On Sunday I wrapped up my 2nd week of this “January Shred”. For the second week in a row, I was 100% on my workouts (5 strength, 3 cardio sessions).
I’ve been thinking about this, because I know for a fact that these are the first weeks in a VERY LONG TIME that I have been 100% on actually doing every single workout that I planned to do.
Pre-pandemic I was always pretty consistent in the gym, but once covid hit…. man. Things just went downhill in that arena for me. For some reason I just could NOT get that same consistent rhythm back, even though I was exercising frequently (be it at home, or in the gym, more recently). But “truly consistent”, as in really nailing my workout plan? No, not really.
So it’s funny how now here I am, 2 weeks in, and somehow, I’ve managed to hit every workout.
What has changed??
I don’t know, really, but I think my switch has flipped back to ON.
I tend to be a very “all or nothing” type person. Like I’m either all in, or I’m kinda…. eh. Not in.
I don’t know if this is really the ideal way to be in life…. seems like there are pluses and minuses to it, I guess. But I know this about myself. I sometimes have to get borderline obsessed with something, if that makes sense.
It’s a reason that things like “challenges” and “plans” often do work well for me (if I’m in On switch mode). There’s no real question about it- I just do the thing.
There have been times in the past when I’ve dragged myself to the gym, maybe not really in the mood, or when it’s not really convenient, and Ivan has said, “Well, why not just skip today?” And I’ve responded that if I let myself start to slide, it’s all downhill for me. I really, honestly do best when, like I said, I’m almost obsessive about it! The loose moderation part isn’t always easy for me. Sounds weird, maybe, but maybe someone out there understands what I mean?
An example of a workout that I probably would have skipped any time from 2020-2022:
I often randomly have the quote “An object in motion stays in motion” pop into my head.
Actually, I think Isaac Newton’s full quote is:
“An object that is at rest will tend to stay at rest. An object that is in motion will tend to stay in motion.”
I like this, because I feel like if I just keep staying in motion, the laws of physics will continue to work in my favor, lifelong. 🙂
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful for spaghetti squash! Yes, food items 2 days in a row. But really, I forget about spaghetti squash sometimes. It is SO GOOD as a noodle replacement, and is seriously so low calorie and carbs, high in fiber.
GRATEFUL KAE 
So I am kind of an all or nothing person, too. I am a complete abstainer when it comes to food. I am TERRIBLE at moderation. Phil is the opposite so this has created some challenges as he wants to buy a gallon container of ice cream and I’d prefer to not have ice cream in the house…
But this mentality was kind of working against me when it comes to working out. After having kids, I could not approach working out like I did pre-kids. I know you were able to, even when you were working crazy early shifts/long days at the hospital. So I was kind of like – well, if I can’t workout 5-6 days/week, why bother? That’s why Laura’s “3 times/week is a habit” rule was really life-changing for me! It helped me see that if I could fit it in 3 days/week, I could still consider myself “active” or a “runner.” I’ve been averaging about 4 workouts/week lately which feels really good. I’m hoping to maybe bump that up to 5 by doing a cardio-free workout once/week at the work gym.
All that said, nice work on doing all of the workouts!!! Is 57 minutes a typical amount of time for a workout in that program? I ask because I do not think I could fit that into a work day… I need something shorter which I know is not as good of a workout as a 57 minute kind of workout, but it’s the best I can do without feeling like I am not pulling my weight at work!
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The 2 leg days tend to be a little longer for me (more in the 50 minutes- 1 hour range). BUT when I’m at the gym in the evening like I was yesterday (i.e. not in a rush to get back to work), I probably dawdle a bit…rest a little longer between sets…. look at my phone….etc. I am sure if I put my head down and really tried to keep it on schedule with more controlled rest breaks, it would not be that long. haha.
The upper body workouts are often no more than 30-40 minutes for me, max. (Again, longer if I’m with Asher, or run into someone I know and chit chat, etc….). You could always just set a hard time limit, like say, 30 minutes, and do as much as you can in that time and then wrap it up! I have done this in the past too and I figure it’s still better than not at all. When I’ve done this, sometimes I’ve had to cut out maybe 1 super set or something, but would still do a majority of the workout.
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I’m doing the same workouts and I do the upper body ones when I’m at the office because 1) less sweaty and 2) shorter. They usually run 30-40 min but sometimes I’ll skip the 4th set and then be done in 30 min.
I have also been an all or nothing person in the past including my eating i.e. if I’m not working out during a period of time then why even watch what I eat but have tried to change that. And agree 3x/week = habit is helpful!
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Ooooh that Newton quote makes for an excellent exercise mantra! I think I need to adopt that! Like you, I am often All In or All Out. It’s a frustrating aspect of my personality. In the past, challenges and plans have really worked for me — I think mainly because of the novelty. But the novelty wears off, as do some of the effects, and then I’m back where I started. I would really like to experience the whole “lifestyle change” flip of the switch that so many diets/exercise plans claim to be… but I haven’t found it yet. Sigh.
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Yes, I agree that that is the challenge after a “challenge” ends. It really does need to morph into a true lifestyle change. I find that focusing on how much better I FEEL when I move/ eat well helps to take a bit of the emphasis off of just trying to look a certain way. But I agree that it really is difficult!
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I haven’t had spaghetti squash in months. Why do I always forget how good it is? Next time I see one at the store, I’m buying it!! Thanks for the reminder 🙂
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How do you like to eat it?? I usually do pasta sauce on top, but I actually like it with just a little butter and salt and pepper on top, too.
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Only ever with some sort of pasta sauce. Maybe that’s why I so rarely buy it…we almost NEVER have spaghetti (or pasta in general). But every time I eat spaghetti squash I wonder why I don’t buy it more frequently.
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I used to be that way but as I got older I became better to really listen to my body and take an easy day when I need it. Also, I’m opposite of the quote. After I sit for few hours I feel like moving. When I am at home, I tend to work a bit then spend 10-15 min tidy up or make something for snack for the kids. It relaxes my mind out of work and I feel better after the movement.
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Yes, the nice thing about my current workout routine is that I can be flexible with it, within the confines of the week. So if I am feeling tired, I can swap a lower intensity day in, or take my rest day on Thursday instead of Sunday, or whatever. I have just been trying to get my 5 strength + 3 (short) cardio workouts in during the week, but I do move things around as needed. I don’t feel tied to like, Lower body HAS to be done on Tuesday!!! I don’t care when they get done, so long as I do them. This has worked out well, because since I only strength train the 5 days per week, I still have at least 2 full days a week where I’m either totally resting (or just stretching) or just doing a 20-30 minute quick cardio workout (which doesn’t feel overly difficult).
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It’s funny, I feel like generally, I am the LEAST competitive person, but when it comes to habits, I am a lot like you: challenges and metrics motivate me. I like to start habits and keep them (I have a hard time letting something go to accommodate something else, but you posted a while back that sometimes we have to just focus on different things (and that rang so true for me!).
I am glad you found your “on”-switch again – it’s a good feeling, isn’t it?
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