I often joke about getting “free fitness” -- from warm-up reps, extra reps from miscounting a set, an additional set, a heavy load of groceries carried from the car, loading and unloading weights from the bar, etc. Partially this is just my lazy attempt at humor, but it’s also derived out of a sincere idea that’s worth more than a little chuckle.

We have a tendency to look at the whiteboard (both literal and metaphorical) and measure our effort and progress based exclusively on the numbers written there. Those are the “official” numbers, and in our minds, the ones that count. But the reality is that all of the reps count. Warm-up reps, whiteboard reps, practice reps, cooldown reps, reps inside the gym, reps outside the gym, reps that may not seem to have anything to do with fitness. All of these reps count, both positively and negatively.

The crux of this idea is that what we’re doing here involves more than just the work that happens after the warm-up and before the cooldown: our health and fitness is more than the 25 minutes of hustle that we put in at the gym and write on the whiteboard. This is a matter of both quality and quantity. How is your posture? How often do you move during the work day? How much attention do you give to warm-up reps? How is your sleep? Your nutrition? Your stress?

If you put extraordinary effort into every rep you do in a workout, but neglect all of the reps outside of this small window, I can say unequivocally that you are not even close to your health and performance potential. All of the reps count.

- Preston Sprimont

3/2/17

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  Bent over row - 3x10

  
  


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  DB Z press - 3x5

  
  

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  10 min AMRAP

  
  




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  200m run

  
  


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  20 KB swings (53/35)