Sometimes you’ll have crappy workouts.
Maybe you didn’t sleep well, you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed, you didn’t eat or drink enough, or you’re just feeling off for whatever reason.
That was me recently at physical therapy. I was already feeling out of sorts, for lack of a better description), either anxious or jittery (I really couldn’t tell), a bit tired, and low (but not sad).
Not surprisingly, my performance sucked. My legs were shaking on the very first (super easy!) exercise, I tired out quicker, mentally I didn’t feel engaged like usual, my hamstring was being an asshole, and I just couldn’t seem to get my form and balance right. It didn’t feel great at all.
But I’ve been doing this fitness thing long enough (30 years!💪🏻) that I’m used to some workouts not going as planned. It’s a regular occurrence, especially when I’m not taking good enough care of myself—quality sleep, enough protein, stress management activities, eating enough beforehand, consistent movement (walking, my PT exercises, stretching/yoga, etc), staying connected with loved ones, taking my meds and supps — to name the big ones.
It’s just the nature of the beast that some workouts will be awesome, some will suck, and others will be somewhere between the two.
The best thing we can do is roll with the punches and not beat ourselves up about it. And give ourselves a pat on the back for working through it. 👏🏻
There’s a saying: “You either win or learn.” Negative situations like this can actually be helpful. We learn what to do better or what not to do (in my case, eat something before working out and go to bed earlier!). The more we listen to what our bodies are telling us, the better our workouts (and the rest of our daily lives) will be.
If you’d like to learn more about how to fuel your body for kickass workouts and real life (what afternoon energy slump?), my new nutrition program is coming soon!
I’ve teamed up with StrongFirst Master Trainer Karen Smith to create Built By Bodyweight, a bodyweight strength training and nutrition program. It’s all about minimalism — 3 day a week workouts using just your bodyweight and practical yet effective nutrition for optimal performance and/or fat loss.
Sign up for the waitlist and get a free copy of the No-Equipment Bodyweight Cardio Alternatives guide! >>> bit.ly/bwprogramwaitlist
