It’s a classic debate. To get in shape you have to train harder, more often, burn more calories, and that will shed the pounds and get you toned for summer, right? The answer is more cardio, more sit ups, and an extra day of bootcamp class. Sound familiar?


As a physical therapist, I have this conversation with someone pretty much every single day. In reality, while it seems to make sense that spending more energy might burn more calories, sometimes the answer is not more training. Often times we have the client train SMARTER, not harder. Training smarter means listening to your body when you’re having aches and pains. Training smarter means mixing in strength, conditioning, mobility, flexibility, long duration, and short duration workouts. It means varying tempo and weight while squatting, and including high intensity intervals during your bike workout.


Working in strength training is vital to help optimize your joint and tendon health. Conditioning is vital to improve your lung capacity and cardiovascular conditioning. Mobility means that your shoulders aren’t killing you after a workout because you’ve already gotten your body prepped. Changing up time and speed intervals allows you to stress your body in new ways and make you a more fit individual. Finally, making sure you have the proper fuel is key. Feed your body and muscles after a great training session.


At Catalyze Performance, we believe in training smarter so that you can train hard and feel your best. It’s time to bring a new level of excellence to fitness, and we’re leading the charge. Check out our free resources at our website, and watch your fitness level up!