Even though I have all of the equipment I need in my garage I prefer going to the gym. It is my alone time, therapy, strength, cardiovascular and much more. I go to the gym consistently 3-5 times per week. My regimen is split between traditional strength training, metabolic conditioning, and cardio training. I do not necessarily love going to the gym every single time, but I always love the aftereffects: more energy, mood boost, and better sleep. With all of that being said, I am not going to step into the gym for 6 weeks and I plan on being in the best shape of my life.
The Why, How, Where, When
Why would I avoid going into the gym for six weeks?
I have hit a point to where my workouts have become stagnant. I continuously change my workouts, so I am not worried about my body adapting to gym workouts. My mind has adapted. When I go into the gym it only lets me do so much. Every now and then I will try and ramp it up, but it is not consistent. Sometimes I find myself staying in the gym for 90 minutes or more. You would think I would be overly sore from those workouts, but I am not. This means that my intensity is not satisfactory. Every now and again I will pop into a different gym, and it will give me a jolt, but over the last month or so that did not even suffice. As a result, I have decided to take 6 weeks off.
How Will I Not Only Stay in Shape, But Get into the BEST Shape?
Just because I am not stepping into a gym for 6 weeks, does not mean that I will sit on the couch and eat Bon Bons. I have planned out 3 garage/at home workouts and 3 workouts at a different site. The garage workouts will consist of strength training, bodyweight workouts, boxing, yoga or a 4 to 6 mile run. The intensity will vary based on what I need from a recovery standpoint. In home workouts are important to master. If you are able to master the workout from home you will always be fit. You do not have to spend time driving anywhere, checking in to a gym, meeting a group to workout. The challenge I run into with an in-home workout is that it is hard for me to get into the proper mode. Home = comfort. How many homes do you see has a treadmill that acts more as a clothes hanger than a cardiovascular workout?
The other days I will pick a workout group to join, or I will go to an outdoor site. For example, yesterday I went to the stadium and ran the track, along with good ole bleachers. I have days planned out where I will join a yoga studio and other days where I will join a CrossFit workout. I have 1 or 2 days per week where I will do Jiu Jitsu. If you have never tried Jiu Jitsu it is a hell of a workout! There are various other workouts I plan to join and it may change from week to week.
I am sharing this because you may have hit a wall in your workouts. You may be in a place where you are consistent, but you are getting a diminishing return from your workout. If you are in relatively good shape, it is possible that you can do a huge workload without a positive effect. For example: If I were to sprint 16 * 100 m, it would be harder for me to complete this workout than it would be to run a 5k. One is only a miles worth of running, while the other is over 3 miles. Another example is I would probably get a serious shock of a workout if I were to do a Pilates or a Lagree workout compared to an intense gym workout. I will not put any limitations on how many days or how many times per week I workout. It may be 5 days, or I will run the table and do 7 days in a row.
Why am I telling you?
One reason is to hold myself accountable. If you see me walking around in a gym, I fully expect you to call me out. Another reason is to help you out. You may be in a rut and don't know why. It may be time to change it up. Maybe not change up your entire routine but have one or two days per week where you change it up and do something outside of your comfort zone. Change it up and join something entirely new, or go back to something that you have not done in a while. I started a Combat Conditioning class on Wednesday mornings. People use it as a change up in the middle of the week. If you are interested in trying it out fill out the RSVP FORM and I'll get back to you.
Protein Pancakes
I normally post recipes each week, but this is another fun change up. You can find these at Sprouts or Whole Foods. Very easy to make, and they are packed with 16 grams of protein. I do not have a sponsorship with this company, I just want to share healthy options.
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