Brian Johnson breaks down how training works: the workout tears you down, recovery builds you back up. Real anabolic steroids are sleep, naps, meditation, and play. Without them, you're just breaking yourself.
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Optimize plus one. In our last plus one, we talked about the mystery of the hairy fingers and how to alchemize suffering into laughter like a 5 year old. I briefly mentioned filmaffetone and the math test I'm doing these days to track my progress on developing aerobic speed. Today I want to talk about anabolic steroids. Well, technically, I want to talk about the science behind how we get stronger and connect that to a little etymology lesson and then connect that to some overlooked natural anabolic steroids in our lives. So here we go at this stage. We've all heard of anabolic steroids. They make people super strong and a little freaky. But do you know the difference between the anabolic phase of training and the catabolic phase? Although becoming a certified trainer was one of the first things I did when. When I started my optimizing adventures nearly 20 years ago, I couldn't have told you with precision what those terms meant until I read Maffetone's endurance handbook. Here's the short story. When you work out, you exit your comfort zone and overload your body. Maffetone calls this overreaching. That's the catabolic phase of training. You're breaking yourself down and this is of course essential for your growth. Then after you work out, your body starts repairing the damage you did and in the process overcompensates and makes you stronger. That's the anabolic phase of training. You're building yourself back up. This is of course essential for your growth. And in fact, this is actually where the growth occurs. We need both to be optimized. Too much or too little of either, and we're going to run into issues. Which is why Maffetone incessantly repeats his formula. Training equals workout plus recovery. He also tells us that we should write that down and look at it every day, which is why it's front and center on my chalkboard these days. He puts it this way, and I quote. The anabolic aspect of the training schedule involves recovery. And this means getting sufficient rest. Unlike the catabolic gas pedal, the natural anabolic action is likened to the brakes that cause one to stop and take it easy. It allows the physical, chemical and mental aspects of the body to revive themselves and fully heal. In fact, it's during this key anabolic recovery phase that the body gets stronger, faster and builds more endurance. He continues by saying this anabolic aspect of one's training schedule. The ability of the body to efficiently recover and rebuild following each day's workout is as essential as the actual workout. Not only can it help propel the body toward greater athletic potential, but it can prevent injuries and illness as well. End quote. By the way, important note. This isn't just about training. It's about life. The Peak Performance authors. Great book. Tell us the exact same thing regarding how to avoid burnout. You need to be on and then off. They have their own formula that perfectly mirrors maffetones. They say stress plus rest equals growth. So here's the quick etymology lesson. Then on to the plus one lesson. The words catabolic and anabolic both have Greek origins. Catabolic literally means to throw down. Well, anabolic literally means to throw up. Think of a ball being thrown up and down. You need both. Up, down, up, down, repeat. Now back to you. How's your training in the gym and in your life? Are you pushing yourself hard enough, but not too hard. And for most of us, more importantly, are you recovering enough or are you resting too much? Again, training equals workout plus recovery. Training equals catabolic plus anabolic. Growth equals stress plus rest. Now back to the anabolic steroids. We all know they aren't a wise way to build strength, but did you know we all have access to some epically powerful 100% natural anabolic steroids in our lives? Yeah, super simple stuff like sleep naps, turning your phone off, meditation, playing with your kids, petting your dog. You know, the stuff that helps you relax. In a world in which we're constantly on the go, it's always wise to train our recovery and truly rest. How can you do so just a little more today? Remember the ball. Up, down, up, down. Plus one plus one plus one.
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