As men, the use of physical tools is familiar to us. Drive a nail? Grab a hammer. Cut a board? Grab a saw. Write a note? Grab a pen. The list goes on. You may have even heard of digital or mental “tools”… email is a communication tool, Cooper’s Colors are a tool to evaluate your situational awareness.
The better the tools you choose to work with, and the better you become at using them, the quicker your objective is achieved.
As it relates to fitness, think of each movement as a tool and you (and/or your coach) as a master builder. A tape measure is a poor way to drive in a nail (yes, I’ve tried in a pinch). Likewise, distance running is a poor way to add 30lbs of lean mass to your frame. A sledgehammer would be a terrible choice for cutting a piece of window trim to length, just as a heavy single in the deadlift would be a bad way to increase endurance for grappling.
All this to say, there are no inherently good or bad choices, only better and worse suited tools for the job at hand. Decide on a goal, and reverse engineer your way to a plan that will help you get there. The better the tools you choose to work with, and the better you become at using them, the quicker your objective is achieved.
