Chronic stress is a genuine concern in our current environment. Continuous “fight-or-flight” responses and prolonged cortisol exposure plague countless individuals, and their health and body composition suffers. I wish to acknowledge that at the start.

However, this article won’t delve into stress management or reduction. This article is not about taking phosphatidylserine or preventing overtraining. Some of what you will read is dead-serious, some hyperbole, and a little satire, but do not let that get in the way of the overall point: we need stress.

Stress Is Growth

We need to feel uncomfortable. We need suffering. We require it to grow emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and of course, physically. The stimulus for growth is pressure and discomfort.

Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski discussed this in his viral video about how a lobster grows; it has over two million views on YouTube. Today, people flee from discomfort. Since the mid-1960s, people only want to “feel good, man.” In their feel-good moments, they end up folding under pressure and abdicating responsibility.

The thought of being uncomfortable and suffering does not sound like heaps of fun to the average person. If you are a parent, coach, or boss, you know what I’m talking about. The end result of this unfortunate trend is extinction. Not in number, but ability, health, resilience, and every other quality that makes us human.

We have gotten soft. Disney’s “Wall-E” has an eerily accurate depiction of humans of the future—helpless and pathetic. When we were young, you couldn’t find a “safe space.” Our safe spaces were “hot lava.” We didn’t have “trigger warnings.” The trigger we knew had Roy Rogers sitting on top. There weren’t even any “spoiler alerts.”

When you walked out of “Empire Strikes Back,” you didn’t call twenty friends, yell “spoiler alert” and then go on about Darth Vader being Luke Skywalker’s father. You simply kept your mouth shut.

Today, people get hot-and-bothered the moment someone begins discussing a movie they have yet to see. Even if they spoiled it, who cares? It’s a movie. It’s make-believe. I’ve had people tell me, “I won’t be able to watch ‘Infinity War’ until Sunday, I hope no one spoils it for me. I’ll be so mad.”

Are we permanently 10 years old? We are raising a generation with Peter Pan syndrome—they never want to grow up and feel uncomfortable. It’s sad and should be alarming.

According to sociologists, there are five “milestones” that indicate you transitioned to adulthood:

1. Finishing school (high school or college)
2. Moving away from home
3. Becoming financially independent
4. Getting married
5. Having a child

If you are an entrepreneur, the business is your baby, so that counts. It is not uncommon for an entrepreneur to get out of bed at 3 am to investigate a leak at the warehouse, similar to a parent getting up at 3 am to change the baby.

In 1960, 65% of men had checked all five boxes by 30 years old. In 2000, the number dropped to a third. Almost 60 percent of parents are now giving money to their grown kids—an average of $38,340 per child.

What’s worse is that 85% of college kids plan to move back home after graduation. If you still live at home, the question should be are you motivated to leave? It can be frightening. It will be uncomfortable—that’s the point.

This article isn’t just about the young. I know many Gen-X and Baby Boomers who find their growth stunted. They tell me they worked feverishly so that they can live luxuriously for the rest of their lives. Just because you found success and wealth doesn’t mean you should stop growing.

Many of these people are the same ones who say, “I don’t want my kids to struggle the way I did.” I can understand that sentiment. But, at what cost? Do we draw the line between effort and entitlement, struggle and spoiled? Nevertheless, men and women, across all age groups, are getting unhappier, and its effects are very real.

Embrace a Strenuous Life

On April 10, 1899, Theodore Roosevelt gave his “Strenuous Life” speech in Chicago, Illinois:

“I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.

Above all, let us shrink from no strife, moral or physical, within or without the nation, provided we are certain that the strife is justified, for it is only through strife, through hard and dangerous endeavor, that we shall ultimately win the goal of true national greatness.”

Teddy had a host of medical issues as a boy. He detested his fragility and worked tirelessly to change it. He became an adventurer, boxer, and wrestler. He led the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American war. He had his eye punched out in a boxing match during college. He did judo in the White House with ambassadors from Japan. His energy was known to be “superhuman.” He was even shot while campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He finished his speech—with the bullet still lodged in his torso—before going to the hospital, “You see, it takes more than one bullet to kill a Bull Moose.”

In his famous “Man in the Arena” speech, he said it wasn’t the critic who counted, but the one in the arena, marred with dirt, sweat, and blood that counts and who deserves the credit, win or lose. Today we are content sitting in the bleachers. He regularly warned us that we were becoming too complacent and comfortable. One look at the statistics I provided earlier, and you will know he was onto something. This was over 100 years ago.

Roosevelt pleaded with us not to shrink from strife and that only through hard work and dangerous endeavor would we accomplish the goal of greatness. In the speech, he was talking about the nation as a whole, but it unquestionably applies to the individual. That’s how you build fit bodies, families, communities, and societies.

Although he embodied the notion of “American Masculinity,” perhaps to a fault, his words after the death of his wife and mother give us a glimpse into a man’s heart during suffering.

“She was beautiful in face and form, and lovelier still in spirit; As a flower she grew, and as a fair young flower she died. Her life had been always in the sunshine; there had never come to her a single sorrow; and none ever knew her who did not love and revere her for the bright, sunny temper and her saintly unselfishness. Fair, pure, and joyous as a maiden; loving, tender, and happy. As a young wife; when she had just become a mother, when her life seemed to be just begun, and when the years seemed so bright before her—then, by a strange and terrible fate, death came to her. And when my heart’s dearest died, the light went from my life forever.”

It was Valentine’s Day. They died within hours of each other. He was 25 years old.

The Roles of Eustress and Distress

Endocrinologist Hans Selye discovered General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) and unintentionally gave birth to exercise science. He identified two types of stress: eustress (good) and distress (bad). In today’s culture, it is not as simple as “exercise: good stress, being late: bad stress.”

Stress is about perspective. Research shows that how we observe stress alters its influence on us. While most of us consider exercising a “eustress,” there are many who are petrified by it and perceive it as a “distress.” Today, the spectrum of “good stress and bad stress” is becoming profoundly asymmetrical.

More things are finding their way into the “bad stress” category, and the “good stress” column is rapidly emptying. It is getting to the point where “stress” of any form will be avoided in lieu of comfort and convenience. Is “Wall-E” more prophecy than children’s movie?

Researchers at UC Berkeley, the center of the safe spaces of the world, found that perspective and how you look at stress changes its effects on your physiology. If you look at a stressor as a distress, it can negatively impact your circulatory system, brain, and immune system. But, if you look at the same stressor as a eustress, it can have the opposite effect. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone was offended by their conclusions and college administrators fired the entire research team for it.

Stress is a teacher. Circling back to my previous point, the better the perspective, the better the lesson. In the book The Natural by Bernard Malamud, he writes, “We live two lives, Roy, the life we learn with and the life we live after that.” If you never experience pressure or discomfort, you will never live the first life—the life we learn with.

Brad Pitt’s character Tyler Durden, in the instant-classic movie “Fight Club,” said “How much can you know about yourself if you’ve never been in a fight? I don’t wanna die without any scars.” Here, fighting is a metaphor for all forms of stress and conflict, and scars don’t simply mean the physical kind.

We know too many people who shield themselves or are shielded by others from failure or setbacks. When they eventually experience it, they are frightfully ill-equipped and unable to cope. It’s true for exercise, sports, business, and romance. We need to experience strife in our fitness goals, we need to fail at business and school, we need to lose the game—and not get a trophy—and we need to feel heartbreak.

