So last night after a long day of work…which involved a bit of weight management work at a golfing club and me losing all of my authority by showing JUST HOW BAD my golf swing was….I skipped the gym.
I skipped a scheduled gym session... Me. The personal trainer. The nutritionist. And if I do this, how can I expect my clients not to EVER do this? Well the thing is, I don't.
We're human... which is why I structure in periods where we taper things down. Stress at work / home can all have an impact on our ability to recover, our energy levels and getting the body we want! So we respond to your lifestyle. PROMOTING RECOVERY, BETTER SLEEP, BETTER LIBIDO (it's true…stress can impact this) and better fat loss.
But, I'm a hypocrite… I structure in periods of lower amounts of work with my clients….BUT yet don't always do this myself.
And I pay the price. I get run down…and then say "I'm not going to do that again".
A bit like after a heavy night of drinking. You know when you say you won't ever drink again….only to get back on it the next day to help "bring us around"… Here's an example of how I fit clients training to how they're feeling to ensure they don't run themselves down yet STILL ditch the love handles and fill their T shirt with some muscle:
- Have a total number of sets and reps to hit over the week
- If some days they feel run down, tired, stressed with work etc. they can skip the day or perhaps do lower workloads like just 2 sets of 8 reps for example
- On days they're feeling awesome, they can increase their workload by doing the higher amounts of reps and sets like 4 sets of 15
- This all means they hit the same amount of work over the course of the week...but can regulate it on how they feel
And all this means it fits your lifestyle! PLUS research actually shows that going by "auto regulation" AKA how you feel / lifestyle can get you better performance and THUS...more fat loss and more muscle building! Another strategy I use is to implement a week of lower work every 4-6 weeks. This could be based on their work / home schedule, holidays in mind or simply how they're feeling. Losing the love handles, getting lean and staying lean doesn't have to be this PERFECT "12-week" journey. It can be a bumpy "12-week journey". It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Because the moment its "all or nothing" is the moment you put it off. Why? Because it becomes complex. You have to give up x, y and z. So it requires COMPLEX changes. And when its complex you have an excuse…when it's simple you don't! That's why I simplify the diet side of things for FREE in The Lean For Life Starter Kit.
Speak soon, Matt | 