PUBLIC LIVE DRAFT The following is a sneak-peek draft Answer to a feature Question; for the pending Manuscript entire re-write and rebranding to sufficiently complete. REMINDER: the book will be written in third person. Live-it-forward  ~ AW.

I shall firstly admit nutrition itself is already complex enough. Exercise or training on the other hand, is where I have been rather hesitant. Politics and “opinions”, being the reason.

Long overdue therefore, I’d like to share this yet another sneak peek chapter public draft-  in a lens or frame of thought not so much it is “Science” backed. Rather – pragmatic reminders on what matters, tangibly in the long run. Hint: it is to do with patience, intentionality and tunnel vision.

Live-it-forward,

AW.

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A word on Training & “Fitness”.

When it comes to exercising for and the name of health & fitness – This Author (AW) aims to set the stage in this chapter a perspective readers might find entirely unmotivational. For a reason perhaps that it may sound overly monotonous to them.

But one thing for certain. Nothing at all throughout this chapter advocates anything “shortcuts”.

That is, any “trendy” topics surrounding GLP-1 drugs, SARMs, Dianabol, Clenbuterol <insert the next drug here or lifestyle hack / intervention here>.

Far too long or overdue unpopular reminder here is that eventually, there is no substitute to “hard work”. One might be able to find shortcuts to utility. But so far there is no “drug” nor pill, that shortcuts humility. 

As fair warning, if all things mentioned here are perceived “as easy” to readers, then the onus remains on them to raise the challenge upon themselves, until they’re humbled.

“So what counts as a “fit” person? Is fitness a sliding scale?”

There are both objective and subjective sides to address this question. And it might be controversial depending on who you might ask.

Subjectively – a politically-charged (or sensitive, one might say) may define “fit” as someone who ably stand or maintain ~ his/her stance of a “belonging”. Conversely, those who reside to science, or evolution from an objective lens – argues that “fit” is a state of holistic “alignment” to nature. That is, whatever nature prefers, and by its dictation. That includes human nature preferences. Instinctually – natural selection.

Both are right. Both hints the need for “alignment” and symmetry.

Throughout animal kingdom, visual traits or cues, are essential to courtship and consequently – lineage survival. Likewise the word “Fitness” derive from compellingly enough signals that one is 1). Reasonably mobile, and not in frailty.  2). Resourceful  and 3). Beckons fertility accordingly to our gender / dimorphic alignments (men – as masculine features, women – as feminine features). 

Exercise, happens to be that “window” overseeing all the above. Beyond than just for “mating” or “reproduction” ~ visual traits associated with health cannot, we shall repeat, cannot be ignored as optional. More than just “willpower” – muscle tone, athleticism, stamina, grip strength, to name a few. “Ability” once again – at maintaining observable traits of life.

Yes the above might be seen as too “rigid”and/or binary.

There is a sliding scale to “fitness”, as variably dependent on our social and cultural upbringing. After all, nobody, absolutely nobody ~ is born without a flaw. 

“Health in all sizes”, “Body Positivity” movements may have a point. But only perhaps, until to a point so long so one is not putting another life at fore-bearing someone else’s responsibility. Also not ignoring – the readily opposing these views from LGBTQ perspective/s at welcoming a man embracing some femininity, and likewise inversely, for women – adopting masculine traits they themselves can obtain (far more so than they think). 

Regardless, visual signals of health and “fitness” in this case, even if sexuality and vanity is not in the equation – matters, indisputably, across culture/s and archetypes. We need visual evidences regardless to prove ,disprove, acknowledge and authenticate ourselve(s) to transact and trade time with others for our wellbeing and benevolence.

There is a saying eyes are windows to our soul. Interestingly or coincidentally ~ it is the window to our brain health (Awodia E. 2025).

Exercise similarly, is a window to what we are capable of.

“Just how much training and/or exercise, is it really necessary?”

For what it’s worth, just one (1) minute, yes that is correct, one (1) minute of vigorous exercise proclaims to have the same protective effects as six (6) minutes of moderate intensity exercise. Given this written in a way so statistically persuasive ~ begs a curious question. 

How much of this finding is translatable?

Does this translate to a senior or an aged 75 year old trying recondition their strength – equally in terms of perceived magnitude – as a powerlifter betting his livelihood (food on the table  literally) pulling a deadlift-competition two, three, or four times his own bodyweight?