The Fruit of Struggle

Everything we appreciate today is the product of someone’s suffering and stress. Every time you cross the Brooklyn Bridge, use your iPhone or drive your car, you are experiencing the fruits of someone’s struggle.

If we sought calm and comfort all the time, nothing would get done, nothing would matter, and we would be empty and purposeless people. Purpose stems from struggle, not from comfort. During the Great Depression, those who were charged with finding work for the unemployed described those they encountered.

They described them as “lifeless,” almost zombie-like. They loathed the idea of charity and handouts. They did not want welfare. They wanted to work. They wanted to provide for their families with their own labor. They wanted to contribute. They would have gone into the mines or work on tall buildings, risking life and limb.

At this point, I should pause and address the word “suffering,” which I have mentioned several times. Do not think I’m being extreme with my word selection. I don’t mean suffering as in “torture.” The etymology of the word passion is “passio,” meaning “to suffer, endure.” Suffering is passion and passion is suffering.

If you choose to avoid suffering, you are also missing out on passion. Think about those who are passionate about their music, art, sport, faith, business, or family. Every single one of them knows what it means to suffer for the things they love. I don’t know about you, but I am mortified by the idea of a passionless life. Because we choose passion, we must accept suffering as an inevitable consequence.

We have briefly talked about “eustress” and “distress.” Enter the term “edustress.” You won’t find that word in any dictionary, I made it up—for better or worse. It is the type of stress, pressure, and discomfort that teaches you something about yourself, similar to the line in “Fight Club.” Using the correct perspective, any “stressor” can qualify as an “edustress,” but there are ones that stand out above others.

1. Do something that scares or intimidates you, or that appears uncomfortable.
2. Increase your training frequency. For hypertrophy, various frequencies work, but for strength and improving motion patterns, the higher frequency wins. That doesn’t mean “Bulgarian style” daily maxes. It means a daily commitment to practice. Fitness is a skill.
3. It’s ok to train when you’re sore. Everyone is so concerned about “overtraining,” that when they feel the slightest tenderness in their biceps, it prompts a “recovery week.” You can train a muscle while it is sore. You won’t succumb to rhabdo.
4. Be cold. Cold showers, ice baths, and cryotherapy boost the immune system, circulatory function, and your grit. Considering the time investment, it’s worth it. If you’re a beginner, take a normal shower, and just before you’re done, drop the water temperature down as low as it goes. Hang in there for as long as you can. You’ll want to jump out but don’t. Soon, you’ll be able to handle longer exposures and feel more badass.
5. Camp. I don’t mean glamping. That’s essentially going to the Ritz Carlton with a tree in your room. Rough it. Eat some pork and beans, try to catch a fish, and shiver a little. Just don’t try to reenact that scene from The Revenant. You know the one I mean.
6. Pick up a musical instrument or learn a new language. Remind yourself what it’s like to be awful at something again. Stick with it, and you’ll be ordering like a pro in French restaurants or playing the Moonlight Sonata in no time.
7. Begin martial art. I won’t be snobby about which one you choose. Start as a white belt with the other beginners. Get outpointed by a 10-year-old in karate or smashed by a wrestler in jiu-jitsu. It’s good for you.
8. Compete in something. If you lose—which you probably will—and they give you a participation trophy, throw it away. That’s not the point. Don’t know where to start? Try powerlifting. The rules are simple and the required skill set allows for all age groups to participate. At the last competition I coached at, I witnessed a 70-year-old lady in her 30th competition. Every lift, regardless of weight, brought a smile to my face. If your joints can take it, run a marathon or 10k. Better yet, escort a person with special needs through one. My friend in Oregon learned how to swim properly so that he could do triathlons. It’s the one in the arena that counts, not the critic.
9. Take on something that makes you live beyond yourself.

This is probably the most important form of edustress. It’s not a code for “collectivism.” I’m referring to you harnessing your strong individuality to build and create something special.

Are you dating someone for more than a year? Are you over 30? Put a ring on it—what are you waiting for?

• Start a business.
• Start a family.
• Run for public office.
• If you’re still in high school, run for associated student body. Yes, it’s a popularity contest, but who cares? Pick up a sport. At least get outside, screens are “hot lava.”
• There must also be a simultaneous removal of the influences that block these forms of edustress. We need to remove the bubble wrap off your soul.
• No safe spaces.
• Get out of the habit of using the phrase, “bio hack.” It’s an intellectual form of the word “shortcut.”
• Kids, reduce video games. The average American will have spent 10,000 hours playing video games by their 21st birthday. I don’t think that’s what Malcolm Gladwell meant by his “10,000-hour rule,” in the book Outliers. Personally, I think video games peaked at Mario Kart.
• Calm down on the social media. That goes for everyone. A study released from the University of Pennsylvania showed a direct link between social media and depression and loneliness. 143 participants were put into two groups. One group was instructed to continue their SM use as normal, whereas the second group was limited to 30m per day. The limited use group showed significant reductions in loneliness and depression over three weeks. This brings intense irony to the title “social media.”

Find Some Purpose

Too often we misconstrue purpose and happiness. People chase happiness, try to escape discomfort and stress, and assume it leads to purpose and meaning. It doesn’t. Purpose, meaning, and happiness come from duty and responsibility.

Those responsibilities come with stress, pressure, and suffering. Don’t get comfortable. Seek pressure. Pressure can burst pipes and can forge diamonds. We need more diamonds, not snowflakes. “Wall-E” doesn’t have to be a documentary or a prophecy.

Pursue the strenuous life and you’ll find an existence with abundant growth, health, meaning, and happiness.

The post Stress Is Growth appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Things like remote car locks, tea bags, and shelled nuts all take movement out of our days. If something is convenient, you can bet that it’s creating a deficiency in your movement diet. And since we can’t all quit the real world and move to a self-sustaining eco-commune (although it sounds like my idea of heaven), I want to share a key concept of hers that has made a radical difference in my life. I want to share with you the idea of “stacking your practice.”

What Does Stacking Even Mean?

Let me demonstrate with a few questions:

• How would your training differ if you could only train with other people?
• How would it look if you could only train outside?
• How might your life look if you only ate after training?
• Or only ate meals with other people?

It’s kind of multi-tasking. But not really. What we do when we stack our practice is find easy areas of overlap to take advantage of. If you think back to a few weeks ago, we talked about the idea of “just do human things”. And that sounds great in theory, but the practice can be a bit tricky.

What we do when we stack our practice is create the conditions that make human things easier:

• Social interaction + fitness = after-work hike in the park with friends
• Fitness + eating better = foraging for local foods, or simply moving before you eat
• Eating better + social interaction = cooking with friends, ideally processing most of the ingredients yourself (e.g., chopping & grinding)

Why You Need to Stack

Ever felt overwhelmed trying to fit in a zillion things on any given day? Yeah, me too. When we stack well, we effectively reduce the number of separate things we have to do and still make beneficial changes in our lives.

You can’t make time. But you can choose how you use it. You can carve out time for the things, places, and people that matter most to you. It’s scary. It’s radical. But it’s what humans have been doing for as long as we’ve been humans.

