Training in a rational manner (i.e., high intensity, precise regulation of volume and frequency)
          requires more than just an adherence to the logical non-contradictory principles embedded in
          Heavy Duty Theory; it requires a significant shift in the way a person views their training and
          conducts their life. The recent article on this site by Mr. Peter Zappola is a case in point. In it
          he talked about moving from "organizing my life around my training" to "training and
          progressing, but having a life too". This is a significant statement and one which, to my mind,
          represents the most significant benefit of training in a Heavy Duty manner; you get your life
          back!

          Prior to finding Mike's Heavy Duty approach, most of us were probably wasting literally years
          of our lives in the gym toiling day-after-day making only marginal progress, if any at all. Would
          any rational person spend so much time on something while reaping virtually no benefits from
          it? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. In my job as an Assistant Professor in one of the best
          known medical institutions in the world, I am surrounded by some of the most intellectually
          gifted people on the planet; yet watching the majority of them train is a very sobering and
          painful experience for me. Most appear to turn off their very considerable brain power when it
          comes to their training. Training with multi-set routines 3-4 times during the 5-day work week
          appears to be the norm. Because they are chronically overtrained, poundages and rep counts
          never progress (although they often regress) and just mindlessly completing the marathon
          workout seems to be the primary goal. The fact that I am training once every 6 to 7 days for
          less than 30 minutes, and continue to make consistent gains appears to have no impact upon
          their approach to training. I often find myself thinking that if these gifted medical scientists
          took all the time they waste in the gym and devoted it to their research, we'd have cured
          cancer and AIDS by now!

          I've been politely asking people why they train in the manner that they do in order to get some
          sense of what purpose they think it serves for them. Although most were unable to provide a
          definitive answer (the typical response was "I've never really given it much thought, but I've
          always trained this way"), some provided answers which I think are very enlightening.

          The most prevalent reason given for training was to improve health and fitness. However, their
          low-intensity high-volume training (with a great deal of aerobic training thrown in as well)
          tends to leave them grossly and chronically overtrained. To me, this is the antithesis of health
          and vitality.

          Another prevalent reason given was that training is a coping strategy to deal with the stresses
          of life. There is in fact compelling evidence to suggest that working out does have a positive
          impact upon psychological stress and subjective well-being. However, if one's primary purpose
          for training is to reduce stress, you'd be far better off seeking alternative methods of
          ameliorating stress which are far less time-intensive and just as effective (for example,
          massage, meditation, a hot bath etc.).

          The third major reason given is that working out allows them to spend time with friends and
          colleagues. In other words, training becomes a form of social activity. I don't know about you,
          but a gym doesn't strike me as a particularly appealing environment in which to socialize. I'd
          be happier socializing in a restaurant or bar (or a restaurant with a bar!).

          Another reason for training irrationally was recently outlined by Mike. Many people are
          stimulus freaks; addicted to training. They like the charge, the pump that comes from
          repeatedly exercising with weights. Although some of these people are concerned with
          increasing their strength and size, most simply relish the "high" that comes with exercising.
          When they need another hit, they simply make for the gym and pump out 15-20 sets of bench
          presses and curls (seemingly the preferred exercises of this group).

          Perhaps the most tragic reason for training in an irrational manner is simply that it has become
          a ritual, a mindless activity which serves no particular purpose. Most individuals who fall into
          this category were once very enthusiastic trainees who had some very realistic training goals
          when they embarked upon their training careers. However, over time (and usually after years
          of switching from training program to training program) they lost their spark for training but
          simply continue because it has become so ingrained into their lifestyle. They have resigned
          themselves to the fact that they will never progress with their training, but do it anyway to pass
          the time and because "it seems like the right thing to do."

          So getting back to the title of this article why don't more people train rationally? As illustrated
          by my informal survey, training serves many different purposes for people. It has been my
          experience that there are actually very few people who genuinely seek to advance their
          strength and muscular size through their training. Most use their training activity to meet other
          needs (psychological, social, physiological) that they perceive to be important. To me that's fair
          enough. If someone wants to waste time in a gym to meet their social or psychological needs
          that's no skin off my nose. After all, people have the right to be wrong. However, if you are
          accessing this web site, chances are you really do want to get the most out of your training for
          the sole purpose of maximizing your muscular potential. If this is the case and you still persist
          in training in an irrational manner, then I can only conclude that fear prevents you from taking
          a "flight into rationality". As Frank Sinatra once said, "fear is the enemy of logic."

          Conclusion: Training in a rational manner requires a clarity and precision of thought and a
          commitment to the overriding principle that you should perform only the precise amount of
          exercise required to produce the desired response. This is difficult given the pressure to
          conform to the training rituals so prevalent in the world's gyms, coupled with the fact that
          training serves so many divergent purposes for people. If you train simply to increase your
          muscular mass, the you must develop the burning conviction to train in a logical
          non-contradictory manner and be enthusiastic about using the time you previously spent in the
          gym to pursue activities and interests which are enjoyable to you. Ironically, by using the
          rational principles embodied in Heavy Duty to guide your training you will kill two birds with
          one stone: 1) you will become a more well-rounded person (develop a fulfilling life outside of
          the gym) and 2) you will reach a level of muscular development you never thought possible.