Jack of all trades, master of none.

[Snoochies]

I get an hour in the morning to workout and I'd love to get lean, get strong, get fit (as anyone would) but given time, age and recovery, is it actually possible to do all things?

I love strength training, I love sprinting, I love long distance running, I love HIIT workouts. Is it possible to create a plan where you can actually increase all facets to a certain degree? I've often heard you can't get strong and run, choose one or the other etc.

Anyone else become a jack of all trades and how did you go about it?

 

[spartacus]

yes, it is possible, but don't expect to excel at one aspect over others unless you devote more importance to certain aspects of training.

first few years of training I managed to double my strength and get pretty fit 5km run in 18 minutes. also some sports people are pretty good at all aspects of fitness, like afl footoballers, rowers, boxers and so on.

however, being better at one aspect of fitness will require some specialisation in time.

 

[spartacus]

i would train each muscle no more than twice per week, but try and keep your fitness workouts far apart from your leg workouts. say do your more intensive fitness stuff on days closer to your upper body sessions and leave adequate time to recover for leg strength traning.

also light aerobic work can be done as a warmup and cool down for more intensive strength sessions.

 

[stronkmanlet]

yes u can,i was able to pick 7-8 bins a day in 40 c heat and still squat 180 kgs after work at the age of 39,but im not the norm.I reckon you get reasonably proficient at all aspects but dont expect to get to competitive level trying to do everything. Trouble is i reckon packing on mass from doing powerlifting has had an impact on my endurance,im slow as shit after 6 hrs,feels like my legs are moving in glue.

 

[stronkmanlet]

i get my arse kicked in my job,im not the slowest as theres a 58 yr old there but even he gives me a run for my money. Im simply too heavy for my frame and lack agility.Good news is im mentally stronk and dont give up. But seriously i was a super fit whippet in my 20s but carrying an extra 25 kgs nao is fuckin hard work.

 

[onslaught]

Just work out how hard you can push in each discipline and do it.

There are no rules when your only competition is yourself.

 

[WoodyAllen]

"I want to get strong, but keep my abs, and lose fat while I put on muscle plus increase my endurance like a marathon runner but get as strong as a Worlds Strongest Man competitor but not have to put in too much effort and do it easy without cutting into my social life and get big but not too big and did I mention that I wanted abs all the time and be admired by all those people who I don't know and who will have no impact on my life at all but I still want to impress them and I want to do it natty but what supps do I need and I don't want to change my diet or eat more cos I will lose my abs and are steroids safe and do you have a source and do I have to do squats and deadlifts cos my back gets sore and I want to get muscle soreness cos it hurts and should I bulk or do a cut first before joining a gym?"

Pick one goal. Stick to it for at least a year.

 

[Darkoz]

Yes, you can build muscle, get stronger and lose fat at the same time.

 

[Goosey]

"I want to get strong, but keep my abs, and lose fat while I put on muscle plus increase my endurance like a marathon runner but get as strong as a Worlds Strongest Man competitor but not have to put in too much effort and do it easy without cutting into my social life and get big but not too big and did I mention that I wanted abs all the time and be admired by all those people who I don't know and who will have no impact on my life at all but I still want to impress them and I want to do it natty but what supps do I need and I don't want to change my diet or eat more cos I will lose my abs and are steroids safe and do you have a source and do I have to do squats and deadlifts cos my back gets sore and I want to get muscle soreness cos it hurts and should I bulk or do a cut first before joining a gym?"

Pick one goal. Stick to it for at least a year.

There is a real problem out there and you have nailed it.

in terms of training and physical preparation When-ever I'm asked what the real "secret"of training is I usually talk about "integrating your training into your life..." and I believe this.

I think the real value of physical training and strength training is the knowledge you gain about YOUR-SELF from doing it...

I have thought for a long time that the real "design" of training is YOU presenting a challenge to YOUR SELF and YOU stepping up to that challenge... you change physically if you do that...and in the process you LEARN many things.

In a previous post I spoke about focusing hard on just a few exercises... I sense that type of training has always been a part of serious training.
Focusing on one or two heavy exercises makes things very simple and very clean.
You know what you are doing...you can easily put into play ALWAYS TRYING TO IMPROVE.