Training through social distancing

I'll be honest, I was all excited to use this month's focus to give you ideas on how to make effective adjustments to your training when you are on the road or out of your normal environment. In the online training realm, I work with many business people that travel often and still want to achieve performance-based goals. I work with moms that know that no schedule is safe with kids. These things seem so trivial now, as we are experiencing the closest thing to the world stopping on a dime as possible. 

While there is a lot of uncertainty at the moment, sitting completely still for the next few months is not the best plan of action. 

​Our bodies need movement to thrive. Luckily your bodyweight or your bodyweight, bands, and those dumbbells collecting dust in your closet are great tools to help you complete some meaningful training as you practice social distancing.

After you read this, you might want more information. If you need more insight on how to navigate the next few months, schedule a phone consultation with us. This way we can go over your goals, resources, and limitations to help you make the most of this journey we are all in. 

Here are two major tips to help you navigate social distancing, your next work trip, or a change in your schedule. 

Work on a weakness

​This is easily one of the most impactful things you can do during a schedule disruption. Maybe you have been putting off that lack of shoulder range of motion. Maybe you know your left leg is wildly stronger than your right but you have let it go for years. Maybe you struggle with back pain but keep sweeping it under the rug.  

Using times of disruption to work on a weakness can be one of the best things you do. Once the time of disruption ends, you will be more equipped to perform and minimize injuries compared to before. 

Disruptions in life are a great time to disrupt your normal training routine for the better. 

If the shoulder range of motion comment got an eyebrow raise out of you, try to complete this routine for the next month. See if you notice any improvement. I bet you will! As we discussed in a blog earlier this month, consistency is key and this situation is no different. 

use tempo and complexes to maximize your resources

​When you think of a bodyweight squat, you probably think of the movement only. Expand your thought process to consider how you can slow it down, speed it up, or add pauses to make a simple movement more challenging. 

If you only have your bodyweight to work with or a light dumbbell, try completing each repetition with a five-second lower, a five-second hold at the bottom, and a five-second return to the top. All of a sudden that "light" weight starts to feel much heavier. 

If you have access to a band, try adding in the variable of anti-rotation. This will bring in a heightened focus on body positioning as you complete the squat. Avoiding rotation is tough! 

​Another way to expand the reach of a weighted movement or bodyweight sequence is to try a complex. This means you put a few movements together and execute them without rest or dropping the weight. This will add a conditioning component to your strength training in no time. 

You can even combine multiple variables (ex. tempo and complexes) to make resources stretch even further. 

The next days, weeks, and months we will head into a bit of an unknown. Being completely stagnant is not the best option for your short and long-term mental and physical health. 

I urge you to try and find a daily movement outlet and find a way to keep moving forward. It will help with your sanity, managing anxiety associated with today's issues, and keep you on the path to your performance goals. 

what is your plan 

If you are looking to move forward with minimal resources over the next few weeks, I have put together two bodyweight training sessions that you can complete in your living room and require no additional equipment. 

If you want extra accountability and guidance to get you through this time, take a look at our custom online training. With this process, you go through an assessment so we can pinpoint your individual needs. From there, we utilize your equipment inventory to give you the best training experience possible for your environment. This includes purely minimal resources like your bodyweight and a band.

Custom Online Training

Being static over this next period is not an option as much as it seems to be the reactionary one. Taking care of your mental and physical health will be critical to moving forward. Not sure if online training is right for you? Check out our success stories of people just like you striving for a better path forward. 

Success stories

​Reach out if you need a hand. Keep pounding the rock! 

-Coach Bo