The Illusion of “Harder is Better”
Scroll through social media, and you’ll see no shortage of impressive stunts—one-legged overhead squats on a wobbling BOSU ball, handstand push-ups on kettlebells, or barbell complexes that look like a physics experiment. These feats grab attention because they look difficult, leading you to think, “If I could do that, I’d be fit.”
However, here’s the truth: difficulty alone doesn’t guarantee usefulness. Performing elaborate, high-risk exercises may build specific skills, but it doesn’t mean they translate into better health or improved performance in real life. The “harder is better” mindset isn’t just misleading; it can be counterproductive.
The Real Purpose of Fitness
The real reason to train isn’t to impress anyone; it’s to prepare yourself for the adversity life inevitably throws your way. During my time working with Navy SEALs, our training wasn’t designed to gain likes or shares on social media. It aimed to equip us for the unexpected—cold water, heavy loads, sleep deprivation, and layers of stress.
Everyday athletes should adopt the same principle: fitness should enhance your capability, resilience, and adaptability for real-life challenges. This means having the strength to carry your child when they’re sick, stamina to hike with friends without gasping for air, and the composure to stay calm in a stressful meeting. Your training should be about genuinely preparing for challenges that are likely—if not just dramatic displays of skill.
Stress is the Real Test
Life is filled with stressors—some predictable, others that catch us off guard. Whether it’s a divorce, financial struggles, a health scare, or losing a loved one, none of these challenges can be resolved by your ability to balance on an unstable surface while lifting a barbell overhead.
What truly helps is having both body and mind trained to recover quickly from strain. Functional fitness improves cardiovascular health, builds muscular endurance, supports hormonal balance, and sharpens mental focus. When those inevitable tough days arrive, it’s your training that pays off—not because you can perform a complex exercise, but because you’re resilient enough to handle stress without crumbling.
Practical Training Over Performance Art
The exercises that best prepare you for real life aren’t complicated; in fact, they’re often deceptively simple:
- Squats and deadlifts for building total-body strength
- Push-ups and pull-ups for upper body power and stability
- Carries and loaded holds for grip, core, and functional strength
- Mobility work for joint health and injury prevention
- Interval training for cardiovascular capacity
These movements are effective because they train patterns you actually use in everyday life. They enhance your ability to apply force, stabilize your body under load, and move through your day with a lower risk of injury.
Complex, unstable-surface exercises may look “advanced,” but for most, they introduce more risk than advantages. Training smart beats training flashy every time.
Making Fitness Work for Your Life
You don’t have to train like a Navy SEAL to benefit from these principles, but you should approach fitness with the same mindset: build capacity, not just a narrow skill. The goal isn’t to be the best at a single exercise—it’s about being prepared for whatever life throws your way.
When deciding on your workouts, ask yourself:
- Will this help me move better in daily life?
- Will it make me stronger, more resilient, or less prone to injury?
- Will it help me recover faster from physical and mental stress?
If the answer is yes, it’s a worthwhile pursuit. If no—especially if it’s aimed merely at impressing someone—it’s likely better left undone.
Beyond the Reps
Fitness isn’t just a performance for the outside world; it’s preparation for your own life. With this purposeful approach, you’ll become more than just fit; you’ll become resilient. You’re not merely ready for the next workout but for the challenges that wait around every corner, whatever form they may take.
That’s the kind of fitness worth pursuing.