advantages and disadvantages to high frequency

Reflections from the last few months. I've taken exactly 0 rest days for physical activity.

Advantages

- anything 'counts.' physical activity doesn't always mean resistance training.

- hard training can happen less often. The systematic stress is pretty heavy, and It's rare I'm not sore. You can hit muscles with difficult training 2-3x a week and know you're still more than covered.

- smaller warning signs can be heeded immediately. If you need to cut a training session short, who gives a shit. You'll be back at it tomorrow. Nothing is lost.

Disadvantages

- as previously mentioned, constant soreness is a given. Get used to it.

- a high emphasis needs to be placed on recovery. This isn't a bad thing (you should pay attents regardless of whether you're lifting daily), but not having your sleep and diet dialed in will be brutal.

Example schedule: this shifts as needed

Monday: AM full body, heavy. PM Neck

Tuesday: AM sled drags. PM leaded carries

Wednesday: AM kettlebell swings and cleans

Thursday: repeat Monday

Friday: repeat Tuesday

Saturday: heavy conditioning. Sandbag clean and presses, kegs, kettlebells, whatever.

Sunday: walk, sled, whatever.

Within all of these days, I try to get a few fast paced walks during the day or in the evening with my wife. The most obvious change I've noticed is my sleep and axiety has been superb. 

working from home | no excuses to succeed

The fun and not as fun reality of working from home is there is literally no way to hide from the fact that the variables overlording your physical and mental health are mostly under your control. That's a lot to take in. When I couldn't get in shape in the past, I could convince myself it was because I couldn't stop to eat, sleep, or train as often as I wanted. There was always something that filled the gap of 'well if only X I'd be a monster.' Granted these statements were bullshit before I worked from home, let's take a peek at some common variables.

Sleep: I've got no time to sleep!

False. You have no commute. This means you can sleep more at the beginning and end of your day. The wildcard for mid day naps also exists. Who is gonna stop you?

Cardio: I've got no time for cardio!

Falssssse. Multiple short walks a day or hard cardio via conditioning can and should be sprinkled throughout the day. Need to find time? How many times do you dick around on your phone or streaming services? There's time.

Diet; it's too hard to plan meals!

This is stupid false. We live in the future, and the future has Instacart and slow cookers. You literally can have people shop and machines cook for little to no time investment. You have complete control over everything that enters your house and your mouth.

Training: I don't have time to train!

False. Do I even need to do this? I've trained every day for the past few months. Multiple times a day when I have the energy 

The fact is, if you work from home, you are the closest thing to being able to live the life of an elite athelete without being an elite athelete. Add on a few cheap home gym items (pull-up bar, rings, single kettlebell) and you're set for life. 

The cold truth of working from home is this: if you can't get lean and jacked with every advantage in front of you, it was never going to happen. And that's a hard pill to swallow 

conditioning | grit

Over hulaween, I asked my buddy what his secret talent was. Grit. He said,.without hesitation.

I fucking love that. So much so, that I've stopped calling conditioning conditioning or hard cardio. I'm training grit. Resilience. The ability to push through a shitty situation when I want to stop. I've been in a daily training habit for 2 months now (love it), and the majority of my training surrounds grit workouts. 

Why?

- they're good for your heart.

- there is no guess work. I allow chaos to dictate implements, sets, reps, whatever. The only variable I pay attention to and set ahead is time.

- it's an amazing way to start a day or even break up a day.

- they make the workouts that drive strength and hypertrophy easier and possible (see: via rehab and injury prevention).

If we are being honest, I'm fanboying because I've ignored grit my entire training life. All of the programs that said do your conditioning? Ya I didn't. And I regret it a ton.

Today's grit

16min EMOM 

- odd minute 25 kb swings

- even minute 5 kb cleans

8.5min suitcase carry for distance (also kb)