Fighting the Fit But Fat Syndrome

 Over the last three and a half decades, I have come in contact with tens of thousands of athletes and fitness enthusiast in my work as physical therapist and sports performance specialist. In my experience, with the exception of the genetically gifted elite athletes, almost all of them work out for body image. They want to look better! At the same time, almost all of those I meet are not happy with the results they have achieved from ever longer and more taxing workouts; they still don't like what they see in the mirror. Typically, after initially losing a few pounds from their workouts, their weight loss stalls and many even gain weight as they continue to train harder and harder.

The problem is human nature and the American work ethic. Human nature dictates that when we find a good thing, we want to do more of it. Workouts make us feel good, so we do more and more until we are overtrained or broken down with injury. Reinforcing this human tendency is the American work ethic. Nothing is worth having if you don't have to work hard to get it -- this seems to be the philosophy of most athletes and gym rats. This creates an overtrained population of sportsmen and fitness buffs who remain pudgy, bloated, and perform below their potential. The public is also lead astray by the media representation that professional athletes perform grueling workouts for hours each day, month in and month, out, to get their svelte and muscular physiques. Not true. We train elite world champion athletes on a maximum of 11 hours per week early in the training cycle with low intensity, longer duration workouts, and as little seven hours per week when we peak their fitness over the six weeks before competition.

You cannot fight human physiology. Training too much, too hard, and without built-in recovery or an aggressive recovery program leads to the all-too-common overtrained and frustrated, "fit but fat" athletes. When we are overly stressed, whether it be from work stress, emotional turmoil, or over exercising, our body produces too much of a hormone call cortisol. Cortisol directs our body to store fat and water and leaves us with poor performances and a bloated image in the mirror. This leads most people to work out even harder and longer, which only exacerbates the problem.

The solution to the "Fit But Fat" syndrome is found in scientific principles of periodization training, with a progressive work load, built-in recovery periods, and a rationally-driven variation to workouts in regular eight week periods. This is how the best athletes in the world are trained, and it is how we train all of our clients at Phase IV. If you are working out and not getting the body results you desire, call today for a complementary Health and Fitness Consultation and we'll get you on the right track with a science-based approach to your training and diet.

Training is only half the battle when it comes to achieving the body you want. Food is the other. This week's feature article includes an excerpt from my new book, Healthy Running Step by Step. Whether you are a runner, hiker, cyclist, swimmer, or a person who works out in the gym, this information highlights the nutritional strategies that will make your journey to the fit and lean body you have always wanted a lot easier.

Pre-order Healthy Running, Step by Step now and enter to win a free Phase IV Video Run Gait Analysis! Simply send us a copy of your pre-order receipt and you can have your running gait analyzed by our expert staff.