 Injuries can be setbacks, but only if you let them be.
Mike came in last night with a boot on his foot, unable to do any of the lower body strength and power work that we normally do. Instead of staying home he came in and had a great session built around the Overhead Press. Training around an injury can create the opportunity to focus on areas you've been neglecting or you normally don't get to work. It also creates the opportunity to develop an unstoppable mindset - one that will carry you through the ups and downs in training and in life. Don’t let anything keep you from making progress. There’s more at stake than just your physical goals. Find a way to push forward and keep making continual progress.
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 I don’t miss a training session. Every now and then, something may come up that keeps me from training that day, or hitting a full session, but I get the session in the following day, or I split the session up over 2 days.
I keep moving forward. I keep making progress. This is one of the values of having a solid progressive training program. It keeps you honest, focused, and on task. For awhile, a couple of months back, due to schedule, I fell into the habit of bailing on my training on Fridays and catching it on Saturday or, most times, Sunday. This worked, and I made progress, but it threw my whole training schedule off, causing it to interfere with other areas of my life. It also created a kind of casual, lackadaisical attitude toward my training at the end of the week. Like I said - I don’t miss a session. Training is too big a part of who I am and who I want to be. I was getting my training in, but I didn't like how my schedule and mindset was going. I made it a point to get back to my regular Monday through Friday. It took a shift in thinking and scheduling, but I got things back on track. Once I locked my training schedule back down to a Monday - Friday frame, my weekends got better, but my training also improved, becoming even more focused and productive. That little shift in mindset - making sure my training got in during the week regardless of how tight my schedule - brought more focus and greater intent to my training, leading to better results. I don’t know what training means to you - what concept you have of strength, fitness, health, performance and why this is - or should be - important to you. All I know is that seeing and acknowledging a need is not enough to get you in motion and keep you going when things get difficult or the novelty wears off. There has to be a vision that is worth burning for. There has to be a deep rooted desire to be greater. These are the fuel that will drive you to consistently shrug off complacency, slack, and comfort to push yourself to do your best and stay focused - to never miss - to keep moving forward - to keep making progress. Anything else is asking for failure. Anything less will lead to mediocrity. And you will quit. Or "take a break" , losing momentum, never progressing. Find your vision. Find your desire. Do what is necessary to get there.  I had a conversation with my wife the other day where we both knew someone looking to lose weight by running on the treadmill. The one person deals with pain issues and the other motivation. It struck me that many skip the obvious. Many people give no thought to basic calisthenics and simple dumbbell work. This kind of - what I call basic - training is simple and efficient to implement, has a greater return on investment, and is great for building a strong and resilient body.
Many people fail to realize they need strength. Strength is the foundation to build everything else on. The stronger you become, the bigger your engine, and, therefore, your capability. Strength training is metabolically efficient, meaning that you’re creating a large caloric expenditure, and you’re building muscle, which is very metabolic. Also, That strength and muscle will support other, future activity, both inside and outside of fitness. Don’t get me wrong - conditioning is important. You can’t go through life breathing heavy going up a flight of stairs or doing a little bit of work. For the person getting started or starting back up, though, we can address the immediate needs with some strength basics. For most untrained people, running anything circuit style is going to provide enough conditioning for where they're at. Here's one example: PUSHUPS can be done anywhere. If you can’t do a full pushup on the floor, you can do them elevated with your hands on a bench, table, couch, bed, etc. Find the height that’s right for you to get a solid set of at least 5. SQUATS can be done anywhere. If you can’t do a full squat - bringing your butt below your knees, you can squat to a chair, stool, or anything else that allows you to sit down and stand up with good form. CRUNCHES and REVERSE CRUNCHES can be done anywhere. DUMBBELL BICEP CURLS Most people have a set of dumbbells laying around somewhere. If not, they can be found cheap on Craigslist, eBay, or bought in Walmart or any sporting goods store. There’s four exercises that can be done at home, at any time, that when run together as a circuit, can go a long way to building a base level of strength and conditioning in a minimal amount of time per session. The internet is filled with how to videos on these exercises. Watch 2 or 3 to be sure. There’s no reason to not know how to do these basics. Once you’ve figured out the movements, a simple circuit can be done for 3 - 5 sets. Pushups x 5 Squats x 5 Curls x 5/5 Abs x 5 Sets and reps can vary based on strength and ability, but at the very least, this would take no more than 10 - 15 min at the start, and done 3x per week, would go a lot farther toward changing your body, your mind, and your life, than getting on the treadmill. An easy way to start is with the minimum 5 reps per exercise done for 3-5 sets, again depending on ability. As you get stronger, add an extra set or rep. When you get to the point where 5 sets of 10 reps isn’t too much trouble, you can increase the demand by lowering your the platform on the pushup and squat and increasing weight on the curls. That’s a simple to implement beginner’s program that can be done before hitting the shower in the morning or while watching tv at night. You could literally start that today. |
AuthorEric Chasko is the head of Redemption. He is a Performance Enhancement Specialist, Certified Underground Strength Coach, Progressive Fighting Systems Full Instructor, and Blauer Tactical Systems SPEAR: Personal Defense Readiness Trainer. From young athletes to busy professionals, he helps people develop the physical, mental, and emotional strength to win on the field, on the street, and in life. Archives
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