Split Personality?

We finished our last set of our leg workout.

As I turned around from the water fountain, he looked at me and said, "sled?"

It was time. He had his game face on.

This guy seemed to always train like a madman.

There was no tomorrow. Today is the day. Give it all you got.

We were both exhausted already but then we pushed into another level with sled pushes.

Have you trained with guys like that? Or is that you? Maybe that's you every once in awhile. You let the animal out.

I've had phases where I've gone all out, every session. Then there were times I just went in and did the work.

Then there's those days you just turn it up a notch.

What's the best way?

Where I'm at in my fitness/strength training journey I believe it's best to train hard but live to fight another day. I enjoy a little soreness but I don't want it interfere with my next two or three days of workouts.

I enjoy training every day. Even if it's just a 30 minute session. You can do 3 sessions per week and make progress. Even 2 or 4 days. I just crave something physical daily. It makes my days better. More complete.

So what's your fitness personality? How does it affect your workouts and your recovery from training?

Sometimes you're in the gym and you just have to hit it hard. You need that push. That burn. The strain and struggle.

The fight with the iron. To see what you are made of. How far you can go..

Then there are those days you just need to show up and put in work. It's not going through the motions just doing the minimum and watching tv while coasting along. But it's not giving every single ounce of your energy either.

There's a time and a place for many fitness personalities. Choose wisely.

First Thing in the Morning

I was never a 'morning person'.

Am I now? 

I get up early every day but I wouldn't say I'm a morning person.

Do morning people just get up naturally without an alarm?

Do they enjoy being up and shaking off the cobwebs and going right for the coffee?

I don't know and it doesn't matter.

What matters is getting up early can be a great habit to help you get much more done in your life and this includes your workouts/nutrition.

I used to think morning workouts were impossible. But now I never train later than 10/11 a.m.

What you do first in the morning sets up the day. It's like laying down the foundation. Doing it properly so the rest of the work will follow suit.

I can hear the complaints already. I hear them often from clients before they begin training with me.

You're not a morning person. Isn't it better to eat before working out? I can't eat that early, I'm not hungry. It's still dark out. It's cold. I have to shovel the driveway. Get up earlier. Leave home earlier. On and on..

Do what you want but I'll tell you this-- if you have trouble with finding time to workout or with being consistent then working out first thing in the morning may be the best change you can make right now.

And I mean right now. Not for the next holiday. Or summer. Or after you get all your ducks in a row. (what does that mean anyway?) 

But RIGHT NOW. Take action. Decide right now that tomorrow you will get up an hour earlier and eat something light and then go to the gym or your garage. Get in a half hour session. Warm up for a good 5 minutes with bodyweight exercises/calistenics then do some weight training.

Finish with some more calistenics/bodyweight training for a few high-paced circuits. See how much better your day goes.

You will be hungry earlier in the day.

You will want to go to bed earlier.

There will be slight changes.

All for the better.

Even if you aren't a morning person, whatever that means. Try it out.

You may never go back.  I haven't.