Your movement practice is a way to better connect to yourself and the world around you. When you stack your practice, it gets immeasurably easier to do the things you love doing—without stressing yourself out on a never-ending list of tasks. All it takes is inviting a friend or loved one into your practice. Give yourself permission to be a good human animal again.

Don’t abandon movement because of perceived risk:

You Aren’t as Fragile as You Think

The post Short on Time? Stack Your Practice appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

It’s consistency. And without it, nothing is going to work. The soundest advice, the highest level of coaching, the most balanced meal plan ever created, all fall to pieces without consistent application.

There are no shortcuts – put in the time. [Photo courtesy of Pixabay]

The Key Ingredient of Progress

Lack of consistency is why you aren’t reaching your goals. You say you want a double-bodyweight back squat, but you’re only squatting once a week. And that’s if you actually make it to the gym on “squat day” every week. When you do show up, you try to make up for missed sessions by going too heavy, doing too many reps, or adding extra sets. Then you can’t walk for the next four days, which means you aren’t squatting. And so the vicious cycle repeats.

You say you want to be below 15% body fat, but your diet is all over the place. You worked to come up with a meal plan, maybe even paid for one. But you’ve made so many exceptions that your actual intake doesn’t look that much different than it did before you started. Between the brownies at the office party, and the weekly cheat day pizza, the third plate of lasagna at family get-togethers, and the funnel cake at the cultural festival, you might even be eating worse than before, on average.

And the averages are what matter. The body functions on patterns. In order to achieve a desired change in ability or body composition, you have to convince the body that what you’re asking it to do is the new normal. This is a huge simplification of a lot of very complicated science, but on the practical level, that’s how it works. So if you think you’re eating well because you’re “75% paleo” but the other 25% is a mountain of garbage, you aren’t really eating well. If you think you’re training hard because you spend 20 minutes a day doing AMRAPs and the other 23 hours and 40 minutes sitting on your ass, the pattern you’re establishing isn’t exactly athletic.

The point is, before you go ranting on social media about how this program or that diet doesn’t work, ask yourself objectively if you’re actually doing the work. If you aren’t following the program as it was designed, how would you even know if it’s working or not?

Consistency and Preventing Injury

Inconsistency in your training doesn’t just leave you weak, it leaves you injury prone. The first question a lot of new runners ask is, “how fast can I be ready for a marathon?” The proliferation of “couch-to” programs has left a lot of people under the impression that tackling one of the athletic world’s most difficult events is something you can do on a whim, and in very little time. And then we wonder why just about every runner ends up injured at some point.

Instead of spending years gradually building up mileage and running proficiency, people look for a quick fix to get themselves that 26.2 sticker. A whole lot of people who aren’t running at all go online and find a 12-week marathon training program designed for an athlete who is already turning in 20 miles a week. Then they do the first three weeks of it, get bored for a couple weeks and stop, then wake up one day and realize they’re three weeks out from their race. So they cram in as many runs as possible, do no taper at all, and show up at the start line under-rested and under-trained, then wind up with an injury that stops their marathon dreams at mile eight. Then they blame running because, you know, “it’s bad for you.”

But it isn’t just running. I see it in CrossFit gyms and indoor soccer leagues and amateur cycling teams. People getting hurt because they’re asking their bodies to perform at a level they haven’t prepared for with consistent, methodical training over a course of years. There are adaptations, especially in the joints and ligaments, that just take a whole bunch of time to develop. The only way to do it is through long, unglamorous, consistent training. Anyone who says differently is selling something.

Consistency and Skill Development

There’s been a lot of hubbub about whether or not Malcom Gladwell’s 10,000 Hour Rule is gospel or garbage, but the argument misses the point. Consistent practice over the course of years is the only way to develop mastery of a skill. This is just as true in athletic pursuits as anywhere else, and the more complex the skill, the more frequent and deep the practice must become.

If you want to be competitive in Olympic weightlifting, hitting a few dozen power snatches in a WOD once a week isn’t going to get it done. If you want to be a good writer, a once-monthly Facebook rant isn’t going to get you there. If you want to have a shot at the podium in your local summer 5k race series, you aren’t going to get there on two runs a week.

The uncomfortable truth universally espoused by masters in every field is that there are no shortcuts to getting the reps in.

Once you’ve accepted that, life becomes a matter of priorities. If you’re like me, you find your greatest satisfaction in doing a bunch of different things. But that preference comes the with the cost of slower progress in particular areas. If you have three sports and two jobs, your fullest energy cannot be focused on all of them. So the task becomes to pick the one or two things that are most important to you, and allow yourself to be happy with just maintaining the rest.

The Consistency Hack

So how do you fix it? With everything going on in your life, how can you make sure you’re giving your body and mind the consistent input and stimulation required to become what you want to be? The answer is so simple that it’s already in front of your face right now.

Write it down.

I don’t care what media you use, but find a way to track the things you are doing. Log your workouts, log your food, log your sleep, log the amount of time you spend on developing your skills. Keep it in a notebook in your back pocket, or in one of the zillion apps built for just such a purpose. For planning and quick reference purposes, I track a whole lot of my training in Google Calendar.

Writing it down and constantly referencing that record keeps you honest about your training and nutrition. There’s no arguing with a record you wrote yourself, so when you look at your notebook and see you haven’t had a leg day since last Tuesday, you run out of excuses to skip it real fast.

Life is going to throw you curveballs, and your progress toward your goals will almost never be linear. But there is one thing for certain: If you do nothing consistently, that’s exactly what you’re going to achieve.

Push past your own hang-ups:

Why Better Than Average Isn’t Good Enough for Me

The post The Only Variable That Matters appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Some of my more recent readers may not be aware of a training system that I’m perhaps best known for: Escalating Density Training (EDT). In fact, eleven years ago I wrote a book on the subject, and I’ve done a fair amount of writing on the web about it as well. It’s been some time since I’ve talked about EDT, so I thought I’d revisit the subject for my newer readers.

For those who have never heard of EDT, I often refer to it as “time management meets weight training.” I’ve done my best to apply time and energy management principles to the practice of resistance training, with the goal of improving the efficiency of your efforts at the gym.

The Underlying Principles of EDT

There are a handful of strategies you’ll use for the purposes of maximum training efficiency when using EDT. They include:

• A time limit for sets and reps: Parkinson’s law suggests, “work expands so as to fill the time allotted for it’s completion.” In other words, if you allow 30 minutes for a task, that task will tend to take 30 minutes. If you allot 20 minutes, you can probably do it in 20 minutes. While this isn’t always true, you’d be surprised how often it is.
• “Circuit” style training: Put another way, instead of completing all sets of your first exercise before moving on to the second movement, you’ll alternate back and forth between exercise. This tactic dissipates fatigue, allowing you to complete more total work in less time.
• Volume over intensity: You’ll only do half the reps you can potentially perform for any given set. EDT is a hypertrophy strategy, so volume is the name of the game. Going to failure is more effective for an individual set, but we’re going to focus on your total work output, not how hard you worked on a single set.
• Tracked progression: You’ll document and seek to improve upon your PRs for each session. The personal record that we’re looking at here is the total reps you can perform while performing two antagonistic exercises for a 15-minute time period.
• Increased training density: Finally, by gradually increasing the total amount of work you perform without increasing the time allotted for that work, you’ll be increasing your training density. And when you increase training density, not only are you training more efficiently, you’re also creating an important stimulus for improving body composition.

