Whatever the task at hand, it is always important to use the right tools for the job. Exercise is no different; this article explains how.

Imagine a chef trying to chop garlic with a chainsaw instead of a knife – messy. Fundamentally though, a chainsaw and a knife are both cutting instruments; they are just intended for totally different purposes. Putting this into an exercise context – a weight lifter and a marathon runner both need to use exercise to excel in their sport. Exercise is the tool of their respective trades, but they use completely different versions.

Training smart is different from training hard. It is about designing and following a training routine that will achieve specific goals and targets in the quickest and most effective way possible. This needs to specifically target the areas of fitness that the trainee would like to improve. To some extent, multiple elements of fitness can be improved at the same time, mainly with deconditioned trainee. In order to really excel in one area, be it anaerobic threshold, aerobic output, strength, flexibility, power etc training work would be refined towards that specific goal.

The important thing is to decide on the goal before deciding on the training plan.

The structured planning of training is known as periodisation, and is certainly not a new concept – athletes have been training with set timetables for years. Periodisation was developed by the Russians in the 1960’s and has been used successfully ever since. Knowing that all aspects of fitness can’t be significantly improved simultaneously means coaches use structured approaches to ensure their athletes are in peak condition ready for their competitive season or events.

The knowledge that multiple aspects of fitness cannot be significantly improved at the same time leads back to the difference between training hard and training smart. Again using the example of the weight lifter and marathon runner, if their training programmes were swapped over, they would both still be training hard, but they certainly wouldn’t be training smart. Neither the weight lifter nor the marathon runner would achieve their training and competition goals by following the same training regimen as the other.

So what is training smart?

First, identify the goal and work back from there.

Is the goal performance-based or physical? Is it related to participation in a competition or event? When is this competition or event? What aspect of fitness needs improving most, or is most relevant to the event? What is the condition of the trainee? How much time can be committed to the goal? Are there any injuries to be considered?

These are some of the many important questions to ask when deciding on a training schedule. A well-prepared, thorough training plan looks beyond the short-term; it provides a schedule for as long as needed. It sets targets, schedules rest periods, provides new challenges, and allows for interruptions in training. Training is completed in cycles, and regular progress checks are completed along the way. By keeping track of progress, training can be adjusted in order to stay on track.

Training smart requires applying the correct training plan to the task in hand. No exercises or sessions that don’t directly improve the chance of achieving the specific goal are included in the programme. Training smart is about training for a task, it is not ‘exercise’ in a general sense, used for the purpose of being fit and healthy. Using an athlete as an example, they train to improve their performance, it is measureable and specific. Their concern is not general exercise to keep themselves in good shape or to keep their blood pressure down on the advice of their doctor; they don’t train in a general fashion. If it won’t benefit their performance, they won’t do it. Olympic weight lifters will not be found in an aerobics class, for example!

Whether or not an exercise will be of benefit towards achieving a goal is a very open topic, and again depends on many factors; most often the nature of the goal. In many cases training session and exercise selection is trial and error coupled with clever manipulation of rep ranges, rest periods, rep cadence, session frequency, relative load and intervals.

The important thing is to decide on the goal before deciding on the training plan. Efficiency is the point of smart training. Quality, not quantity is the order of the day here.

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