Some might say yes. Some may say no, that’s ridiculous. This Author (AW) would say it “depends”. So what “depends” – is a list of criterias. Everyone has them. Below is what This Author (AW) hopefully expects many to have some share of agreement:

1. The exercise program must comprise of ideally both – anaerobic and/or aerobic stimuli movements. Anaerobic here referring to an effort stimuli without presence oxygen, resistance training in other words. Where-as Aerobic – cardiovascular.  
2. The exercise must incorporate – a large enough range of motion required to compel that effort stimuli. 
3. The exercise program(or program/s) must be sustainable. One can ably return to repeat the same exercise without inciting further risk of injury, be it from of excess loss of technique, form-overcompensation, or ego (on both). 
4. The exercise must exert cumulative fatigue to set in. Fatigue here referring to a physiologic state that the difficulty either short or prolonged – must eventually  and gradually encumer, but not totally incapacitate the trainee.
5. In time of rest – not too long for relaxation to take over. Not too short either ~ leaving one with chronic short of breath. 
6. The overall exercise – should philosophically – grant that individual’s own pursuit as “tunnel vision” and focus to authenticate for overall productivity. No distractions. Pure focus.

The above may sound overly simple. “Just do what you can, in the most respectful manner” possible.

But if there two (2) deciding factors This Author (AW) may pick from the above from his twenty (20) years of training on what he believes is most productive – it would be numbers five and six.

Why would these be? Because these two pretty much covers / speak throughout the length or life-span ~ how one is willingly able to contend or view the above in accordance throughout his/her lifespan beyond that (1) minute in the gym, but days, weeks and years – afterwards.

Activation over exhaustion. Humility and Intentionality over intensity. These are eventually and inevitably – what matters more than the simply the weight or “1 rep max” one can ever “push or pull”.  

“ What do you mean by Intentionality?”

Far too often we equate “fitness” through quantified measurements –  how much weight we can physically and ably “push” or “pull”.

How much weight favours argument of intensity. But overall foresight? Intentionality. Readers may object, “aren’t these two the same thing?”.

No. The latter is more self-prophetic. And no, it does not mean “pride”. Or “Ego”. 

Those who have trained long enough, would be sage and wise enough to realize the distinction. Hint: the latter is far more humbling; given the injuries and thus lessons one have carried though time. Because all that matters is not the weight. It’s the relentless focus and tunnel vision being the intention. 

The difference is simply – humility measured against time.

The only way for us to do this. Is to maintain the maximal exertion stimuli we can handle. This require lowering the weight or intensity in favour of time under tension. Instead of mechanical stress, think metabolic stress. And more authentically and honest – with as few reliance on food beforehand. 

Either way, all exercises, either intensity or endurance – should  impact both type of stressors to meaningfully evaluate our own abilities across our life time. 

 “But I want to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time! I want to obtain / get / feel everything at the same time! I want to bulk and lose fat at the same time!”

Then, the very best This Author (AW) may respond to anyone in a similar frame is this – do the work. If one is already doing the work, there are still debt(s) one is yet to redeem (but too ashamed to admit).

Do the exercise, and/or “program” ~ one already knows. Do all the above most proportional, and intentional, to your time, and your calorie intake.

Do not ~ waste it all in vain. That is – why wait two, three minutes before you can resume another set?

Stop wasting time resting. Less rest. Less distraction. No mobile phones (unless journalling the set). No music. No pre workouts. Train completely fasted. Less intensity = More humility. Time under tension. Own your injuries, failures, tunnel vision, and of all things – your own time – at the gym. Block yourself out. Every. Single. Training. Day.

This is where being dogma, as we alluded to very early on This Book – is essential in this context. Boundaries for self-growth.

“So how extreme should I be?”

In relation to exercise and fitness training were This Author (AW) console an an angst initiate:

1. Pick an exercise. Set the weight that is so far of (current) ability that it is impossible for one to even remotely begin the range of motion. Note this number down.
2. Half that weight. Re-evaluate.  Introspect “How confident can I doing this again, within the next minute?”
3. Half that weight. Re-evaluate.  Introspect “How confident can I doing this again as repetitions of five or six, within the next minute?”
4. Repeat. 

Repeat for however # of exercises you need to feel productive. Then schedule the duration. How much you wish to stay in the gym. 30 minutes? 45 Minutes? An hour?

Trial, and error – eventually – you will find your own ideal tunnel vision. 

“So it is about volume, high repetitions and all, and call it a day?”