The Mechanics of EDT

If you’ve never tried EDT, here’s a quick primer.

1. Choose two opposing exercises. This could be anything from two antagonistic movements (such as leg curl/hack squat, or dips press/chins) to two unrelated muscles (such as deadlifts/pull-ups or calf raise/barbell curls) to both sides of a unilateral drill (left lunge/right lunge).
2. Find or estimate a 10RM weight for each exercise. You can estimate these weights during your warm-up sets. Don’t be concerned if your estimates are a bit off. What’s more important is that you choose weights that are equivalently difficult for each exercise.
3. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
4. Begin by performing sets of 5 reps for each exercise. If you’re doing dips and chin ups, for example, do a set of 5 dips, and then a set of 5 chins. Don’t worry about rest intervals. Just rest instinctively. Record your sets and reps as you go.
5. As you begin to fatigue, allow your reps to drop to sets of 4, 3, 2, and perhaps even singles toward the end of the 15-minute period. Again, what matters is how many total reps you rack up over 15 minutes, not how many reps you manage on a particular set. It’s also natural (and optimal) for your rest intervals to gradually increase as you become increasingly fatigued. This is the step that many people miss.
6. When the 15-minute period elapses, stop lifting. If you’ve only got a few seconds left toward the end, don’t perform one last set of the first exercise unless you’ve got enough time to perform a corresponding last set for your second exercise as well.
7. Add up your total reps. This is your “PR.” Don’t worry how large or small this number is, it doesn’t matter.
8. Next time out, improve upon your baseline PR in any way you can, by as little or as much as you desire. All that matters is that you beat your PR.

Looks simple right? It is, but simple doesn’t mean easy.

Application and Implementation

I would use EDT during dedicated hypertrophy phases for perhaps 4-6 weeks. I’d also suggest using two different exercise parings per workout, which means that your work sets for both EDT sessions will take 30 minutes. Add in your warm-up sets, and your workout will take between 45-60 minutes, mostly depending on how strong you are.

Also, since you’ll be developing high levels of fatigue during EDT training, I’d suggest using the “safest” exercises possible. Movements like overhead squats might not be the best choice. In fact, resistance-training machines are often a better choice than free weights for safety reasons.

If you’re looking for a way to inject some new energy into your training, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how effective EDT can be. It is very effective in delivering a powerful workout in a short time frame. Be ready for big-time soreness as well. Like many things in life, EDT must be experienced to be understood. Things often look easy on paper, but are anything but when you actually do them. Even if you’re well-conditioned, EDT will prove to be one of the toughest workouts you ever do. Trust me.

If you have questions or need clarification about EDT, you know where to find me.

Another Time-Based Workout Strategy to Try:

EMOMs: The Most Misunderstood Method in CrossFit

This Week’s Training:

Volume: 54,406lb (Last Week: 90,710lb)

Significant Lifts:

• Low Bar Squat: 280lb x 5
• Competition Bench Press: 220lb x 4

This week was a bit of a mid-phase deload. I did two hard sessions early in the week, followed by a low-volume upper-lower session later in the week. Next week I’ll be putting in a ton of volume, so stay tuned for that.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Bodyweight: 198lb

Volume: 24,635lb

Goblet Squat

• Set 1: 10lb × 10
• Set 2: 25lb × 10
• Set 3: 40lb × 10

Low Bar Squat

• Set 1: 45lb × 5
• Set 2: 95lb × 5
• Set 3: 135lb × 5
• Set 4: 185lb × 5
• Set 5: 225lb × 5
• Set 6: 280lb × 5
• Set 7: 280lb × 5
• Set 8: 280lb × 5
• Set 9: 280lb × 5
• Set 10: 280lb × 5
• Set 11: 45lb × 5

Hack Squat

• Set 1: 90lb × 8
• Set 2: 140lb × 6
• Set 3: 185lb × 5
• Set 4: 220lb × 5
• Set 5: 220lb × 5

Deadlift

• Set 1: 135lb × 5
• Set 2: 225lb × 5
• Set 3: 325lb × 3
• Set 4: 325lb × 3

Standing Calf Raise

• Set 1: 200lb × 8
• Set 2: 200lb × 8
• Set 3: 200lb × 8

Toes To Bar

• Set 1: 5 reps
• Set 2: 5 reps

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Bodyweight: 197.4lb

Volume: 13,981lb

Bench Press

• Set 1: 45lb × 10
• Set 2: 95lb × 8
• Set 3: 135lb × 6
• Set 4: 185lb × 4
• Set 5: 205lb × 2
• Set 6: 220lb × 4
• Set 7: 220lb × 3
• Set 8: 220lb × 3
• Set 9: 220lb × 3
• Set 10: 220lb × 4

Military Press

• Set 1: 45lb × 10
• Set 2: 65lb × 8
• Set 3: 85lb × 6
• Set 4: 100lb × 4
• Set 5: 110lb × 5
• Set 6: 110lb × 5

Pull Up

• Set 1: 5 reps
• Set 2: +25lb × 5
• Set 3: +25lb × 5

EZ Bar Curl

• Set 1: 45lb × 8
• Set 2: 65lb × 8

Friday, May 20, 2016

Bodyweight: 199lb

Volume: 15,790lb

Deadlift

• Set 1: 135lb × 10
• Set 2: 185lb × 5
• Set 3: 225lb × 5
• Set 4: 285lb × 3
• Set 5: 285lb × 3

Goblet Squat

• Set 1: 25lb × 10
• Set 2: 53lb × 10
• Set 3: 62lb × 10

High Bar Squat

• Set 1: 45lb × 8
• Set 2: 95lb × 6
• Set 3: 135lb × 4
• Set 4: 170lb × 3
• Set 5: 170lb × 3

Bench Press (Dumbbell)

• Set 1: 100lb × 10
• Set 2: 130lb × 5
• Set 3: 130lb × 5
• Set 4: 130lb × 5

Seated Row

• Set 1: 135lb × 8
• Set 2: 165lb × 8
• Set 3: 180lb × 8

The post EDT: Time Management Meets Weight Training appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Much of the training discussion focuses on training and nutrition, but one of the biggest obstacles people have when it comes to training is finding enough time. Time management seems to be the biggest determinant in a person’s success in any given training program.

“By training and increasing physical fitness you are healthier, you are better able to cope with stress, you look better, you are more confident, and your psychological being is far better off.”

The first question I always ask when it comes to writing someone a program is, “How much time can you commit each day and each week?” If you tell me you have twenty hours a week and you can train twice a day, I can write you the best program in the world. On the other hand, if you tell me you only have one hour to train each week and can only make the gym twice, my hands are tied. There’s no magic I can work at that point.

I’ve trained many different types of people with varying commitment levels. On average I am disappointed with the amount of time people are willing to commit. So I want to make one thing clear: time is not an excuse. The real issue is usually that a person isn’t dedicated enough or has poor time management skills.

Case in Point

There are 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week, which totals 168 total hours. That is a lot of time to fit everything you need into your schedule. When I encounter a person who claims he or she doesn’t have enough time, we go through an exercise together. We examine where their time is going. Essentially, I perform an audit on their schedule.

