Proverbs 13:16 A wise man thinks ahead; a fool doesn’t, and even brags about it!
For those who find continued success, specifically in their health and fitness, there is always state of readiness and plan of attack. From the way they recover; to how frequently they train; how they fuel their body; and their mentality…rather, the story they tell themselves. Today’s blog is a quick touch of staying prepared!
Preparing to rest. Your muscles have to rest and time to recover. Planning when you’re going to rest is just as essential as planning when you are going to workout. Generally, Sunday’s are my rest day. Sometimes I prepare for an active rest day, sometimes I prepare for a lazy Sunday of couch resting. You will be more successful planning for your rest day, than you will if you push through 7 days of workouts. More so, you’ll be more successful on the days you know you have to workout if you know a rest is coming.
Preparing for your workout. If I know Saturday morning is a run day, it would serve my workout best for me to get to bed at a decent time, not eat like an unsupervised toddler, focus on my hydration and eat a few extra carbs. Think about your pre-session preparedness. Are you coming in on an empty stomach? Dehydrated? Wearing clothes that you can’t move well in? Wearing the right shoes? Get the most out of you 1 hour on the fitness floor by coming prepared!
Preparing your fuel. Personally, I am not one to meal prep nor do I have “cheat meals”. Not saying that is wrong by any means! If that is your current plan of attack and you are finding success in that, keep going!!! Personally, I believe it is essential to have a general plan for the day of what meals will look like to ensure I hit my current macro goals. Every single Friday, I eat a donut. It’s a planned, calculated meal. It isn’t a “cheat”, but it is oh so delicious. That donut also makes great fuel for deadlifting. Planning food consumption can take a lot of stress away from meal time and in turn, create mindfulness of what specific food is going to help or hurt your overall nutrition goals.
Preparing your mind. If you have ever been in a 413 training session, a commonly used phrase is “Get that mind right!” The most important muscle to train, is that beautiful brain. If you tell yourself you can’t or it’s hard, you are already defeated. Prepare your mind for the work that is to come. Tell yourself, you CAN do the hard things. Hard doesn’t mean impossible. Prepare your brain with positive talk and expect the moment you want to quit, then prepare to push 20 seconds, longer. You can do anything you put your mind to!
In the big picture, all we can control is our attitude and our effort. If 2020 has taught us anything it is that we can have a plan, but things change. Life happens despite our best planning efforts. When a workout is missed or you go over your intended calories, give yourself grace and get back on track. Keep following your plan, and focus on long term goals. That’s where you will find ultimate success!