I conceived this blog post on the treadmill at 3:45am and in particular the question ‘what is normal’.
I certainly felt abnormal as I looked around at an empty gym.
I felt abnormal when I explained to clients later that day what my morning entailed and saw the look of bewilderment on their face.
This got me to reflect on what is normal and I really started to give it some thought over the coming week.
What I determined is that there really is no universal normal, there’s only what’s normal to you. This theory applies to all areas of life;
Injury – I can train two clients with the same injury who are capable of completely different things.
Blood tests – we can test the testosterone of two different men and they can be the exact same level in both men and they both could show significantly different testosterone related symptoms.
Nutrition – we can take two people, the same age, same back ground, same education and one will sit down to a salad for lunch and the other will consume fast food daily.
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There really is no normal in the sense that there’s a one size fits all description that works for all people. There are however some ‘norms’ that need to be shifted in order to achieve a desired outcome.
The reason I was on the treadmill at 3:45am is not because I enjoy being up at that time but rather that I didn’t have the time in the day ahead to dedicate time to cardio. I made a decision that day to change my normal in order to achieve a goal for the day – 60min of cardio.
This change to my normal fits into my life as part of the overall picture of good health and regular exercise I have come to expect of myself.
If you are looking to make a change for the better I recommend starting with has become your normal.
What is your normal level of exercise?
What does your normal consumption of food consist of?
What does your normal mental state look like?
Answer these questions truthfully and closely and make the necessary change in order to get what you deserve!