Tough Days

What do you do when you’re having a tough day? I mean a tough day in general, life, not just training. Do you train harder or easier? Heavier or lighter? More, less, or not at all?

Life Collisions: Blessing in Disguise?

Life often finds a way to collide with our plans and achievements or so it certainly seems. Just the other week, someone thought it would be a good idea to to plow their car into ours when we were stopped at a red light, literally a collision. I still have all my bones and limbs as far as I know, but due to the pain and adjustments mainly in my back, neck, and legs, my doctor advised me to stay away from heavy training and maybe just stick with cardio if I really felt the need to train. He explained that my body is now working out by itself to fix the damage from the accident. Doctor’s orders…. Doctor knows best…. Who am I to argue?

The trouble is I always find it difficult to stay away from training, especially this time as I was just getting back to my full fitness and strength peaks after returning from a three week holiday (during which I did train, but not as often or intense). But truly, this is what I train for. I train for times when I can’t always do what I would like to do i.e. train. The challenge set forth then was to see if I could actually stay away from it.

The first week, I stuck to interval days of cardio (specifically biking which is what the doctor recommended) and days off. The second week became a little more difficult, so, rebelliously, I started a little light training on some of the days. By light training, I mean using light weight but more repetitions and calisthenics, so it was more like cardio. With this method, I still wouldn’t push for the last few reps which usually count the most, so as not to aggravate the injuries, another challenge. The best part of all this though was that I managed to work on my form. I got back to the light weight basics and just really working on form. This week, I feel ready to heighten the load again and try get closer to my usual training method and previous fitness levels, but now with better form.

Every so often, I try do a form check by spending a few days training lighter, but its been a while. Due to this car accident, I was forced into one. Maybe a blessing in disguise? Who knows….

Mind for Sets or Mindset

Over the last couple of years or so, I have shifted my focus away from just the results and believe me when I say that the results that I have been seeing and achieving are better than ever. It’s amazing!!

Average Day, Fantastic Ending!

For all the hard work completed today, accomplishments and non-accomplishments, pressure, leisure, and stress, I will be going to sleep feeling great. I just completed a fantastic workout. I stuck to my usual Tuesday workout routine focusing on shoulders and triceps with a little bit of abbs. It’s not the first time that I have left the gym feeling as if I had just finished my best ever workout, but today just had to have been my best. When it comes to shoulders, I personally prefer to superset my exercises and superset I did. As well as my usual routine, I stuck a few more movements in the mix. It was intense.

All the feelings and emotion that came with the day have simply culminated with the definite feelings of achievement and accomplishment that can only be caused by completing such a workout routine. A fantastic ending to an average day!

 

If you want to know more about the method of supersetting, here’s a little more information:

http://exercise.about.com/cs/weightlifting/a/supersets.htm