I ask a person how many hours they spend at work in a week. For the purpose of this exercise I will assign seventy hours to work. That is a person who works fourteen hours a day, Monday to Friday.

“Training can help make you a better father or mother, a better husband or wife, and it can allow you to enjoy more of the things you love. And yet people still refuse to invest the necessary time.”

Then I assign that person eight hours of sleep a night. I don’t ask them, I tell them, because at this point everyone says they can’t get that much sleep (which is entirely another issue I could address). That is a total of 56 hours of sleep in a week. The person now stands at 126 total hours used out of a possible 168.

Then I ask what the hell they do with the rest of their time. I remind them they have 42 hours left. They start shouting out things like, “I have to commute to work,” “I have to go grocery shopping,” “I need to spend time with my family.” I assign them values for these. I give them two hours a day for commuting time, which adds to ten hours for the five days of work. I give them three hours per week to grocery shop, and I give them twenty hours in quality time (without the phone or any outside distractions) to spend with their family per week. That brings their total to 159 hours.

They still have nine hours left to train. Usually the person gets the message by this point.

The funniest thing about this exercise is that most people who say they don’t have time to train don’t actually work seventy hours a week. They don’t sleep eight hours a night, don’t commute that far, and don’t spend that much quality time with their family. So they end up having a lot more than nine hours a week to train. Do you wonder where all their time goes? I have an idea: TV, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, text messages, fucking around, etc.

“You have one body. Invest in it, make time for it, take care of it.”

If you really believe that you can’t find enough time, then two issues need to be addressed. The first is time management and the second is your level of commitment and desire. I can’t help you with the latter. Commitment and desire must come from within. But hopefully I can help you with time management.

Be the Dentist

The first step in taking back your life and freeing up time is to take command of your schedule. Don’t let others plan your schedule for you. It’s your schedule and your life so you make the rules. Your time is the most precious commodity you have. It is the one thing that you can give and never get back. Treat it like it is important. Be dominant and make protecting your schedule your ultimate priority.

Force other people to work around your schedule. When you make appointments don’t ask, “When works for you?” and then get stuck in an appointment that you don’t like or that wreaks havoc on your schedule. Tell them when you can make time for them. Start planning your schedule in a way that allows you to train. If you claim your training is important, then you will protect it. People always make time for things that are important to them, like their favorite television show or a night out with friends. Why not do it with training?

I know a businessman who routinely tells people he cannot meet with them between 11am and 1pm. He also tells his secretary not to take meetings during that time. When people ask, she politely says, “I’m sorry, there are already meetings booked during that time. Are there any other times that work for you?” People don’t need to know he is going to gym or doing other things. They respect the fact that he is unavailable and acquiesce to another time. Job done.

“When it comes to your schedule, be the dentist. You’re the boss, you make the decisions, you make the schedule.”

Think back to a time you called the dentist and attempted to make an appointment. You ask to make an appointment and the receptionist gives you a time. It’s usually a few weeks out at a time that works best for them. For argument’s sake, say they tell you November 11th at 10am. You say you cannot make 10am because you have to work. So she advises November 19th at 3pm. You say the same thing and tell her you work between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. So she suggests November 27th at 9am. Once again, it is on a weekday between 9am and 5pm.

So what do you do? You say you’ll take the first appointment and rearrange your schedule to make it work. Why do you do this? Because your teeth are important and you have to make time for them. The dentist isn’t going to come in at some time that doesn’t work for his or her schedule. The dentist isn’t going to come in at 6am on a Tuesday morning because you decided that works best for you. They will not skip their lunch or stay late for you. You are at their mercy. Learn from this.

When it comes to your schedule, be the dentist. You’re the boss, you make the decisions, you make the schedule.

3 Common Time Wasters

There are a few common time-wasters. I will address three here: commuting, people, and your cell phone.

#1: Commuting

If you have a long commute, do whatever you can to avoid getting stuck in traffic. Sitting in a traffic jam is dead time. Avoid busy times by leaving your home earlier in the morning and/or coming home later.

For example, I have a friend who lives in a busy urban center. If he leaves his home at 7am, he can barely make it to work by 9am. Sometimes he is late. If he leaves at 6:15am he gets there by 7am and has time left to train and shower at a local gym. At the end of the day he does the same. If he leaves at 5pm, he gets home at 7pm. If he leaves at 6:30pm, he gets home at 7:15pm (only 15 minutes later) and created an extra hour and a half in his schedule. He saved almost four hours in his day just by adjusting his commute times. That is a lot of time to accomplish your goals.

#2: The Cell Phone

Most people don’t have a concept of how much time they waste daily on their phone. So do me a favor. Every time you check your phone for a text message or social media update, do five burpees. You will learn fast how much of a time suck the phone can be. I bet most of you waste hours of time each day. The cell phone also makes your other tasks take much longer because it’s a distraction.

Have some self-control. Put the phone away sometimes. Don’t be so attached. Sounds easy enough, right?

#3: People

You can’t be everything to everyone and you can’t give everything to everyone. There are people (you know the ones I am talking about) who enjoy talking your ear off, ask you for help when they don’t really need it, or show up late to appointments you have with them. Learn the power of saying “no.” Be kind, be nice, but know it is okay to protect your time. Time is precious. Spend it on those who deserve and respect it.

Be Creative With Your Training

If there is a time you really cannot get to the gym, then start to get creative with your training. Doing repetitions every hour on the hour can be powerful. How many push ups do you think you’ve done this year? 1,000? 2,000? More? Try doing ten push ups ten times throughout the day. You could do ten every hour or five every half hour. If you could accumulate 100 a day, you would accumulate 36,500 by the end of the year. Not bad, especially since it’s easy. It doesn’t take much to fit into your schedule and you won’t even break a sweat. You could do the same with squats, pull ups (if you have a bar in your house that hangs from the door frame), or lunges. It is incredible how this volume approach adds up.

“Not having enough time is not an excuse. Usually the real issue is that a person isn’t dedicated enough. If you are dedicated results will come easily.”

Multitasking is another helpful tool. When you watch your favorite show or football on Sundays, do work during commercial breaks or every few minutes, rather than just sitting on your ass. I remember once watching The Lord of the Rings with my son. It’s one of his favorite movies. Do you know how many burpees, push ups, and lunges you can get done in a three-hour movie? It doesn’t take away from the movie. You could also have an exercise bike in the living room. I have routinely ridden a Fan Bike while watching some of my favorite shows. This is the kind of thing committed people do.

Just remember, time is a precious commodity. Protect it and respect it. We are all capable of making time for the things we love. Learn to make time for your training. It could change your life. You just have to want it.

You’ll also enjoy:

• 4 Areas of Your Health You May Be Neglecting
• Why Your Excuse of Not Having Time is Wrong
• How to Manage Time, Energy, Emotions, and Expectations to Achieve Results
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

The post Be Better at Life: How to Find More Time to Train appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

“I’m too busy.”

As coach Jeanne Goodes noted in her discussion of the article, “We are a busy society. We work, raise families, socialize, commute, volunteer, and use social media. But, in the end, we all have the same amount of time – 24 hours.” And though that might not always seem like a lot of time, we miss many windows of fitness opportunity that present themselves throughout the day. It all boils down to decision. If you want to make fitness a priority, just do it.

