WHAT
IS YOUR BACKUP PLAN WHEN YOU ARE HAVING A BAD DAY IN THE GYM?
I had a message from a
regular reader last week that just said “Had one of those neither the flesh or spirit willing
workouts. Cut it off when form broke down and everything became a cheat.”
We all have those days. It will vary by
individual but an average percentage would probably be about 20-25% really good
workouts, 50-60% Ok but not great and 20-25% where you don’t feel like you
accomplished anything at all.
Sometimes you are just not in the mood. But
your mood-your mental state- is one of the most important factors in your
workout and your progress. Don’t ignore it. Beginners need motivation. If you’re
not a beginner….
Sometimes the problem is physical. Maybe you
over did it last time. Maybe you’ve started a new program and it’s kicking your
butt. Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep or maybe you had one beer too many.
Maybe you’re coming down with a cold. Or maybe you’re stressed about something.
The conversation started me thinking about the
fact that, since everyone has those bad days, what do top coaches suggest? So I did some checking. (Charlie Francis, Al Vermeil, and Charles Poliquin, and
John Paul Catanzaro)
The short answer is Maintain Quality. Reduce Quantity.
In other words, don’t cut the weight. Cut the
sets if you have to. This is especially true if you are training for strength.
If your form breaks down to the point you are
cheating in every rep go home (you are just asking for an injury). If you are
sick go home (nobody wants your germs).
What do you do on those days when you're not running on all cylinders? Comment below or email me at alphaedgefitness@gmail.com
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