How many times have we wasted our live(s) recuperating as recovery in disguise? Only to risk ourselves to more cumulative injuries by lifting heavier “than last time”?  If it costs us waiting that long of a period, three, five or however minutes chit chatting in between? And if it costs us further time, anxiously pondering if it is even possible to do another heavy (and heavier) set? Then ~ what’s the point of wasting that time?

When we exercise in an already compromised or semi-injury state. Then what’s the point of lifting “heavy”? Profess our prowess of stoicism?  

One’s humility becomes cumulatively ~ a measure of strength. That – is the difference between intensity and intentionality. 

The major surprise begins here. Just because one should lower the weight, it is by no means “easy”. 

“How do I know if I’m doing enough?”

Firsty a little general reminder on the evaluation methods of exercise intensity criterias into two types for simplicity sake (cardiovascular – VO2 max) and anaerobic (1 rep max). VO2 = measures how much oxygen is being consumed , 0 to 100%. 1 rep max meanwhile, despite debatable in their effectiveness, simply benchmarks at what repetition range (1 to 10) available in reserve ~ one is able to both start and finish – a particular exercise. Notably the lowest “floor” for physiological stimuli of muscle fibre recruitment is  30%.   

And – to encapsulate it all, we use RPE – ratings of perceived exertion at a scale 0 to 10 – to evaluate the difficulty of a particular exercise, at-a-glance.

Generally and broadly strictly speaking:

1. RPE Scale of 1-3 40 to 50% of VO2 max. Rep Max: not applicable.
   Scenario: This is where conversations are naturally taking place. The “resting” state, but obviously not bedridden.  
2. RP Scale 4-5 50 to 60% of VO2 max. 1 Rep max: under 50%
   Scenario: On a walk, light brisk here and there. Multi-tasking with conversations involving complex train of thought is possible. This also include some resistance training exercises, but light weight, intended to be high velocity rep-work.
3. RP Scale 6-7 70 to 80% of VO2 max. 1 Rep max: 50% – 80%
   Scenario: From light jog to moderate run. And/or the heaviest set one can do; within limited rest intervals (45 second to one minute). This is the idea baseline what This Author consider “enough” evidently by accumulate lactic acid beneath all muscle fibre recruitments. Certainly not to the point of failure. But difficult enough that pain and some compensation(s) will become exposed by later rep-ranges. Conversations WILL NOT be possible in most situations.
4. RP Scale 8-10 90 to 100% of VO2 max. 1 Rep max: 80% – 100%
   Scenario: Full sprint before collapse. Full recruitment of muscle fibre recruitment + Full load on joints and connective tissue. Risk of overcompensations.  Within resistance training usually denoting anywhere between one to two repetition before absolute failure.

Obviously there are many grain of salts one should infer from the above.

This Author (AW) alone would hover his training between RPE scale of five all the way to eight at any given day. Also – not taking into account that different exercises themselves impact the 1-rep max suggested ranges above; as not all exercises impact muscle fibre types (fast vs slow vs middle) equally from one type/range of movements to another.

Further – nobody share the same fitness level, even if everyone is “sedentary”. One might be an injured state. Or compromised at an immune system. Or fighting an infection.

If there is another criteria, despite vaguely interpreted, as mentioned earlier, is purely tunnel vision. One should exercise fully towards a state where one is in that “zone”. Immersed in training. Not overly self-conscious, but thoroughly comfortable ~ in one’s skin amidst failures. Alone. In a sea of onlookers.

If it is easy and doable, it probably is. If it is too safe, it probably is too safe.

If it is difficult to the point of making you stop, but you can do another three or five more sets – then that would be ideal range.

Now times that by seven or eight or however many exercises per 45 minutes to an hour. You’ll arrive at a program you’d find meaningful, and more in alignment to your abilities throughout a span of not just one day, but a month and perhaps years and decades to come.

That should leave you no second guessing.

“But you are already lean!!  you are already at an-advantage towards aesthetics!”

We are all superficial creatures submissive by our own imagination. And through creativity, we have invented “Art”  to mirror  nature’s dictating on our senses of belonging by being inspired.

Coincidentally we have “works of art” that timelessly prove that aesthetics – matter to civilization. Not just as mere record of our civilization from rock paintings. But figuratively, and poetically ~ our desire(s) for greatness. 

However, imagine if “art” does not exist. Does “goodness” exist then? Imagine – if golden ratio does not exist. Great works included – the Mona Lisa, vitruvian diagram, and….the Apple logo. Somewhere along the way, these works, later manifested as conventions and inspirations – require symmetry somewhere in the thought process. They pave the way towards the next greatness to evolve and later, as inspiration to evolve human abilities – on what one can be.

