Tommy's Take by Tommy Pomatico 4/21
The Keyboard Was Designed to Slow You Down—So Is Your Workout Plan?
Ever heard the story about the keyboard you’re using right now?
The QWERTY layout—the one we all know and use—was literally designed to slow us down. Back in the typewriter days, people were typing so fast that the machines would jam. So, the keyboard was rearranged to space out commonly used letters and force users to type more slowly.
Fast forward to today: typewriters are long gone, keyboards don’t jam, and yet... we still use QWERTY.
Why?
Because it’s familiar. Because it’s what we were taught. Because it’s the standard—even if it’s not the most efficient way to type.
Fitness Has a QWERTY Problem, Too
Fitness is full of "QWERTY" ideas—things people still follow not because they’re the best, but because they’ve been around forever.
Here are a few classic examples:
1. “You need to do endless cardio to lose fat.”
This one’s the treadmill of myths. People still think hours of cardio is the golden ticket to fat loss, when in reality, resistance training + nutrition is where the magic happens. Cardio has its place, but it’s not the king of fat loss—and never was.
2. “No pain, no gain.”
Pain doesn’t always equal progress. This outdated mindset leads people to overtrain, ignore injuries, and burn out. Smart training means knowing when to push—and when to pull back.
3. “You should stretch before lifting.”
Static stretching before training can actually decrease performance and strength. A better warm-up? Dynamic movement prep that mimics the patterns you're about to train. Save the long holds for after.
4. “You need to confuse your muscles to grow.”
“Muscle confusion” sounds cool in theory, but in practice, it just leads to randomness. Real progress comes from consistency, progressive overload, and staying with a program long enough to see results.
5. “Women should lift light to ‘tone.’”
Still floating around gyms in 2025, somehow. Lifting heavy won’t make women bulky—it’ll make them stronger, more athletic, and more empowered. “Toning” is just marketing. Strength is the real goal.
Progress Means Questioning the Standard
The reason we haven’t all switched to a faster, more efficient keyboard layout is the same reason people still follow outdated fitness advice:
Change is uncomfortable. Familiarity feels safe. And questioning what “everyone else does” takes effort.
But if you’re after progress—not just participation—you’ve got to be willing to challenge the default. Ask questions. Dig deeper. Learn the why behind your workouts.
Don’t just do what’s common. Do what’s effective.
Bottom line: Just because it's what you've always done, doesn't mean it's the best way. Upgrade your mindset. Upgrade your training.
