I remember watching an old gym teacher playing tennis. The old gym teacher stayed practically in one spot and forced his opponent, a young energetic kid, back and forth across the court.
Youth can afford wasted effort. But as we have less youth to go around and more responsibilities, we can’t afford the waste—and we should seek to eliminate it.
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted and that is because of a new baby. #2. Those who don’t know how much work having a 2 year old and 3 month old is will never know. And those who have been there know what I’m talking about.
Training is completely different now due to time and energy constraints. But a big thing is the desire to do things for ego is highly diminished. No need to snatch a 70 pound kettlebell or do a heavy deadlift. No need to push it.
Besides, I watch my two year old use her body in amazing ways and she hasn’t touched a weight, so I have to wonder about the importance of weights in the first place. Sure, it’s fun to be strong and I still lift weights, but stretching and movement is taking up a larger percentage of the pie of time usage.
It’s always been my goal to talk about simple ways to get in shape and stay in shape and to help others attain a highly usable body, via a mechanism of habit similar to the habit that we all share of brushing our teeth—it’s just something we do.
In my younger days, the fitness I followed was more intense, I was heavier, stronger (in some respects), and needed more rest and recovery. Now, I need something that gives me strength, flexibility, and doesn’t sap my energy for the day to day living. My job is mental—I can’t induce fatigue via weightlifting and then expect to perform mentally, especially since this fatigue comes on top of baby-induced sleep deprivation.
I’ve put together a couple of sample workouts so you can get a feel for how I manage the time. My workouts are spread across the day in micro sessions. Typically I use circuit training to get some cardio. My main focus now is opening my shoulder and fixing some issues/instability caused by tearing my pec.
Our goals are individual, but the overriding goal, in my opinion, is to be strong and capable, with plenty of energy to face the day. That means decent nutrition, exercise, and activity. It also means balance.
Here are some routines I’ve been doing:
Superset of:
- Behind the neck press
- Dumbbell curl
- Shrug
- Kettlebell swing
Repeat 2-3 times before leaving for work, 10 reps for most exercises, 20+ for the shrug and swing.
Superset of:
- Deadlift
- Pull up
5 sets of 5
And then here are some randoms I’ve been throwing in:
- Push up holds at desk – hold a low push up position for 30 seconds or so
- One arm push up holds, left only – hold a low push up position, focussing on alignment
- Horse riding stance hold for 1-2 minutes
- Barbell squats
- Leg lifts
- Planks
Finally, some stretches:
- Lots of downward dog and hamstring stretches
- Shoulder stretch with pole
- Chest opening stretches
- Cossack stretch
- Hip opening stretches
Lacking?
A weekly jog