I know. That’s easier said than done sometimes. Here are some commitments you need to make if you don’t want to fall into the “I’m Busy” trap.

There may be no such thing as “later.” Just do it now.

1. Sacrifice and Be Consistent

There’s no way to sugar-coat this. If you want to commit to your fitness, it’s going to take time. Some people claim to have found a three- or four-minute solution, but I’m not on board with that. Three or four minutes might be enough to convince yourself you’ve met your exercise commitment for the day, but it’s not enough to actually progress and get better.

I’m going to take the less popular path and side with coach David Cross, who says you’ll need two things if you’re serious about fitness: sacrifice and consistency. David painted a picture of what that looks like in his article, Average Is Crap: The Painful Truth About Making Gains:

On a daily basis I consistently sacrifice, because my health, strength, and mobility is ultimately more important to me than the other fluff with which people seem to fill their lives. I’m not saying that other people are wrong (I am really), but I know which I would rather be doing.

I already miss many hours in the day with my daughter, so I make sure I don’t need to leave for work before she wakes up, and I make sure that I’m home for her bath time. This, for me, is incredibly important, and I won’t let any money, clients, work or training replace this. This for me is a priority.

The idea of sacrificing happy hours might seem daunting at first, but with time it becomes a habit. It doesn’t need to be enforced or dreaded any more. But you can’t get there unless you just do it.

Got kids? David Cross has a little one at home, too (pictured above). She looks like a great cheerleader!

2. Combine Time Priorities

So you’ve made the decision to prioritize fitness and cut down on happy hour time. Great! But what happens when that new priority starts to conflict with other important things, like family time? It’s bound to happen.

Chet Morjaria discussed how to combine your top priorities in his article, Too Busy To Train? 6 Pieces of Advice for the Average Joe.

You don’t get to the gym because when you’re not working you want to spend time with your spouse or family. And you need to grab that wherever you can. Quite right. But what does this time look like? Watching TV? Maybe sitting in the kitchen, sharing a bottle of wine?

What about spending quality time with each other through shared, challenging, healthy experiences? Get your partner or kids involved in what you do. Instead of excluding them from that part of your life, invite them to join you. Maybe even book them on a starter course.

If those closest to you can stop becoming a reason for you not to go to the gym, and exercise can become an activity that brings you even closer to each other, you’re onto a winner.

This has been the most important lesson I’ve learned in my own fitness journey as a mom of three young children. I work out by myself, but also with my kids. And on our date nights, my husband and I do something active (okay, I’ll admit it, we sometimes get a cocktail afterward).

My point is, if you have a family and wait for a long stretch of alone time to do your workouts, you won’t train nearly as much as you would if you recruit your loved ones. And the real beauty is by prioritizing fitness for yourself, you’re also making it a priority it for your family.

Kids not interested in cheerleading? No problem, they can come with you and work out.

3. Own Your Time

Don’t be a slave to the time card and people at work. Own your time and make your training happen. That means you might have to say, “No” sometimes. Endurance athlete Graeme Turner discussed the importance of limiting your time in the office to allow time for training in his article, Why Your Excuse About Not Having Time Is Just Wrong.

Many people say they are asked to do extra work or work on weekends. Are you being asked because it is expected? Are you the only person that could do the work? Here’s a simple trick: if a peer (maybe not your boss) asks you to do something that is in addition to your normal responsibilities, ask them this question, “If I was on annual leave who would you ask to do this?”

Similarly, a lot of people will claim they couldn’t train as the boss asked them to work on the weekend. I often ask them what they would have said to the manager’s request had that weekend been, for example, the weekend of their wedding? Again it is a question of what priority you choose.

United States Senator Paul Tsongas famously said, after being diagnosed with cancer, “No one on their death bed ever said I wish I had spent more time in the office.”

“I wish I could just live in the office,” said no one.

4. Seize Every Opportunity You Get

There are opportunities for movement and fitness hidden in every day. It’s just a matter of finding them and being decisive. Working out doesn’t have to look like running for two hours on the treadmill, but it does have to be consistent if you want results.

Here are some helpful workouts from Breaking Muscle coaches that fit into your day, no matter how busy you are.

No Equipment, No Problem: A 6-minute workout from coach Lauren Brooks‘s article, Short and Sweet: 4 New 6-Minute Workouts for Busy People. (Do all four together for an extra challenge!)

4 Powerful Daily Mobility Drills: A brief video by coach Eric Cressey that demonstrates four exercises that are especially beneficial for desk workers. As Cressey noted, “Treating mobility work seriously will have you moving, feeling, and lifting better.” Read more in the article, 4 Powerful Daily Mobility Drills.

A Short Yoga Flow: This short flow by yoga instructor Sima Tamaddon is intended to help with overhead squat mobility, but it’s also great to do on its own or after a long run. Read about the muscles worked in this short flow in Sima’s article, A Short Yoga Flow for a Better Overhead Squat.

Laundry Squats: I did this exercise from Josh Vogel‘s article, Chore Training: How to Move More and Have a Really Clean House and couldn’t believe how challenging it was. (Hint: Might want to start with a small load of laundry.) Don’t miss the crawling and pistol squat videos in the article.

We’re all busy. Let’s start seeing that as a reason to take care of ourselves, not an excuse to neglect our health and mental wellbeing.

What are some ways you avoid the “I’m Too Busy” trap? Share in the comments below.

More Like This:

• The Fitness Existentialist: It Starts With You
• 4 Ways to Develop Willpower for Weightlifting
• 5 Effective Ways to Move and Feel Better Today
• New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photos 1 and 4 courtesy of Shutterstock.

Photo 2 courtesy of David Cross.

Photo 3 courtesy of Emily Socolinsky at Five x 3 Training.

The post How to Outsmart “I’m Too Busy” and Make Fitness a Habit appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

This is the final cut-off point for anything still in question when it comes to training methods and their validity, i.e. if you should be bothering to do them or not.

Time is a valuable commodity when it comes to training athletes. A number of daily and weekly commitments are on an athlete’s plate for training itself. This includes time for becoming stronger, conditioning endeavors, sport-skill replication and refinement, and team strategy sessions.

Not to mention other time-consuming issues such as academic classes and study, part-time employment, team meetings, personal time, meal consumption, and adequate time for sleep. Scheduling anything beyond all that can be a head-scratching.

So when it comes to adding in a training activity, in the name of time-efficiency ask yourself this: is this unproven activity necessary in light of your limited time?

To pass the time-efficiency step, any exercise, drill, method, or scheduled training session must first qualify as a legitimate pursuit.

The previous parts discussed proper component categorization, legitimacy regarding peer-reviewed research, adherence to proven skill specificity acquisition, and the all-important safety aspect.

The final step in evaluating an activity, then, is whether or not it’s worth the effort relative to other daily commitments and its cost-benefit within the often-challenging 24-hour day.

Activities to Use

Any legitimate strength training exercise, conditioning activity, and skill pursuit that is deemed safe and proven-to-work can be implemented. Yes, it all takes valuable time and proper scheduling, but if it can improve performance and minimize injury potential, do it.

Any questionable method, drill, or exercise should be evaluated relative to the time spent on it. Is its purported benefit being addressed by existing scheduled activities or could it be acquired in a more prudent manner?

In example, if a questionable gray-area activity is used to enhance abdominal strength (i.e., a “core stability” exercise performed with a medicine ball), is your existing strength program already addressing that quality?

