Random Workouts = Random Results

Hey there - it’s Don.

Happy Friday!

Hope everyone is having a good week.

This week I’ve been enjoying time visiting with my family.

My folks have a farm, and my kids have enjoyed running around with all the horses, goats, chickens, cats, and dogs almost as much as I have.

We had a horse escape her stall this week. We got her back in, but only after she had a free romp around the property.

And watching that horse gallop was one of the most impressive (and frightening) things I’ve seen all week.

Let’s jump into this week’s newsletter!

🔎 Inside

• Random workouts = random results

• Circadian rhythm fasting

• The negative effects of sugar on the brain, kettlebell training increases cardiovascular fitness, and more…

First time reading? Sign-up here.

💪 Deep Dive

Click here to read this on the Layman’s Fitness website

Random Workouts = Random Results

Solving for Efficiency in the Wrong Way

Time has always been one of my biggest challenges with exercise.

I remember a particular season in 2018-2019 where I travelled 30%+ for work with 50-60+ hour work weeks.

Some days I just had 20 minutes to exercise.

Some days just 10 minutes.

So… I went to my buddy YouTube or Google and asked it for 10-20 minute workouts.

I guess if I had that job in 2025 I would have gone to Chat GPT…

Each time I finished a workout I liked I typed it out on a notes page in my phone.

After months of this, I built up a personal library of 30+ workouts I could do whenever, organized by time.

I did this for almost 2 years.

My workouts were as random as they came.

And so were my results. And that was frustrating.

I plateaued regularly…

I was not getting stronger…

I wasn’t losing fat…

I learned the hard way that random workouts produce random results.

Here are 3 things I wish I did.

1) Spend time getting to know the body

Our bodies are amazing… and they display the handiwork of an awesome and creative God (Psalm 139).

God designed our bodies as a very complicated interconnected web of systems.

And with workouts, our bodies respond better to structure to randomness.

Structured workouts take into account how our body systems actually work.

Here’s what I wasn’t thinking about when I wrote random workouts:

• How does the cardiovascular system work? How can I train that effectively?

• How does the muscular system work? How can I train that effectively?

• How do our energy systems work? How can I use them effectively?

• How do bones, joints, and ligaments respond to exercise? How can I train with them in mind?

I didn’t take the time to consider these questions.

But not understanding these things hindered my progress, caused plateaus, and resulted in a few injuries.

2) Spend time identifying the goal

Picking random workouts was indicative that I didn’t really have a clear goal.

I didn’t take the time to get clarity on what it was I actually wanted to accomplish.

Here are some questions I wish I asked:

• Where would I like to be in 1 year with my health?

• Where would I like to be in 5 years with my health?

• What happens in 1 year if I don’t make any progress with my health?

• What are the exercises I actually enjoy doing?

• What are exercises I haven’t tried yet but would like to?

• How can I get my family involved in what I’m doing?

• What are ways I can leverage my community or network too?

Spending time sorting this out would have provided the clarity I needed.

3) Spend time learning from other people

This was probably my biggest regret.

I wish I would have just asked for help from someone who knew what they were doing.

I’m as stubborn as they come. It’s probably pride.

Here are questions I wish I would have asked:

• Who is in my church that I can go to with questions about working out?

• Who are the guys stewarding their health well, and how can I learn from them?

• What online resources are there for Christian guys who want to steward their health?

• Are there any programs or courses I can take that help me get to where I want to go?

• In one year, would I be further along or farther back if I got some help with working out?

These days, I see my stubbornness like a guy who is lost in the woods but is unwilling to ask for a map.

Boy do I wish I called a friend.

➡️ The Takeaway

Random workouts = random results.

Here are the things I wish I would have done.

• Spend time getting to know the body

• Spend time identifying the goal

• Spend time learning from other people

Hope this serves.

🔎 Finds

Here are some of my favorite finds/resources this week.

Top find

Circadian rhythm fasting: eating to align with your internal clock (more)

Other finds

• The negative effects of sugar on the brain (more)

• A comprehensive guide to creating a healthy home environment (more)

• Increasing daily step counts from 4,000 to 9,500 has a 50% reduction in severity of irritable bowl syndrome symptoms (more)

• Using light for health (more)

• 6 low carb pasta ideas (more)

• Kettlebell training increases cardiovascular fitness (more)

👍 Thanks for reading!

Looking for a structured approach to your fitness goal?

Apply for the KB Strength System here.

I’ll see you next Friday.

Be strong,

Don

P.S. Speaking of the KB Strength System, I’ve got an announcement coming your way next week on that.

Stay tuned.