Alright, so we made it through Thanksgiving. My holiday consisted of me helping my girlfriend’s family make mashed potatoes, tricking her dog into staying upstairs away from the guests and eating so much that I hated myself and spent the remainder of the afternoon piled up in a comfy chair holding my belly. I didn’t even eat dessert until the next day.
Maybe that’s doing Thanksgiving right. I was certainly zapped and ready for bed by early evening.
I was up bright and early on Black Friday but not to wrestle anyone for a TV or anything — I had an early morning client that was eager to be made sore so I took her through the hardest plan I’ve put together for her to-date. This particular person made the mistake of telling me “I wasn’t very sore,” after our first session so we’ve cranked the heat up a little ever since — ya know, just so she gets more bang for her buck and all.
So now that we’ve polished off all the Halloween candy and we’re putting away the last of the leftover turkey, it’s time to focus on the main event — the title card of the year — the festival of Yule. However you celebrate this time of year is none of my business and, frankly, I don’t give a rat’s ass.
Also, if you’re reading this and choose to focus on me being pagan over the fact that this is a FITNESS BLOG then plz just keep your comments to yourself. My readers aren’t interested and your perverted followers won’t be impressed.
But it’s a good time to go ahead and start re-evaluating your goals and current habits. Do you have a gym membership? Are you a regular? What do you want to look like when summer comes in 2019? These are all very important questions, so let’s talk about some stuff …
If you’re a gym rat… You are probably already on a good program — chances are you’re on your winter bulk if you’re a meathead or you’re still running full-force in your weight-loss journey. You’re likely doing everything you need to be doing, but just like with Thanksgiving, don’t let your gym-rat state negatively affect your holiday celebrations. We get it — your arms are big, your abs are defined and your quads look fucking amazing … but if these features cause you to be a dick when surrounded by those you love and the amazing treats they make to help celebrate the holiday, your priorities are out of order and need to be sorted out. Don’t be a dink.
If you’re a casual gym-goer… Mostly same as above but go ahead and understand that you’ll likely gain some weight with the holiday season. With people bringing in treats to the office, family inviting you over for celebrations, etc., it’s really hard to — as they say — out-exercise a bad diet. And this is perfectly acceptable. Keep doing the best you can, don’t stress about a few pounds gained or lost here and there, and brace yourself for the influx of newbies that will be invading your space at the first of the year.
If you have a gym membership but never go… You might want to change that. There’s going to be hoards of people throwing elbows trying to get to your favorite treadmill come 2019 and you don’t want to be caught without a plan for when this happens. Get back in your gym, familiarize yourself with the equipment, the busy times and maybe chat with a trainer about other exercises you can do should equipment not be available for you. Not only will you get back in the gym where you’re supposed to be, but you’ll also be prepared for when the freaks show up next month AND you can have the satisfaction of saying you aren’t one of those New Year’s resolution weirdos.
If you’re waiting on January 1 to get started… I mean, there’s nothing wrong with having New Year’s resolutions but there’s definitely something wrong with the number of people that set out with good intentions but fail miserably every time. The gym is going to be PACKED when you go in and try to find your footing if you wait until the first of the year. Just like with the above, it will benefit you to familiarize yourself with a gym’s equipment, class times, etc. so you aren’t caught off guard once the new year kicks in. Believe it or not, you DO have time to make a positive habit before the new year kicks in — what a killer way to start a new year, am I right? Get your ass in a gym pronto!
If you don’t know where to start… I get it — gyms can oftentimes be intimidating. Even if you go to pizza-slinging Planet Fitness, just seeing the vast array of equipment that’s available, the numerous people walking around that seemingly know what they’re doing, the intimidating trainers who often have inflated egos and condescending looks about them … In addition to all of this, there will be a CRAZY amount of faux-science-based diets and workout programs and gurus that are going to hit the market like they do every year — it’s information overload! And most of it is bad! It’s no wonder you’re nervous or confused about how to start! If you feel this way, message me and I will gladly help talk you through making your decisions.
This actually really happens.
If you’re a trainer … This is a big time of year for us, y’all. Sure, our gyms — and our personal businesses — stand to make a lot of money in the next two months but your primary focus should be on an incredible opportunity to help people. Do a quick reality check, lose your ego and remind yourself of why you got started in this business in the first place. Love on your existing clients / members while being a welcoming, loving face for newcomers. Your attitude can drastically affect how others feel about fitness. Don’t screw it up!
I guess you could say I fall into the gym rat category so I’ll be in there putting in work as usual. I’ll be starting the fifth week of my 10-week, fight-based, heavy-lifting program where the heavy lifts (incline bench press, front squat, shoulder press and deadlift) are complimented by accessory work and 15 minutes of fight. I’ll hopefully detail these workouts before I finish it. One big change this week is that I’ll be adding three short runs throughout the week, which is strange to say because I’m not really “adding” them … they were already a part of the program, I just wasn’t doing them.
Busted. Anyway.
Here’s what I look like this week:
Monday (that’s today): 5:30pm Boxing Technique Class at TITLE Boxing Club; 30 minutes road work
Tuesday: Incline Bench Press Day 3×5 style (including push-ups, barbell rows, dumbbell flies and 15 minutes of fight-based training)
Wednesday: 5:45am Boxing at TITLE Boxing Club; 30 minutes road work
Thursday: Front Squat Day 3×5 style (including power cleans, hamstring curls, hack squats and 15 minutes of fight-based training); 7:45pm Boxing at TITLE Boxing Club
Friday: 4:15pm Boxing at TITLE Boxing Club; 30 minutes road work; Shoulder Press Day 3×5 style (including push-ups, pull-ups, lateral raises and 15 minutes of fight-based training)
Saturday: Rest day — food, stretching, foam rolling
Sunday: Deadlift Day 3×5 style (including power cleans, kettlebell squat thrusters, RDLs and 15 minutes of fight-based training); 11:30am MMA at TITLE Boxing Club
Anything Else?
Always.
While we’re fast-approaching the finale in our holy trinity of junk-food-consumption holidays, it should go without saying that our habits during the holidays will not make or break your progress. Know what will?
Nothing.
You may be able to make strength gains or lose weight or maintain body fat or WHATEVER else your goals are — and if you can, that’s great. You may also completely screw up your nutrition or fitness and take a step (or two … or five) back but THAT’S OKAY. Wellness doesn’t have a beginning and an end — it merely has “Before” and “In progress.” Your wellness is ongoing and unless you’re training for a race or event of some kind, stay true to your goals while remaining kind to yourself, welcoming to your family and peaceful with your universe.
That’s #jtfstrong
#christmas #wellness #yule #newyear #thanksgiving #gymrat #gym