This simply means if your existing abdominal and low-back protocols are safe and progressive in nature, then you can eliminate the new activity.

In similar context, if a popular (yet unproven) balance and coordination drill is given extensive time to address it (i.e., performing a non-sport-specific squat on a wobble board), would it not be more prudent to perform an exact sport-related balance and coordination event?

An activity that repetitively addresses exact skill execution is all you need.

Can the activity in question be classified as legitimate strength training, conditioning, or skill training? Is it safe? Is it researched-based? If so, it could be a viable option.

However, if the goal of the activity attempted can be addressed by another means within the current program – or could it be gained otherwise in a more prudent manner – avoid that questionable activity for the sake of time and effort.

Lose It

Any exercise, drill, or prescription that is impractical relative to obtaining a measurable benefit should be eliminated.

Likewise, if you’re finding it difficult to schedule it along with other necessary time-consuming training components, expunge it. Knowing you can obtain a benefit by other proven means, don’t add to the list of time-consuming activities.

The Time and Place for Gray-Area Activities

Although many iffy training options can be used safely, but with little measurable benefit for a healthy athlete, there is a time and place when they can be used for special situations – rehabilitation and returning from an injury or illness.

Many of the current tools and devices on the market – medicine balls, wobble boards, Swiss balls, elastic tubing, and slide boards – have a place in the athletic training field. Not for a healthy athlete, but for an injured athlete attempting to regain competition-readiness. Here are some examples:

• An arm that has been immobilized for weeks needs to reverse the process of atrophy.
• A strained muscle that has fully healed now needs to regain full strength.
• Returning from an ankle sprain may require baseline strengthening and basic range of motion exercises.
• Following ACL reconstruction, an athlete may need to relearn how to step up or apply downward ground force in normal daily activities.
• Commencing an exercise program following an eight-week layoff due to a bout with mononucleosis may require a light resistance and moderate exertion plan to slowly progress the athlete back to baseline standards.

The above examples, or any other injury or illness situation, may require you to start from scratch with low-level exercises and drills.

Simply moving the body to slightly elevate the heart rate, moving a limb through a limited range of joint or muscle function against light resistance, relearning general balance and coordination skills, or using bodyweight-only exercises may be the prescription in the transition back to regular training.

The Injection of Fun Into the Training Program

To continue taking steps forward, a lateral step may be required at times. Consistent demanding training can become mentally stressful and physically draining.

A proper balance of work and rest can alleviate this potential problem. However, there may be times when a bit of fun can (and should) be injected into training.

Individual or team competitions can be conducted to make the endeavor challenging and offer some physical benefit. However, use this approach sparingly. And if you’re seeking a mental or physical recovery break due to excessive fatigue, please consider scheduling complete rest days to achieve that goal.

Conclusion

Many new methods and tools have inundated the strength, conditioning, and fitness industry. Some have merit in certain situations (rehabilitation), but much is questionable.

For the sake of time-efficient, practical, and safe training, more research is required to prove their validity, efficacy, and safety.

If you don’t agree with me, then I politely request the following:

• Offer the research that unequivocally proves balancing on an unstable surface – and performing a squat, pressing a dumbbell, throwing a medicine ball or simply holding a static position – improves your ability to perform a specific sport skill.
• Offer the research that unequivocally proves being pulled by an elastic cord or running against its resistance improves your ability to run faster solely by these activities.
• Offer the research that unequivocally proves running through an agility ladder, doing dot drills, or jumping rope enhances footwork that can be transferred to skill executions required in different sports.
• Offer the research that unequivocally proves throwing a weighted object or working against a resistance band improves the ability to throw a dissimilar object (baseball, football, softball, javelin) in athletic competition.
• Offer the research that unequivocally proves doing explosive tossing, triple extending, or rotational drills against a weight stack or with a weighted object improves the ability to execute a different sport skill.

Until more research is conducted, don’t neglect the basics:

• Use safe, practical, and time-efficient strength training.
• Use sensible sport-related conditioning methods.
• Use exact sport-skill practice and dead-on strategic team training sessions.

These will not only be a challenge relative to proper scheduling and program design, but they will also be a challenge in terms of getting athletes to push themselves on a consistent basis.

This is the true task of coaches and trainers.

In case you missed it:

• Training Activities for Athletes: The Logical Steps to Determine Their Value, Part 1
• Training Activities for Athletes: The Logical Steps to Determine Their Value, Part 2
• Training Activities for Athletes: Skill Training Research and How to Apply It, Part 3
• Training Activities for Athletes: Safety and Legitimacy, Part 4

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Training Activities for Athletes: The Final Steps to Determine Their Value, Part 5 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

But not everyone fits into a box as either a morning or evening person so definitively. For those on the fence or in the middle, an interesting way to evaluate your exercise effectiveness in terms of time of day may be to take the Morning-Evening Questionnaire (MEQ). The MEQ corroborated what my body has told me for years. That is, if it were up to me, I’d stay up each day to about midnight and sleep until about 9:00am. I am a “moderate” evening type and my exercise patterns fit right into this equation. Taking the MEQ is food for thought at the very least, and it may give you some insight as to what time of day may be optimal for you to train. Establishing where you fall on the morning-evening continuum will help you to determine your body’s circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm influences everything from heart rate to body temperature and in turn the effectiveness of our exercise.

Isn’t the Best Time to Exercise Simply Whenever You Can Exercise?

Certainly, the first goal of exercise is to show up and get your work done. Better to show up at any time than not, and many people have to do what their schedules allow. But the second goal of every exerciser is to make the work count. How we exercise, changing up our exercise routine, and when we exercise are important considerations to maximizing our results. That being the case, the question stands: is there an optimal time of day to exercise? According to CNN, the experts largely disagree that there is a best time of day. The best time of day is ultimately a function of you – your habits, your physiology, and your energy.

Outside of optimizing results, time of day also seems to correlate to some interesting patterns and habits in the gym. I’ve been in fitness for many years and see people workout at all times of day. Each group seems to have its own idiosyncrasies. Here are some of my observations from years in the fitness biz and some of the science behind working out at various times:

The Early Birds – 5:00-8:00am

I like you morning people, as you are intense like me, but you also frighten me. My first job in fitness was at a YMCA. I used to open the joint at 5:00am and every day there was a line of five or six die-hards ready to beat down the door to get on their favorite treadmill. It’s the same where I coach and manage now. The morning people show up ready to go with an intensity that a professional athlete would admire.

In my experience, morning people don’t smile, don’t chat, don’t warm up, and don’t play games. They get right down to business. According to US News and World Report, there are studies that show that those who wake up first thing in the morning to exercise are more consistent exercisers than those who exercise later in the evening. Seems to go hand in hand with being type A, I guess. There is also the premise that exercising right out of the gate helps to jump start your metabolism. However, no conclusive evidence supports this claim.

Social Hour – 8:00-11:00am

If most people could choose any time of day to workout, my guess is they would choose this one. Why is that my contention? I have observed countless retirees and those not constrained by a traditional work schedule flocking to the gym in droves during this timeframe. Perhaps people want to start their mornings with breakfast, reading the paper, or a couple of errands, and then hit the gym. Makes sense to me. However, what seems odd about this logic is that a lot of other people are doing the same thing and therefore the gym tends to be pretty crowded at this time. If you could choose to go to the gym at any time, why choose to go when it’s crowded?

