3 Framing Questions to Improve Your Fitness Routine in 2026 and Beyond
Over the last decade, I’ve delivered over 250 three-hour presentations on exercise and strength training to executive groups across the U.S. and Canada. At the end of each presentation, I always ask the same three questions to clarify goals.
As you think about your health and fitness heading into 2026, take a few minutes to reflect on each of these. Whether you’re new to resistance training or a seasoned athlete, these framing questions can dramatically improve your workout routine and results.
1. What Am I Going to ADD?
Choose something evidence-based that delivers outsized returns.
Examples:
Strength train twice per week
Train to muscle failure
Perform one intense cardio interval workout each week
Consume 5 grams of creatine daily
Increase protein intake to 0.7g per pound of bodyweight
2. What Am I Going to STOP?
In exercise, like life, what you say no to often defines your results. Use science to evaluate what’s ineffective, dangerous, or simply unnecessary.
Examples:
Kettlebell swings
Tractor tire flips
Kipping pull-ups
Three submaximal sets per exercise
Endless ab or “core” workouts
3. What Will I KEEP Doing, But Reclassify as Recreation?
Not everything needs to serve a fitness or performance goal. You’re allowed to enjoy movement that doesn’t measurably improve your health—as long as you stop pretending that it does.
Examples:
Hour-long walks with a podcast
Yoga or meditation classes
Long bike rides on the weekend
Training for a marathon
