Have you ever had the impression that you were finally in a good groove with your training sessions, only so that life strikes you on your side?
GOOD. This is how it works.
No, seriously.
In Nerd Fitness Coaching, I say to each new customer:
“I don’t know exactly when it happens, but in the first 3 months, something will You fall down your routine.
Maybe you get sick. Or work slamming. Or your child wakes you up three nights in a row. Maybe your motivation fades.
Anyway, I to wait for he. And here is why it’s a good thing:
Coherence is never 100%
Life is unpredictable. Things change.
The sooner we can accept this There is no normalThe sooner we can start practicing two very important skills:
- How to shorten the disturbance (So we bounce back faster)
- How to adjust the dial (so we can still do something))
If you normally draw for 2 weeks, then take 4 weeks off, then try again, progress may look like a shortening of this free time at 1 or 2 weeks. During a year, this change leads to a massive difference in the number of training you do!
If you normally stop training entirely during a particularly hectic season in life, progress may look like water with shorter training. You are able to maintain all the progress you have already built without decline, and your physical shape will continue to improve accordingly.
Let’s talk about how to put these practices in action.
🧠 Recognize the model
Last week, I received an email from a reader saying how they find it difficult to remain coherent.
“I can continue things for 1 or 2 weeks regularly, but I fall off track and I need some time to start again.”
So I asked them:
When you have tried to make changes in the past, what is the most likely thing to “make you fall the wagon”? Is life really busy, or maybe you are frustrated by a lack of results? Note the internal dialogue like “I killed him, it’s ok if I relax for today”, etc. The more we can learn from your previous attempts, the better we can plan the game for the next time!
If you look back in recent months, I bet you will notice repeated challenges:
- Busy work weeks
- Journey
- Family tips
- A decrease in motivation
- Start too hard and exhaust
Once you know your models, we can start to recognize them as they occur and train to adjust your habits in the moment.
⏱️Shink your training
I mentioned this in a Previous emailBut did you know that you can maintain your strength with ⅓ from your normal training volume?
This means that if you are normally 3 sets of each exercise, 1 set is enough to remain stable.
Here are some common ways for customers to reorganize their training sessions when everything seems to be on fire:
- Reduce the number of laps. If you are normally 3 or 4 turns, try 1 or 2.
- Rather, make a chronometric body weight circuit. With a timed circuit, you know the exact duration you engage in, and with body weight movements, you can do it anywhere.
- Break it throughout the day / week. Make small breaks to take a few minutes of movement at a time. Some counter pumps. Some squats after brushing your teeth. Everything is added!
One of my clients, Sean, made a massive work trip to come and would have left for 2 weeks. In the past, he suspended his training sessions until he was in a better place to focus on them.
Instead, we had planned in advance for the 10 -minute body weight training sessions that he could do in his hotel room. A few days, he did 2 minutes. And that kept its momentum. He felt significantly better when he returned from his trip and was able to get back into training sessions without becoming too painful or exhausted. #winner
🌯 Create preparation meals with low preparation
What about nutrition?
One of the most useful strategies I have found is to create emergency emergency meals when you are in a pinch that does not make much additional efforts. Try to prioritize proteins, fruits and vegetables and hydration. Then, scan the local restaurant menus as well as the nearest grocery store for quick entry and appointment options that correspond to your food preferences.
It might look like:
- Mexican – Grilled chicken / steak (if you eat meat), rice, beans, Fajita vegetables and all the salsa that your heart could desire!
- American – Chicken / steak / grilled fish is often a good bet here. Add a little one
- Grocery store – Greek yogurt with fresh berries and nuts for the crunch
- Grocery store – roasted chicken, a prefabricated salad bag and a potato, you can microwave for a low preparation option.
- Grocery – Keep certain frozen options (Trader Joe’s Tikka Masala is one of my family’s personal favorites) in the freezer that you can simply microwave if needed
I have set up a whole resource on these low / without preportation meals that you can slap on the fly for some of my coaching clients, but I have not shared it with anyone else. If you want to take a look, give me an email and I will send it to your own way. 👍
🔁 Plan a reset recording
Now that we have found ways to reduce the barrier to the entrance and get back on the right track with fast training and meal ideas with low preparation, here is another key strategy: Plan a quick “reset” record just after a known disturbance. This could look like a self-truth.
Or it could be a friend or a friend of responsibility with whom you jump quickly for the recording. This is actually something that I do regularly for my fitness clots coaching customers! If they come back from vacation or simply finish the week “Crunch” at work, we make a quick call to reset and go up next week. This helps shorten this feeling of being “in limbo” and of reorient and reorganize quickly. Here are some useful questions to ask:
- What went well? Maybe you have been able to perform several short training sessions or prioritize proteins to meals, etc.
- What is a challenge? Maybe you felt so dispersed at the end of the day, that you did not have energy for even low preparation meals!
- What would you do differently next time? Sometimes there is no major adjustments to make. We just need more practice.
💬 Final thought
Falling off track is not a failure. It is a feedback.
And when you start expecting it, you can actually plan For that.
The next time life throws a key in your plans? You will already know what to do:
✅ Search for your rehearsal patterns
✅ Starting your training
✅ Return to your low preparation meal ideas
✅ Plan a “Reset” recording by yourself
Progress does not concern perfection. This involves shortening the disturbances and adjusting the dial as you go.
And if you need help build your rebound plan, just press the answer. I would love to help.
– Matt coach
