Shitty Workouts... AVOID!!!
How to avoid having bad workouts!
You have that amazing training session, the pump is crazy, you feel strong, mind is clear. Or you go on that run, and everything is clicking, and you just feel like you can run with the wind forever. It is what makes training amazing!!! You just have those GREAT days, that keep you coming back!
But then… life hits, and inevitably you go to workout, and it just happens…
YOU HAVE A SUPER SHITTY WORKOUT
Look, this is apart of the fitness game. It just happens, some days you got it, some days you don’t. I once heard a great athlete friend of mine say, “if I only worked out on all the days it felt good, I would hardly ever workout at all.”
So I would love to be able to give some advice on how to avoid bad workouts at all costs, but to be honest, I am just gonna say it. It is never going to be 100% avoidable. It is apart of the game.
However, there are absolutely plenty of ways we can help reduce the amount of shitty workouts we experience. This is where we have got to take a look at the bigger picture of what is happening!! So here are ways we can help avoid, the shitty workouts.
Hydration
Staying hydrated from day to day is vastly overlooked, it helps with recovery, and helps drive nutrients to muscles when we are training. Hydrated cells are happy cells. Getting the proper amount of water per day, is the single greatest driver in immediate results of feeling better. It just takes a little bit of effort! I would start by consuming half your bodyweight in ounces of water as a baseline. So I weigh around 200 pounds, so I should shoot for getting 100 ounces of water to start.
Training Optimally
This is one I have had to learn all the hard ways. This is also a lesson you learn as you advance. It is very underestimated how much your last session, can absolute affect your next. Sure you trained legs yesterday, but your upper body workout the next day is taking the hit. Central nervous system fatigue can greatly reduce the abilities of your next training session, even when these sessions are different muscle groups. We can help mitigate this by making sure to hit the correct amount of volume/intensity that is OPTIMAL. Not overreaching, not under reaching. This becomes even more important the more advanced you become. It is also important to note, that a lot of programs are designed to build fatigue overtime, then consist of a de-load phase, where you give the body a chance to recover, and then peak. So just note, as you go through a program, you will have this happen, and often by design. If I find myself overreaching on accident, I will simply just take a rest day, just so I can make sure to get the most out of my next training session. ADVICE: If there is not a contest on the calendar, there is no timeline on your training, so just enjoy it. If a rest day is necessary to make your next session more enjoyable. Take it.
SLEEP
This is one of the obvious ones, but if you are surviving on 4 hrs of sleep, and hoping for an amazing workout, you have to just be honest with yourself, and note that your workouts are gonna take hits on little sleep. I notice myself that I work best on 7+hours of sleep, but after heavy heavy sessions, I notice the need for more. Prioritize sleep. Top sleep inhibitors include stress, screens, alcohol, and caffeine. Find ways to help monitor your inputs.
Training Partners
This one is beyond underrated these days, as I see very few people training with one another. Some days you just don’t have that “bring it” mentality, and when your training partner shows up ready to train, their energy can help bring you up! I have had so many instances where if it wasn’t for my training partners showing up, I know I would have skipped, and I had some amazing workouts, even when I wasn't feeling it. People help people. I also always know my training partners are leaning on me to help them as well, so it keeps me driven to do all the things I know I need to do, to be ready and prepared for workouts! Find good training partners.
These are a couple simple things we can do to avoid having those terrible workouts
CONSISTENCY over EVERYTHING
Train hard, train smart
-Coach G