Stop playing it so safe.
When you consistently play it safe, your body stops adapting both physically and mentally. Adaptation is a function of imposing a demand on yourself, a demand to which you are not accustomed. That provides the impetus for change.
How often are you too comfortable? How often are you content with sticking to safe workouts, relying on overly convenient nutrition, and not prioritizing sleep and/or stress management?
I had a conversation with a friend of mine yesterday, and we discussed the cyclical nature of progress that most of us experience. We focus on, prioritize, and act on behalf of fresh goals. We impose new demands and thus, create adaptation and positive change.
Then somewhere along the way, the goals are hit, the prioritization falters, and along with it, the action falters too. No new demands are introduced and no adaptation or positive change takes place. Often times regression and negative change result.
It’s impossible to constantly plow forward like a machine. Cycles are natural. Ebbs and flows are expected.
What is very possible is to become aware of these cycles and limit the ebbs. To halt regression and negative change in their tracks.
What is very possible is to understand when you are playing it too safe. To impose a semi-uncomfortable demand and reap the massive benefits.
What is very possible is to realize these things now and act on them.
What are you waiting for? Get after it.
Day 45 Recap
In the exercise world it was back to strength. I was toast going into this session. Why? I attribute it to the combination of one less day of rest after a big Tuesday strength session, a very active holiday weekend (including movement patterns that created significant soreness), and less sleep the past two nights. I responded by listening to my body – keeping the groove greased, remaining active, and lifting some weights, but reducing volume, focusing on breathing and relaxing, and adding extra stretching/rolling at the end. If you feel yourself flagging, be smart about your output.
The protocol:
3x through, limited rest between exercises, 1:00 between rounds:
- Chin-ups
- Dumbbell Chest Press
- Incline Push-ups
3x through, limited rest between exercises, :45 between rounds:
- Single Arm Dumbbell Rows
- Dumbbell Overhead Press
- Bodyweight Single Leg Deadlifts (hamstring stretch – they were extremely tight)
- Bodyweight Lunges (again, extremely tight legs)
3x through, no rest:
- Hollow Body Rocks
- Varying Grip Bar Hangs
Steps and miles checked in at a whopping 23,075 and 12.49 (add 20%). Busy, busy.
Sleep checked in at a much-needed 8 hours and 11 minutes (8 restless minutes). You know it’s a good day when you wake up 1 minute prior to your alarm clock. Even though there was restlessness tracked, it felt practically unbroken – the first time I’ve slept like a complete log in a while.
The nutrition…
Breakfast: Grass-fed yogurt, (28g) whey protein isolate, (5g) creatine, raw cacao nibs, chia seeds, coconut flakes, organic blueberries, banana, cinnamon. Black gold.
Pre-Workout: Raw Tea.
Post-Workout: Grass-fed whole milk.
Lunch: A quick one, but I’m happy I was able to cook it fresh. Crudely mashed red potatoes on top of grass-fed ground beef and sauteed spinach. Coconut oil was the cooking implement of choice.
Afternoon Snack: Rise Bar.
Dinner: There have been some crushingly busy days recently! Sweetgreen has become a failsafe – a decent option that is always accessible. Make sure you have something like that in your own life for when things get nuts. It’ll keep you on track.
Daily Fuel
Sprints are a fantastic example of imposing an uncomfortable demand on yourself.
Variable sprint programming is something I recommend to 99% of my clients. “Sprints” mean different things for different people, but the gist is pushing yourself to your own limits within a given amount of time or for a given amount of distance. They are damn effective.
Sprints aren’t just physical. Sprints can be mental too.
Take Zappos for instance. How did they get a product up and running in 12 weeks flat? Using sprints, of course!
Schedule a sprint. Complete it with every fiber of your being. Prepare for a quantum leap of progress.
Image Credit: Magic – http://thinkingmomsrevolution.com
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