepresented my world-class procrastination, she recommended a book called Daily Rituals. I picked up a copy soon after and promptly put off reading it in keeping with my usual, shiftless style.

            This book is a fascinating look at the artistic process, detailing a breakdown of the quirks, habits, and methods of some of history’s greatest minds. My big takeaway was how very different the working styles were amongst these renowned figures in reaching success. Some were night owls, while others were morning people; some worked in short spurts, while others hammered away over tortuous marathon sessions; some abused their bodies, while others had more healthy leanings.

            It was refreshing to soak up this ‘different strokes for different folks’ perspective because it validated what I’ve noticed in the weight room. In the world of fitness, there’s not one singular recipe for success that works for everyone. What is a highly successful approach for one person may be completely inappropriate for another person. There are time-honored methods and scientific data that support various practices, but there isn’t a one size fits all.

            When I was cutting my teeth as a weightlifter, the best in the world were the Bulgarians and Russians. Both programs were like factories, pumping out world champion after world champion.

            The Russian way was precise, methodical, program design where you knew several weeks in advance exactly how much you were supposed to lift on any given day. The Bulgarian way was to basically max out every workout, which then determined your various training loads for that particular day.

            The Russian model is attractive because people like structure and to have every little thing spelled out for them. And though a workout may be simple to read or understand, it takes a lot of discipline to do what you’re supposed to do, regardless of how you feel that day or life’s other diversions that can compromise a training session. The Bulgarian model is sensible in that if you’re having a good day you lift more, and if you’re having an off day you lift less. There’s not really a clear winner when both programs produce champions.

            And while technical program design can be studied and analyzed until the end of time, there are a hundred other choices and variables that are going to have an impact on your exercise experience.

            Some people enjoy exercising at five o’clock in the morning (not me), while others are better off working out later in the day. Some people like training alone, and others like working out with a training partner. I liked having a training partner who happened to be stronger than me. He was a few weight classes heavier, and I was never gonna catch him, but it was good to have something to chase. Other alpha-types feel the need to be stronger or better than their workout partners. Some athletes respond well to castigation, and others need nurturing; some training partners need to be the Skipper, and others need to be the Gilligan.

            We like to emulate our sports heroes and celebrities in hopes of enjoying their measure of success, but it’s never as simple as that. The short explanation is that I can do everything that Tom Brady does in his offseason training, and Bob Kraft isn’t calling me anytime soon, or Bruce Arians for that matter. Celebrities on infomercials are often disingenuous hucksters who overstate the benefits of whatever they’re pitching while disregarding the other factors that explain their coveted look. Some athletes’ training programs are only possible to tolerate with the help of drugs.

Of course, every Little Leaguer would love to get his hands on Mike Trout’s workout plan, but what’s advisable for a 29-year-old may be completely inappropriate for a 15-year-old. Not to mention that a workout written for someone who plays 162 games should look a lot different than one for a 20-game season. Rather than steal his blueprints, young athletes should aspire to be more like him. He’s fast, so they should work on speed; he’s strong, so they should work on strength, etc. Try to emulate, but don’t just blindly copy.

            This is why sweeping generalizations as applied to fitness drives me crazy. Swimming is not a good form of exercise for people who don’t know how to swim, and drowning is even worse. Rock climbing is not a good exercise choice for those of us who are scared of heights. Swimming is a perfect fit for some people, just as biking is for others. Training at the crack of dawn works well for some people, but late afternoon has always been my sweet spot. Never say never, and never say always.

From the ironic fitness outcomes, stranger than fiction files, as well as don’t try this at home, is the story of Jeff the bartender. I ran into Jeff after not having seen him for quite some time, and he nimbly identified himself to spare my embarrassment when he realized that I didn’t recognize him. He had lost a lot of weight and he looked far different from the last time I had seen him. When I asked about his metamorphosis, he revealed his path to success as being a broken leg.

Infirmity was his salvation.

As an able-bodied bartender, he hustled throughout his long shifts and played in three different softball leagues. But he also boozed it up and smoked acres of weed. And then came the late-night pizzas and all else that comes with a living on the razor’s-edge lifestyle of a pleasure-seeking mixologist in the wee small hours. Being bedridden served him well, not because he did any of the right stuff, but because he unwittingly avoided most of the wrong stuff. I wouldn’t recommend orthopedic injury as a treatment plan for weight control, but I suppose if the shoe fits…

Voltaire worked in bed, and Hemingway preferred to write while standing; we should embrace the idea of discovering what works best for us as unique individuals.

            — Certified strength and conditioning coach Norman Meltzer, the owner/operator of MW Strength and Conditioning in New Bedford, was known during his competitive weight-lifting career as “the Muscless Wonder” for his lean, mean physique lacking in the traditional bulk associated with strength training. Meltzer’s experience and knowledge has helped pro, college and high school athletes and teams and even regular people improve their strength and performance.

Schvitz’n with Norm

By Norm Meltzer