As a personal trainer and strength coach, I’ve sold and conducted more training sessions than any other service I offer, by far.
The benefits of training and exercise are so powerful and numerous that for decades, I’ve heard it mentioned in the world of pharmaceuticals, “If we could put these results in a pill, we would.”
Now that’s some high praise.
Maybe it’s the type of individual that’s drawn to work with me these days, but I’m seeing some recurring trends.
When I sit down with a new or prospective client, I sometimes find that despite what appears to be an adequate amount of exercise, they still don’t look, feel, or move as they desire.
I know what you’re thinking. You think I’m about to go down the diet and nutrition rabbit hole. Yes, there is quite often some truth to this, but I’m about to go even more simplistic.
How long can you go without exercise?
I’m not talking from a before you go nuts and can’t sit still anymore perspective, but an, until it would kill you perspective.
Given that less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day (and that includes walking), the answer appears to be — a long time.
How long can you go without sleep?
It turns out we don’t know for sure because the accumulating effects are so disastrous along the way that no one is able to do it.
The world record is thought to be 11 days, and the consensus among the experts is around two weeks.
Please don’t attempt this, as most humans will literally start to go psychologically crazy after about 5-7 days without any sleep.
How long can you go without water?
We have a better answer to this question. It appears to be 3-5 days. At this point, extreme dehydration sets in, blood pressure drops, organ damage occurs, and eventually, kidney failure.
The human body is 50-70% water. Those who are heavily muscled, and/or who have a greater percentage of muscle to fat, tend to be on the higher end.
Want muscle? If so, they need water.
Last question – how long can you go without breathing?
I see some form of dysfunctional breathing all the time. 8-10 breaths per minute used to be considered normal, now it’s over 15.
Breathing through your diaphragm is normal; breathing through your upper chest is not.
Breathing through your nose and not through your mouth is considered normal – and especially so while at rest.
If you’re not moving air correctly while exercising, it will lead to problematic muscle activation patterns, poor core control, compensatory movement patterns, and even potential injury. Not to mention, a host of other physiological problems and complications.
But in keeping things simple, stop breathing, and you no longer have anything to worry about.
Okay, a quick recap:
It’s seemingly possible to go without exercise indefinitely, 5-7 days without sleep, 3-5 days without water, and immediate death if you happen to stop breathing.
Are you sure it’s the exercise that’s holding you back?
Recently, I heard one of my mentors, Gray Cook, mention this 7-7 and 7 concept, and I was struck by the pure simplicity of it.
When he has a patient who is struggling or doesn’t know where to start, he has them set a daily goal of 7,000 steps, 7 hours of sleep, and 7 glasses of water.
Sure, some of us might be better served by 8-8 and 8, and even 9-9 and 9 for some. Either way, it serves as an excellent baseline, and you can slowly work your way up over time if necessary.
If you’re struggling to achieve the results you desire, please realize that just adding another workout or pushing yourself even harder is often not the answer.
Sometimes it is. But, just as often, it’s not, and likely only makes the situation worse.
Before you do your next HIIT workout, I hope you consider the above.
The longer I do this, the more often I’m reminded of the importance of the obvious.