Purposeful Training: Part 1, Abandoning the ‘Arnie culture’

So just got my new hoodie and no doubt people will be asking me what I mean by Purposeful Training. Those cynics amongst you will be saying, ‘So you think everyone else’s training is unpurposeful, or even useless’. So I guess I better be prepared to explain what I mean by purposeful training:

1. Station Hopping

So I see a lot of people carry out a ritual of station hopping every time they are in the gym. Invariably a guy just puts a weight on, bang out a few sets, rest a bit, do a few more and so on. That’s how your supposed to do it right. As for girls, a lightweight and repeat about fifty because obviously ‘loads of light reps makes you tone up right?’ Don’t you just find that boring? No wonder so many people just drop out the gym. This article is just from this morning stating that the rate is as high as 70%!!!!


So what’s the alternative. Well I’ll give you an alternative, Circuit cardio. Find a place in the gym, get a mat and a couple of dumbells, and just do a set of four exercises back to back, 10 repetitions on each. You can even make it all bodyweight. Here’s a good one:

1. Lunges

2. Press-ups

3. Crunches

4. Squat thrusts

My client Zainab demonstrates this workout in the following video


This kind of workout is more purposeful, you get fitter, stonger, leaner, it is less time-consuming, more fun, you can even challenge your friends.

On the other hand if you want something more hardcore look no further than TACFIT. Quick twenty minute workouts equivalent to 4 hours of cardio.


TACFIT classes are to be held regulalry at The Field and Training Clinic Marylebone

So part one of making our training more purposeful is to make it less Arnie and more fun.

Look out for part 2 of purposeful training: Good planning

Until then stay active