I’d say that is precisely the reason mid-morning gym goers choose go at that time – to interact with others. In my exercise classes, I never have to quiet down the early birds, never. But I frequently have to remind the mid-morning classes that they are in my class to exercise, not chitchat. The social construct of exercise is certainly part of why we do it, but as it relates to results, chatting can also be a hindrance. If you can hold a conversation the entire time you train, you most definitely aren’t training anearobically and therefore not optimally. If you love to train during social hour, try putting your nose to the grindstone for an hour, and then perhaps meet your friends for coffee or lunch afterward.

The Lunch Bunch – 11:00am-2:00pm

This group is on a tight schedule and needs to squeeze every minute of exercise in, but somehow, they are also a fairly jovial group. Perhaps this is the highlight of their otherwise busy and stressful days. Personally, I always struggled with the lunch workout, as I always felt constrained to fit a workout in. With commuting to and from the gym, changing, training, showering, and getting back to work, I always felt I couldn’t maximize my workout. If you’re a lunch exerciser, try 45 minutes of interval training to make the most out of a tight timeframe. Save the longer duration strength and cardio days for when you have the time. The benefits to joining the lunch bunch include giving you that second wind for the next half of your workday and burning off some of that mid-day work stress.

Trainer Hour – 2:00-5:00pm

At this time, the gym is often a ghost town. You could shoot a cannon through the gym right around 2:30pm and hit exactly no one – except me perhaps. Trainer hour is the mid-afternoon because of the lack of clients and group classes booked at that time. Therefore, this is often when trainers and coaches get their workout on. For non-trainers, the benefits to trainer hour include having space to maneuver and perhaps you can get some free tips or coaching from an expert as well.

The After-Work Crew – 5:00-8:00pm

I get why people hate this time. It’s like Grand Central Station right around 5:00pm at most gyms and it doesn’t typically die down until around 7:30pm. The after-work crew shows up seemingly more out of choice than necessity. They also seem to go at it more socially then the early birds. For the rest of us, the problem with exercising at the gym after work is the crowds. Be prepared to wait for that treadmill, especially during busy times of the year.

The Night Owls – 8:00pm-Closing

This is by far the most eclectic people at the gym. Night owls seem to be all over the map – young and old, intense and mellow, creative types and otherwise. The night owls seem to be perhaps more introverted, in that they like the privacy of the gym in the evenings. It always appealed to me in that way. At night, I have free reign and thanks to gyms that are open late and even 24 hours, us night owls have many late night options. That said, be sure not to train to close to bedtime. Always do a proper cool down and some stretching to get your body relaxed and able to rest later.

The Bottom Line in When You Train

Many of us train and exercise at the time we do so by necessity. Work, family obligations, sleep patterns, and other commitments often dictate the window we have available. There also is no conclusive scientific evidence to suggest there is absolutely one best time of the day in which to train. However, all of us make choices each day, and when it comes to our health and wellness, we should seek to make the best choices and maximize the results of our exercise. When we train is a factor in those results.

To get the most out of your training you should train at the time of day that suits you best. With that in mind, here are a few tips of when to train:

• You shouldn’t train to get it of the way, but rather at a time of day that allows you to be present and get the most out of your exercise.
• You should train at a time of day that is going to allow you the best results in your training regimen, keep you alert, and injury free.
• Try different modalities of exercise at your off-peak and peak times. For instance, as an evening guy, I save the intense stuff like power training and boxing for nighttime. In the morning, I am more apt to do a nice lower key cardio session or perhaps some yoga.
• Wear a heart rate monitor. One of the interesting things I have come to note is the disparity of results for an individual training at different times of day. I have seen countless examples of individual exercisers performing the same workout but getting different heart rate results based on time of day. Wear one and see for yourself where you get your best results.
• As is always the case, the key in optimizing results in and out of the gym is to listen to your body. Our body tells us when it wants to exercise. We simply need to listen.

References:

1. “Experts disagree on ideal time of day to exercise,” CNN.com, January 13, 2004.

2. “6 Benefits to Being a Morning Exerciser,” US News and World Report, September 23, 2013.

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The post When You Train and What It Might Mean About You and Your Exercise appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I noticed a disturbing trend that happens to many people. During my workout times I was often at my CrossFit box, which is at work, and I would talk with many people, including fellow coaches, participants, and staff members. My time to focus on building strength, endurance, coordination, speed, and athletic ability reeked of wasted time. I then began to evaluate our CrossFit classes and see if they fell into the same trap that was happening to me. The good news is our classes came out with great reviews. There was some conversation, but primarily about the task at hand. Our members would start out in conversation during the warm up, but when the work began they focused and dialed in on the task.

High intensity training requires high intensity focus. I noticed in my own workouts that when I was in between heavy sets of deadlifts I would talk with members about their programming, with other employees about how they can help out more, and the list goes on. Focus on the task at hand is critically important. Not being in the game when you are lifting heavy or performing Olympic lifts is the gym equivalent of texting and driving.

Carving out the time for the gym is critically important, but we must be careful not to sabotage our gym time by bringing the rest of the world into our workouts. My new goal is to make the time dedicated to my workouts just that and bring this focus into our gym for our athletes. Ask yourself, how many times you end up discussing work, issues of the day, or something else entirely unrelated to your workout at the gym? Is this really the appropriate place, and have you actually dedicated time to the gym? There is a saying, “the elite train in secret.” Do they actually train in secret because they are hiding new techniques and training methods, or are the simply finding an environment that allows a dedicated focus to their training?

No matter what your goal, whether it is elite performance or simply better health, we can benefit from focusing our efforts and making the time we train count. Spending a dedicated thirty minutes can be much more beneficial than an hour of training interrupted by the outside world. Texting, answering phone calls, and other interruptions are the gym equivalent of trying to study in front of the TV. Your focus is lacking and you will not get the maximum benefits of your workout. If we look at strength training or endurance work, you get the most benefit from those high intensities operating at 80% or more of your max. This means if you are running you can say a few words, but you are running at a pace where you are unable to hold a full-fledged conversation. When lifting at these higher percentages you should not be able to talk during the actual lift and you will also need some time after to recover.

Now the big question is how do we put this into practice and make our training time actually count? Follow the steps below, and then post your experience to the comments.

1. Leave the cell phone at the door or turn it off.
2. Leave your work at work. Don’t bring it into the gym to complain or talk with co-workers.
3. Leave home life at home for the hour.
4. Limit your talking with participants to the workout at hand, goals, and productive activities.
5. If you want to talk about something outside of your workout, do so after you are done training.
6. Pay attention to your body during stretching, foam rolling, and any other self-care. It is just as important to focus here as it is during your Olympic lifts.
7. Avoid any multitasking during the workout or juggling of outside activities. It’s better to leave early or show up late than to be unfocused the entire training period.
8. Educate everyone else in your life why this is important and that you need to be able to dedicate time to your training just like you need to dedicate time to them.

Try this list for one week and see if your workouts improve, and if you are better focused and happier during your day. Add to the comment section your tricks and tips for focusing on your workout and managing your time.

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The post How to Keep Your Life Out of Your Workouts appeared first on Breaking Muscle.