What do you REALLY need to get in a good workout?
My life is a bit disorganized and crazy at the moment. Let’s call it “fluid” or “in flux” instead 😛 I’m living in my family’s little summer cottage in Old Saybrook and I have a “limited” amount of stuff to train with. I have:
- An Olympic bar and two 25lb bumper plates
- A bunch of kettlebells from 12kg to 24kg
- A chalk/puke bucket
- A 20lb Med Ball
- A GymBoss Timer
I also have a BEAUTIFUL little beach neighborhood that gets little traffic other than all the golf carts and it has a NASTY hill for sprints.
And, you know what? I’ve trained my ass off this summer with ZERO boredom. You don’t need much if you want to be honest about it…
Swings, Comrade, Swings…
I’m also seeing the value and beauty in the basics again. Having a limited amount of stuff to work with gives you a different perspective. I work two handed swings ALMOST EVERY DAY and find nuances in them almost every time that I hadn’t noticed before. Let alone the stuff you find in timed sets of kettlebell snatch or long cycle. You could train a lifetime with a few kettlebells and a timer. Combine in the CrossFit stuff you can do with a Med Ball and a 95lb Olympic barbell and you’re good to go. INFINITE POSSIBILITIES. All the other stuff is cool: rings, rowers, pull up bars, bench presses, max weight, etc., etc… But at times that stuff can be a distraction too.
There are no Quantum Leaps…
I’m also learning that there are no quantum leaps in fitness – or anything else for that matter. You get from here to there one step at a time. One TINY step at a time. Sometimes they’re so small you miss them. You get there by doing and “doing” happens in the here and now. Not later. NOW.
Are you living it RIGHT NOW?
Are you living in the present or are you living in the future? Hopefully, you’re not living in the past… It’s tempting to think about all our great goals and where we can be in a few months or a year. And, the truth is, we CAN make tremendous progress if we set goals and work toward them. But the “work toward them” is the interesting part. You can set a goal out a few weeks or a few months, but it’s easy to live in the future that way. Lately I’ve been asking myself if I’m living the life I want RIGHT NOW. Am I training RIGHT NOW? Am I perfecting my technique RIGHT NOW? Is my diet clean and Paleo and what my body needs RIGHT NOW? It’s too easy to set future goals and have it amount to a self-help, super-slick way of procrastinating and “I’ll do it later.” DO IT RIGHT NOW! Fall is almost here. Then winter. Then guess what? It’ll be spring again. Where can you be in the spring if you get on it RIGHT NOW?
I’m going to keep a real close eye on myself in the coming weeks and months. I have a lot of things I want for the near future, but I’m going to be damn sure I’m doing what I want and need to be doing IN THE PRESENT to get myself there. Otherwise, all the goal setting stuff is just mental masturbation…
And, if you’re trying to do too much and your head is spinning (not to mention your “wheels” are spinning) check out my post “Is Your Lifestyle Sustainable?”
ttys
Adam
Adam,
Being brilliant with the basics, and be in the now; so true! I like how you pointed out the seemingly minor nuances that jump out at you when focusing on only the basics. Great advice Adam!
All the best,
Travis
Glad you liked it, Travis! Thanks! Apparently I have my mojo back 🙂
Wait a minute! Are you saying you puke in your chalk bucket?!?! Gross!
lol
Well… Technically, but the day I puke in it I’ll stop using it as a chalk bucket! LOL