Punch-the-Clock Workouts

You know the ones—nothing fancy, no gunning for personal records, no landing on the floor in the fetal position—just getting something done. These are the workouts that should make up most of our training regimen. Pavel Tsatsouline, who brought the kettlebell to The West, has a great quote on this topic:

“Amateurs despise anything less than 100% effort. In contrast, elite athletes know that a Tuesday at the gym is not equal to The Olympics—and ration their efforts accordingly.”

If the top athletes in the world are balancing their efforts in this way, then the average person most certainly should. Unfortunately, we have been trained by popular culture to always give our all. Watching sporting events and over-the-top depictions of training montages in films and TV condition us to want to be all we can be, all the time. 

It’s a topic we’ve touched on in different ways many times—this type of training is just not sustainable. Giving 100% every day will wear us down and we will end up sick or injured in the end. Period. Most of our training should be “punch-the-clock” workouts—just getting it done. With this mindset, we’re also more likely to get some training done consistently. When the preset psychological bar for training is set too high, we’re much more likely to blow off training because we feel we can’t give 100%. Stringing together a long series of moderate training sessions is much better than going pedal-to-the-metal and crashing—and in the end will yield much better results. 

Don’t get us wrong, there is also a place for intensity when it comes to training—but these kinds of sessions should be the exception, not the rule. One, at most two, times per week is plenty for these 100% effort sessions.

The 80/20 ratio is a good rule of thumb. If e.g., you’re running or doing some other kind of cardio—then roughly 80% of your time should be spent in Zone 2. The last 20% should be divided between threshold training and interval training.

This training ratio is a true and tested method and has the following benefits.

1) You’ll build an aerobic foundation, which will provide you with a better return on investment for the bigger and more intense workouts.

2) When you get a bit older, your number one priority should be to avoid injuries. This training structure gives you plenty of time to recover between hard workouts and will therefore be a better strategy—both for performance and longevity.

3) It’s physically and mentally easier to stay consistent with your workout if most of them are “punch-the-clock” workouts. Consistency and training volume are the best predictors for “gains”

This perspective also works with strength training and skill acquisition in general—so if you want to get fit, strong, learn a handstand, play the piano, or learn the periodic table—repetition, and consistency is the way to go.

So, to summarize:

It’s time to go pro… Stop acting like an amateur and do the work.

Make training a part of your everyday routine but do it in a sustainable manner. Most workouts should feel easy, enjoyable and give you an energy boost to support the rest of your daily tasks.

Until next time

Scott and Lennart