Travis Holley – Athlete Journal 8/4/12
(Read Travis’s Bio here)
I know a lot of you out there have no idea who I am or what I really do, but let me just give you a quick snapshot of what it is that I do for my personal workouts so as to give some perspective to this week’s entry.
I will first say the best way to actually see what it is that I do is to go to my website, StrictlyStrengthProject.com, where I have tons of articles and videos sharing some of the techniques and modalities that I use and prefer when training myself. It’s also a great place to find information pertaining to the world of strength – at least I hope it serves that purpose for readers.
Anyway, back on topic. I am a student ofZach Even Esh, who is the founder of the Underground Strength movement. I use this style in every workout I do. I usually include other elements such as powerlifting, strongman, Olympic lifting, kettlebells, bodybuilding, and bodyweight exercises. I like to think of myself as a forager of all things that WORK. I try everything at least once, and if I like it and it works for me, I keep it in the tool box. If it’s a dud, I toss it. There’s no point in keeping it around, right?
The reason I’m telling you this is to let you know how far I tweaked my preferred style of training to compete on the CrossFit Central Affiliate team. To put it simply, it was a far cry from the stuff I truly enjoy doing. Now, that’s NOT to say it doesn’t work. That is only to say it is not the way I prefer to train. That’s it. Hopefully that’s clear.
Well, now that the Games are over, I’ve been able to get back to my style. And to say the least, it feels awesome to be back! I’ll tell you this – if you ever find yourself in a rut, take a month off of “programmed” workouts. That is to say, walk in the gym and come up with a workout on the spot, based on how you and your body is feeling. It is an absolute relief to do exactly what you want to, rather than what is “prescribed” to you by someone. Again, there’s nothing wrong with this, but it’s a great way to refresh and rejuvenate yourself and your workouts.
A word of caution: be sure to throw in those things you hate to do. This is not a program for you to neglect the areas that need improving. Don’t be a sally! Get after the stuff that hangs you up; just do it in new and fun way so that it doesn’t suck so bad. For me, running is my kryptonite, so I have to do my running on a rough trail to enjoy it. Getting it in, and enjoying it. That’s the trick.
Hope y’all have an amazing rest of the week and weekend. Make things happen! Have fun doing it!
