Discovering the One Workout That Boosts My Brain

What if the workouts you love aren’t the ones that actually make you feel your best? For years, I thought any form of exercise would boost my energy, focus, and productivity. But I was wrong. The tough truth is that it takes time, trial, and self-reflection to uncover what works for you. What energizes one person might not work the same for another.

I recently went through this process myself. My daily routine demands high cognitive power and sustained energy, so I made working out a key strategy to stay at my peak. But over time, I realized something surprising—not all workouts provide the same mental benefits. After years of experimenting with different types of exercise, I discovered something unexpected, that only one form of exercise consistently enhances my cognitive power and energy throughout the day.

The process of finding out

Over the past few years, I’ve engaged in three primary forms of physical activity: volleyball, running, and strength training. At one point, I was playing volleyball for at least four hours per week, supplementing it with gym workouts for a total of 6-8 hours of exercise. Since I love volleyball, I often prioritized it over the gym, believing it would be enough. And while it improved my endurance for long games, it did little to build overall physical strength or enhance my mental sharpness.

Despite excelling on the court, I didn’t experience the sustained energy or cognitive boost I was looking for.

Me playing volleyball. I am in the red shirt.

A similar pattern emerged when I took up running again. Initially, I balanced running with strength training, but as I grew to enjoy running more, I gradually sidelined the gym. I was able to complete a couple of half-marathons, but eventually, my body felt depleted, and I struggled to maintain my performance. At home, I was sleeping later and slow to start working. Despite my cardiovascular achievements, I found myself drained rather than invigorated.

I felt frustrated. I love volleyball, and I love running, yet neither seemed to provide the mental clarity and sustained energy I needed to work creatively and effectively.

This realization led me to a crucial question: did improving my vertical leap or running endurance actually enhance my cognitive performance? The answer was a resounding no—or at least, not in the way I was doing it.

Uncovering the solution

After weeks of reflection, I realized that the true source of my cognitive power and sustained energy wasn’t the activities I was prioritizing—it was the strength training I had been neglecting. Volleyball and running lifted my mood and provided enjoyment, but the real improvements, like jumping higher or running longer, came from strength training alongside them. 

Could strength training also be the key to my mental performance? It only took a couple of weeks to verify that my mental strength correlated with my physical strength. Now, I definitely don't skip the gym!

To take this one step further, I noticed that the bench press specifically played a major role in how I feel mentally. There were significant improvements when I could bench press 10 reps of my own weight (62kg), and the best results when I finally hit a personal best of 70kg. 

Know yourself with Essentialize

Understanding this pattern was made possible through Essentialize, a powerful introspection tool that helped me recognize how different physical activities affect my mental and physical well-being. By tracking my habits, wellbeing, and analyzing the outcomes, I was able to identify what works for me.

If you're looking to optimize your daily cognitive performance and energy levels, try out the Essentialize app.

📲 You can download it from the Play Store or App Store. It’s a tool designed to help you know yourself better.

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