Taking brief lesson from “Biomimicry” ~ a branch of applied Science where nature’s visual patterns, found among nature – already served essential inspirations throughout our infrastructures today. From architecture, engineering and logistics. Imagine these inspirations did not exist. We would not have evolved to where we are today, much of which taken for granted sadly nonetheless.

The biodome, envisioned by Richard Bucky Fuller – stemmed from symmetrical inspiration of the honey bee pattern. The design of high speed Japanese train, relied likewise on symmetrical inspiration from beak of a hummingbird.

However, let’s appease for once, out of benefit of doubt –  towards the insecure demographic here for a minute.

Does this mean that all of us, all living beings have an inherent advantage? 

This Author (AW) would say no. Being “Lean” or already “aesthetic” does not always permits perfection. Indeed, statistically speaking, more aesthetic does invariably confer some advantage, but that in itself is a sliding scale of its own. One does not know what is not visible.

Perhaps forego the word “Symmetry”, “Attractiveness”, “Bodybuilding” for a while.

Reword everything to “mind building”, instead. That would prove far more existentially meaningful pursuit were we to frame our benevolence to society throughout a course of a lifetime. Far more than just for posing on “that stage”.

“What if I’m not “fit enough” to exercise or that I’m easily injured? / Compromised / debilitated?”:

There are two (2) competing “answer’s” or responses This Author (AW)  readily reserve to this type of confirmed submission.

One  ~ he’d readily gaslit that “there’s no better time than now, tomorrow is already yesterday too late”. Yet also immediately – “be skeptical of your own ability. Is that 200kg deadlifts worth digging your own grave a day, a month or perhaps a year – “sooner”?”. 

This Author (AW) despite seemingly “perfect” from the outside, still is not immune from AS / ankylosing spondylitis propensities – mainly injurious episodes that are quite frankly, difficult to contain before they happen. Think disc slippages during compound lifts. Even when it’s not heavy by societal “standards”. Six months to one year might be fine. But just one day out of 365 – could be detrimental. 

Obviously readers should know their own limitations, first and foremost. Overestimating their confidence, whilst essentially periodically to attest resolve – should never be expressed egoistically in abrupt or uncontrolled intention. 

Having said that, injuries are essential lessons for maturity. We get to express our angers through resistance training. Yet also – debts potentiating in exchange of our egos.

At the end of the day the most important and fulfilling goal one may ever set out to achieve, day by day – is to reserve a decisive version of themselves the moment they step onto the gym. 45 minutes to one hour of constant, genuine and honest activations. Completely fasted, no food, next to no fancy preworkouts, just salted water. No more than a minute maximum rest time in-between sets. Five, six or even ten exercises however much it takes for genuine exhaustion without incapacitation.

Shower. Then leave.

***SUMMARY***

Any form of exercise reaching or cumulative towards that of a challenge, and is felt as such that one is in fact, consumed by the exercise itself without distraction nor injuries, is arguably ~ sufficient. However as plainly obvious as this sounds, This Author (AW) admits a lot more nuance is warranted for sake of consoling readers angst, no matter what their “level” of fitness. 

VO2 max between 70 to 80%, with 1-rep max rep ranges 50 to 70% all equating to RPE scale anywhere from five to eight should be considered the benchmark of authentic productivity throughout any given day of training. Limited rest between 45 seconds to one minute between sets ensures disciplined boundaries and self-reservation for our time. Nobody else’s.

Intentionality over intensity should be the manifesto behind every man or woman reaching for the best version of themselves. “Best” of course relatively speaking, to all that person’s nuance be reconciled and respected but periodically – challenged. This does not mean progressive overload being the only belief there is to obtain “fitness”.

For those insecure surrounding how “shallow” this entire “fitness” compass entails – their fears are perhaps warranted. Everyone has insecurities so much, that one resort to implants, peptides and surgeries. However, any purported belief that little to no exercise, is more or less substitutable to a life worth living– is haphazard.

At some stage we have to admit we are all selfishly superficial, irrespective of politics. Nature already destined that on our behalf, all the way since birth. If readers still cling upon belief that aesthetics have no role to civilization, perhaps they fail to remind themselves on what (or perhaps who) brought them here, this world, in the first place. Hint: estrogen and testosterone, most probably.

<this ends the live public draft>