Just Tell Me the Workout

I love to know a workout the night before I'm going to do it.

Whether it's CrossFit or cycling or something else I plan to do the next day, I like to lie in my bed at night and visualize my movements before I drift off to sleep.

Some people count sheep, I count reps.

But I know some gyms don't like to reveal their workouts ahead of time. They don't want people to cherry-pick (or cheery-pick as I recently said).

But let's leave aside what I consider to be the absurdity of playing information keep-away from your fully grown customers. Basically, I like to know the workout so I can see in my mind what I have to do.

• Clean and jerks? Okay, I'm running the movements in my mind. Foot position, pull yourself under the bar!

• Thrusters? Time to think about hip drive.

• Pull-ups? Engage those lats. Picture my chin over the bar.

The list goes on and on.

In my slightly younger days, when I raced my mountain bike through the high desert at Edwards Air Force Base, I would call my riding partner (the aptly named "Dirty Girl") the night before each ride, and ask her which route we were going to tackle. That way, I could see the trail in my head and ride it, pick my line up the hard climbs, pick my path down the rocky descents, think about my hands being loose over the brakes and letting the bike absorb the hits while I stayed relaxed.

Visualization is a valid technique for improving performance. So why deny people the opportunity to mentally prepare?

Because you're afraid they won't show up to do the workout? (I also love to know the entire week of workouts in advance, so I can integrate them with my other activities. But I might be a little whacked. I am a person who railed against burpee penalties.)

What's your opinion?

Do you like to know the workout so you can visualize and plan? Or do you prefer to be left in the dark?