Choose Your Gear

The first piece of training equipment I owned (not including my running shoes, bike and swim gear) was a pull-up bar, and a kettlebell.

The first bell size I got was the 16kg kettlebell.

I had NO idea what I was doing.

Thankfully after spending time with people like Jordan Vezina, my swing improved, my mobility improved and I was able to move up to the 24kg kettlebell.

Kettlebells are PERFECT training tools for people with no training space.  You can train in your living room, back patio, or just about anywhere and develop a serious level of strength.

If you have space potential, there are more levels of garage training complexity you can dive into, but if it were me, I'd find a way to get a pull-up bar and a kettlebell as soon as possible.

This week's training included some deadlifting and I go over how and why I approach the deficit deadlift:


 

Get moving! Football season is over. You have no excuse.

Get Your Kids Moving!

It's not always about "Me Time" when it comes to lifting and training.  If you train out of your garage, make it a point to include your kids now and then.  You have an opportunity to connect with them and to instill a sense of fun with training.

How should you start?

First, don't make training an event.  Don't make it a big deal.  It's just something you do.  It's what all humans do (right?).  Apart from digging into the socio-economic reasons why we need physical training to augment an otherwise sedentary existence, let's assume for now that training and physical activity is simply something we all need to do, like drinking water and using the toilet, if you miss doing either, bad things happen.  Hell, Socrates knew it was the right thing to do, and he didn't even have the internet.

Second, remove the idea that some forms of physical movement are punishment.  Burpees and running are often used by coaches to punish players that aren't paying attention.  Maybe that's not a bad thing, but now these guys think running is for when you've done something bad.  There's a reason so many people hate running.

Third, make it fun, at your own expense. This week's video is of my nephew (also a dad) pushing a couple of noisy kids down the sidewalk.  The prowler wasn't on the whiteboard today, but it was on the list of todo's for the kids, because this is not the first time they've been on the "sled".  It's fun and whoever is pushing is getting a crazy hard workout.

Getting your kids involved with training is a great way to connect with them and to help instill a lifelong love of physical culture.

Here are a couple final tips for training with your kids:

1. Keep it safe.  Keep it light and body-weight oriented.  Push-ups, plank-hold contests, pull-ups and broad jumps are fun ways that will tax your kids stamina, get them stronger, and keep it relatively safe.
2. Keep your own training expectations low.  Don't expect to do a full set of Smolov squats if your kids are around.  Don't expect to be able to focus on your deadlift when one of your progeny is yelling: "GO MR. MUSCLES! GO MR. MUSCLES" a few inches from your face.
3. Set aside time just to train with your kids.  Make it a weekly thing.  At least twice a week will make an impact.  Today's schools have such a minimal emphasis on physical education that they're lucky to get more than one day a week of "play-with-the-parachute"

That's it for this Sunday.  Hopefully your training is going well.  Next week I will talk about setting up your garage with the basics and how to get the most out of your space.

Adjust As Needed

Somedays are simply harder than others.  What you think will be 5 reps turns into 3.  What you think will be a nice easy run, turns into a poison-oak filled, whack-a-bush hike.

On the other hand, one day you drag your feet to the workout, try to find an excuse to not do it, and midway through you find yourself having a day of personal bests.

Adjust as needed.

Consistency is king here.  Show up, do the work.  Sometimes the practice is the only reason you show up, and that's OK.  Your short term reward center is not the best source of motivation.  Think longer term.  Your workouts are part of a larger picture that you're painting.  Your life story is the canvas here.  The training provides texture and a base to build that story on.

Work hard this year and adjust as needed.

Resolve to Work Hard

This year, try something new.  Make a resolution to simply work hard.  When presented with the option to take the easy path, don't.  Choose the hard path for a while.  Make a resolution to work hard for 4 weeks straight.  Plan a down week now and then, but in between those down weeks, be RELENTLESS.

It's great to set numeric goals for lifts, I do it, and so do a lot of others.  I'm still setting those kinds of goals for myself.  This January however I will also go the extra rep, do the accessory work, and eat like it's my job.  I encourage you to do the same.

Meal plan.
Hydrate.
Move weight.
Sleep.

Stay on it!