As an amateur writer, I enjoy the intricacies of the English language. And because I’m always trying to improve my meager writing abilities, I like to learn about the words I use in hopes of using them correctly. I think it’s interesting and instructive to examine these words and learn the hidden shades of meaning that lurk beneath their surfaces. And lately, I’ve been thinking about the words we use to describe our exercise routines.
In another article, I describe the differences between athletics, sports, and (physical) games. I wanted to show that everyone is suited to some sort of physical activity, even if he doesn’t think of himself as being good at “sports”.
In this article, I give you my take on three related concepts: exercise, training, and working out.
I’d like you to examining the subtle differences between words that many people use interchangeably. In doing so, you increase your ability to think. Because reason and intellect both require language to give them form. Without a full understanding of the language, your intelligence can’t reach its full potential.
Exercise
Exercise is physical activity directed towards the goal of maintaining or improving some aspect of your athletic performance.
While we can’t continually improve our athletic performance, often we can maintain what we already have. Thanks to the use it or lose it principle, we can’t maintain our peak performance without regular exercise.
If you exercise with more intensity than normal, you’re adding overload to your regimen. This is the only sure way to improve once your related skills are fully developed.
Here are some examples of pure exercise:
- Jogging or sprinting
- A strength training routine using exercises you already know how to perform
Training
Training and exercise are two different things. While exercise deals primarily with your physical or athletic abilities, training develops your skills.
You can train at a low level of intensity and still make progress. The same can’t be said about exercise.
Examples of training-related activities include:
- Learning and mastering complicated barbell lifts like the snatch or the power clean.
- Learning and adapting to a kettlebell lift.
- Practicing accuracy with archery once you are strong enough to draw the bow
Working Out
Working out is a popular expression. It sounds more casual/cool to go to the gym to “work out” rather than to “exercise”.
But working out originally meant something specific: it meant coordinating your athletic efforts with others to learn a team game. Football players learning a new play or defensive scheme at half speed are “working out” their plays.
In team games, a “workout” isn’t really exercise or training. It’s the learning process needed to get everybody working together efficiently and effectively. Even a “walk through” that doesn’t cause you to break a sweat is still considered a workout. Workouts usually take place against a “practice squad” of players who are not good enough to start in a real competitive game.
Examples of a workout include:
- A football quarterback teaching his offense a new passing play.
- A boxer practicing his moves against a sparring partner who probably wouldn’t be able to stand toe-to-toe against him in an actual boxing match.
- Baseball players at spring training getting their bodies in shape while they work on coordinating their fielding defense.
So there you have it: three different words all used to mean the same thing. But thinking about the different concepts inherent in these words gives you a clue about how to structure your gym time. Remember: just because you are exercising doesn’t mean you’re training towards a goal.
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