The Research That Started It All
Twenty-five years ago, as part of my dissertation, I spent many long hours, whilst heavily pregnant, studying upper-body athletes and analysing anaerobic power output and capacity using the Wingate bike test, adapted for upper-body use only.
At the time, my focus was purely on performance. We were trying to determine the optimal resistance required for each athlete to produce their greatest power output.
What fascinated me then, and still fascinates me now, was how different the results were from one individual to the next.
Some athletes achieved their highest power output against a higher resistance, whilst others performed best with a much lower resistance. Neither result was right or wrong. Neither athlete was stronger or weaker. They were simply operating at their own optimal level.
Looking back now, and reflecting on my role as a coach and educator, I realise this research wasn’t just part of my degree. In many ways, it laid the foundations for how I still approach health, fitness and wellbeing today.
Why More Isn’t Always Better
The lesson from that research extends far beyond sport.
If you’ve ever used a rowing machine, you’ll be familiar with the resistance lever on the side. Many people assume that setting it to 10 will automatically give them a better workout. Often, it’s an ego-driven decision.
The reality is that cranking the resistance to maximum doesn’t necessarily mean you’re fitter or stronger. In fact, unless that setting is genuinely optimal for you and the distance you’re rowing, it can have the opposite effect. The resistance becomes too great, technique starts to deteriorate, fatigue arrives earlier and performance drops.
Meanwhile, someone rowing at a setting of 4, 5 or 6 may be producing a far better, more sustainable effort because they’ve found their sweet spot.
And that’s where the real lesson lies.
Applying the Principle to Health and Wellbeing
The same principle applies to life.
Many of us approach health, fitness and wellbeing by constantly trying to do more. More training, more dieting, more restrictions, more work and more commitments.
We convince ourselves that maximum effort in every area must produce maximum results.
Yet, just like the athlete pushing against the wrong resistance, we often end up exhausted, inconsistent and frustrated.
Over the years, I’ve come to believe that success isn’t about operating at maximum capacity all the time. It’s about finding the optimal level of commitment across the areas that matter most: nutrition, movement, work, relationships and social life.
The level that challenges you enough to move forward, but not so much that it becomes impossible to sustain.
Finding Your Own Sweet Spot
For one person, that might mean training five times a week. For another, it might be three.
One person may thrive by preparing every meal in advance, whilst another achieves excellent results simply by making better choices most of the time.
The goal isn’t to copy someone else’s settings.
The goal is to discover your own.
What I now strive for, both personally and with my clients, is identifying that individual midpoint — the place where effort, performance and sustainability meet. The level that delivers progress without demanding perfection.
Creating Balance When Life Gets Busy
Of course, life is never static.
There will always be factors that disrupt the balance. Work becomes busier. Family commitments increase. Holidays arrive. Illness strikes. Motivation fluctuates.
The equilibrium shifts constantly.
But when you know your midpoint, these disruptions become far easier to navigate.
Think of it as having a home base.
During demanding periods, you may need to dial things back slightly. During quieter periods, or when you’re working towards a specific goal, you may be able to push harder.
The important thing is that you know where your default best-practice level sits. You understand the resistance setting that allows you to perform at your best over the long term.
Sustainable Fitness and Long-Term Success
The athletes in my dissertation taught me that optimal performance doesn’t come from simply adding more resistance.
It comes from finding the right resistance for the individual.
Twenty-five years later, I believe exactly the same thing about health, fitness and life.
Success isn’t found at setting 10.
Success is found in discovering the setting that allows you to keep showing up — week after week, month after month, year after year.
Because sustainability will always outperform intensity that cannot be maintained.
Need Help Finding Your Balance?
If life has pulled you away from that balance, if you’ve lost sight of your own sweet spot and need help finding your way back, pop me a message.
I’d be more than happy to chat and share some ideas that might help guide you in the right direction.