Working out… training… what’s the difference? Lots!
At least in my books there is. There is a thing out there that is often referred to as GPP, or General Physical Preparation. I used to call this training to get ready for training. To me, GPP is what working out is mostly all about. The only purpose it serves is to increase some overall level of fitness. This level of course can be pretty high, but typically it is non-specific in nature. GPP can also mean different things to different people. In my world GPP covers a fairly broad spectrum of modalities. But in essence it needs to include effort aimed at the Aerobic, Anaerobic, Full Body Strength, Mobility and Flexibility systems. If I have those bases covered then I am happy… sort of.
For the most part working out is about expending energy, burning calories, letting off steam and the like, and as such provides great value to the participant. A doctor might prescribe exercise. A coach will prescribe training.
With that in mind I suppose that a good portion of the time what I do is working out. Especially with any endurance work I do. But there are some exceptions. One of those is when I would be getting ready for some event. Maybe a climbing trip. This is where I would shift gears and start training. This means tailoring my activities in a precise fashion that is in alignment with that event; trying to mimic as much as possible the various skills and strengths I will need.
Most alpine climbing trips require at least one thing… and that is going uphill fast with a pack on. Well maybe that’s three things, but you get the picture. So you need to somehow train for that. If you have some of those mountain things nearby then your job is over half over. Put on a pack and go up them fast. If you don’t have that luxury then that’s where you need to get creative in your training. I have, or will post some articles on how to do that sort of thing. See what we posted about Box Steps to refresh your memory.
On that alpine trip you might need to put in some long days rock climbing, so if that’s the case you need to add that to your training. Instead of going to the crag or gym and doing whatever it is that you do, you need to do stuff that will be as close to your objective as possible. If that’s low class 5 for instance; then put in lots and lots of pitches of low class 5. You don’t need to be busting a gut trying to redpoint a 5.12 or flash a V6 boulder problem, if your alpine route is 5.9. There is no relevance or correlation.
However you may be a crackerjack rock climber and can climb 5.11’s in boots in your sleep. If this is you, great! You probably don’t really need to spend any time training climbing for your trip. But if climbing a flight of stairs leaves you huffing and puffing then you will need to address this. Not by exercise, but by training.
Training is specific, targeted, and focused.
Another area where it’s training and not exercising is when there is a real skill component. I can hear the howls of dissent already, but for the most part things like running and cycling, and rucking have a very low skill coefficient. Things like strength training have a much higher skill factor about them. Strength is a skill, and to get better, it must be trained.