Do my workouts have to be 'hardcore'?

The Question

I have a hard time maintaining moderation in the way I think about fitness. Even when I’m looking up workouts and programs online, it seems like the only path is HARDCORE SCULPT YOUR BODY TO PERFECTION. How can I shape a fitness routine that shows results, makes me feel healthy, but doesn’t take over my life?

Love that you guys are doing this!! Thanks!

— Alex

The Answer

Woof, I hate the hardcore mindset. The rise of #nodaysoff troubles me greatly. We give some issues and addictions more of a pass than others, but it seems not good to be afraid to take even a single day off from working out or eating “clean” or whatever it is one is supposed to do every single day in perpetuity. Or perhaps you mean all of the workout programs that persist by being so ridiculously hard, no one can complete them and then feel like they have no one to blame but themselves (*ahem* P90x, Insanity, et al.).

In my personal experience there is a sweet spot with intensity. The times I regret the most are the ones I spent doing some confusingly complicated, but not sufficiently intense, workout that somehow simultaneously hurt, was boring, and yielded no results. But it is also possible to work out too much, sabotage your results, and waste time. Bodies are a little mysterious and not very well-studied when it comes to exercise, but just to pick an example out of the pile, Stronger By Science cites a couple studies here where people were able to make the same gains whether they lifted heavy for many weeks straight vs lifting a few weeks on, a few weeks off. This doesn’t apply to every type of exercise, but still, there is ample evidence that when it comes to muscles and your body, rest and recovery matters a lot.