Less training. More doing.

I recently realized I was spending a disproportionate amount of time training for the thing instead of just doing the thing.

For me, “the thing” is some combination of:

Hiking
Rock climbing
Trail running
Backpacking
Archery
Climbing mountains
Coaching softball
Wrestling with my kids
Playing with my kids

The biggest shift has been treating training as a complement to these activities instead of training to get better at training.

I’m basically trying to find the minimum effective dose—the least amount of training that still creates a meaningful adaptation without consuming all my time and energy.

Another major shift has been putting more emphasis on a style of training I’ve started calling Mobility Strength.

Instead of separating “strength” and “mobility,” I’m trying to build strength through bigger ranges of motion.

For example:

I do deficit RDLs with a pause at the bottom, creating a loaded stretch.

I do weighted Cossack squats and pause at the bottom on each side, taking my knees, ankles, and hips through a deeper range of motion.

When I do pull-ups or chin-ups, I fully relax at the bottom and hang for a split second before reengaging and pulling back up.

For dips, I go as deep as my anatomy comfortably allows, pause, and then press back up.

I do split squats where I allow the heel of my front foot to rise and try to bring my hamstring and calf together.

Sometimes I add weight to these exercises.

Other times I use assistance to take some weight away.

The goal isn’t really to lift as much weight as possible.

I think what I’m ultimately trying to do is mimic the kinds of positions and movements a wild human would experience.

I spent a lot of time literally working in the wilderness, and I can still remember how humbling those first few tours were.

I was a college athlete in “peak shape” with a massive squat and a thick neck.

But carrying a heavy pack uphill was hard.

I was strong—but only in a very specific way.

I'd even go on to say I was strong in an artifical way.

So now I’m trying to build strength in as many different positions and ranges of motion as possible.

Even if that means the weight I’m lifting is significantly lighter, the strength I’m building feels more natural and transferable.

And I think there’s a bigger lesson here.

Specialization is a double-edged sword.

People are capable of incredible things when they focus.

And the modern world increasingly rewards specialists over generalists.

But specialization always comes with a cost.

That doesn’t mean specialization is bad.

It means it’s worth understanding the tradeoffs of whatever you choose to specialize in—and making sure those tradeoffs align with the life you actually want to live.

I heard this quote several years ago and come back to it often:

“The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life. It’s so easy to make it complex...what is important is to lead an examined life.”

Maybe that’s what I’m really trying to do with training right now.

Less training for training’s sake.

More strength that helps me do the things I actually care about.

More doing the thing.

Happy examination!

Live wild or die,
-Dan, Wild Gym Founder