How to "Fit" Fitness Into Your Life.
- Gregory Lomason
- Feb 8, 2022
- 5 min read
A Daily Guide to Success: Why It's Important to Give Yourself Grace
Step One:
Find the Music That Fuels You to do Your Best
"Find the time to."
Finding time to work out every day can be an extremely challenging and complex thing to do. Your motivation, ambition, and drive can vary widely from day to day. I know mine does. Sometimes, it's a challenge to leave your bed or brush your teeth. Hell, I've even been hard-pressed to eat a third meal because it felt like a chore. Realize that your motivation will always wax and wane. It's your consistency and daily efforts that will keep the ball rolling.
"There's one commonality between all excuses, the person giving them."
We all have reasons for not finding the time, making the time, or doing the time in the gym. Everyone has excuses, and there are many examples, time being the largest. There are other excuses, kids, wives, husbands, jobs, priorities, money, gas, "I don't like to," "I don't feel like it," "I'm too old." The excuses everyone comes up with, and their variations could fill a public library. The only thing they have in common? The person giving it is "me" and "you."
"Make exercise a part of your hygiene."
Just like making your bed in the mornings, working out every day brings order to our lives, brings routine to an otherwise chaotic world, and brings peace to those that desperately need it. Just like brushing your teeth brings cleanliness and fresh breath, working out can bring a fresh perspective and cleanliness to your mind. Getting a good amount of oxygen rich blood pumping through your veins and into your muscles is the body's equivalent of good hygiene. Hygiene encompasses sleeping eight hours a day, taking a shower, brushing your teeth, eating a nutritious meal, practicing mindfulness, actively working towards being a good person, and for many, working out.
"It doesn't have to be a three hour workout."
At some point in our lives, we've all decided that "today" was the day we were going to change our lives. "Today" is the day I put the bag of chips, the cigarettes, the alcohol, the burgers, the Oreos, etc., in the trash and go to the gym full time. "Today" is the day I focus on my health and make it a priority. We've also likely gone a little too "gung ho" and ended up injuring ourselves. Whether that be a legitimate injury or the feeling of being "burnt out." To no surprise, you probably "took some time off" the gym and ended back right where you started or worse. You may have even thought, "the gym just isn't for me." Fortunately, I'm here to shed some light on your minor failure (and it is a very minor failure, have a little grace with yourself)
When you're first starting in the gym, most gym members will fall into the thinking that "more is better." Sometimes they'll even reinforce this belief by creating a "time-based goal." Even more unsettling, some members will only start coming to the gym or working out in general when it's "crunch time" for a specific event they have planned, whether a wedding, holiday, baecation, etc. So it's no wonder that most people get "burnt out" of doing a "three-hour workout." But, surprise, if you want to get in shape, it doesn't have to be a three-hour workout. In fact, the workout in the video and below is an hour-long. Depending on what you wanted to focus on that day, strength or conditioning, you could quickly get one part done in 25 minutes.
"Going from the couch to six times a week in the gym for an hour is the equivalent of an 1800% increase in activity. It's no wonder people get injured."
The most important thing to remember when starting an exercise routine is to exercise within your "fitness gap." The fitness gap is the area between what level of activity you've been doing prior to starting an exercise routine and the level at which to decide to train yourself at to reach your goal. For example, if you haven't been working out for the last six months at a minimum of 3x a week and instead have been sitting at home after work and watching T.V. until you fall asleep, chances are 6x a week, and 3-hour workout sessions are not for you. I don't care if you were a former professional athlete five years ago. If you haven't been working out consistently, you are very likely to get "burnt out" or, worse, injure yourself. That's because going from 0% activity to just 1x a week for 20 minutes is a 100% increase. If you're just starting out and, you workout 6x a week for an hour, that's the equivalent of an 1800% increase. That increase, is the "gap" which you're likely to injure yourself in.
I would instead recommend 1x a week for 20 minutes until a time where it, one, becomes routine and, two becomes easy before adding in an additional day of exercise. So, before you get out of bed and decide to take on the workout above, take a few minutes to read the following guide. It will help you navigate working out within your fitness gap and help you prevent injuring yourself; and remember, even ten minutes could go a long way in achieving your goal. I've got a sick workout of kettlbell lunges guaranteed to make those 10 minutes worth it 👌
For additional reading check out: https://www.byronjamesfitness.com/single-post/are-commercial-fitness-facilities-the-cause-of-their-members-injuries
"As little as ten minutes could go a long way."
Some Quick Guidelines for Warming up
In a Commercial Gym Setting:
Step 1: Increase your core temperature and blood flow
- Perform 10-15 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio on your choice of cardio equipment
Step Two: Myofascial Release
- Foam Rolling the muscles you plan to use
Step Three: Mobility
Develop a dynamic stretching routine:
Step Four: Lift Specific Warm-up
Before the first exercise for each body part, perform a basic Loading Pyramid:
- Gradually increase in weight with 1-4 light sets, getting progressively heavier
- Bar x 12 reps
- Very Light x 10 reps
- Light x 8 reps
- Medium x 6 reps
- Medium Heavy x 4 reps
- Then begin working sets with whatever your starting weight is.
Trainer Note: It is crucial to your overall performance and training longevity that you both warm up and cool down with myofascial release and mobility stretches and exercises.
Full written programs with video demonstrations can be purchased from: https://www.byronjamesfitness.com/programs
Equipment for your at-home or commercial gym workouts can be purchased from:
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Warm-up: 6 Min
Jog in Place x 45 sec
Banded Lateral Walk x 6
Banded High Knee x 45 sec
Squat Jump x 6
Strength: Back Squats
Every 3 Minutes
1x5 @ 68% 1RM
- Take Remaining Time to Rest -
1x5 @ 72% 1RM
- Take Remaining Time to Rest -
1x5 @ 78% 1RM
Workout: AMRAP
As Many Rounds As Possible
(6) Min AMRAP
Pt.1
KB Squat Clean x 12
Banded Ski x 45 sec
(6) Min AMRAP
Pt. 2
DBL KB Sumo Deadlift x 12
Mountain Climbers x 40 e'leg
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