Since we have hammered the point about not making excuses so far, we have hammered the fact that you need to take action, we have beat the drum on really training with purpose, we have pushed the fact that 80% of the time you need to be eating well and the good, fresh natural foods that are going to serve you well.
What happens if truly circumstances don’t allow you that day to put in your scheduled workout?
Here’s the best way to look at it. If you are really struggling, is something better than nothing? Of course it is!
Look at it from this perspective and you have to go back to the start to appreciate your starting point. When you first started training and 10 squat thrusts, 5 press ups, 8 arm dips etc could have been your standard, with breaks this workout could well have taken 20-25 minutes if you had taken your time if you did 3 circuits.
Now your standard may well be 80 squat thrusts, 25 press ups, 25 arm dips and another 3-5 exercises too in the same workout. Now this is mightily more impressive of course, and your body now is performing to impressive levels.
So one day when you’re trying to train, the kids are super busy, work is calling, the phone is ringing and everything in your day or week is going wrong, how do you get around that?
The value of doing ONE circuit at maximum intensity cannot be underestimated, and one circuit will take 4 minutes if you really push it and cram in the big exercises (squat thrusts, press ups, arm dips along will be good). Say your previous best was 25 press ups and for 3 circuits, chances are you will be able to do at least 30-35 or even more in ONE go, therefore expanding your abilities and reaching a NEW standard, all in 4 minutes or less!
Is 4 minutes enough? You know i encourage you all to work for 3 circuits which takes around 20-25 minutes which is still pretty intense i think you will agree. However, that maximum effort for 4 minutes will be enough to get your metabolism burning at a higher rate for that day, and will mean you get closer to your goals which is always good. I will repeat it again, if you beat your previous best, you have set a new personal best. Even if you don’t, you will have still done a very positive amount for your physical condition and got your metabolism racing and burning calories at an accelerated rate, and then you can get straight back to the trials of life!! How’s that sound?!
For example, my hardest cycle of the week was my ride from my house to sandy water park and back once a week, kind of a time trial where i judged my own personal fitness standards, if i was over 22 minutes, i was out of shape, if i was under 20 minutes, my condition was very good indeed. My best workout of the week and 20 minutes? That’s a fact.
I think the misconception is sometimes we all have to be in the “right workout clothes”, have the ipod looking trendy hanging from our arms, and wearing the right “shades! That’s absolutely not the case and some of the fittest people i know have some of the oldest workout gear there is, but they have an amazing attitude that would put some of these “poser’s” to shame. In fact, most of these show off’s lack any real fitness conditioning because they concentrate on looking the part, instead of really getting stuck in there and having an amazing workout!
Great workouts are about improving or at least doing your best, whatever the circumstances we have that day. Nobody i know has “all day” to exercise, that person doesn’t exist, at least i’ve never met them (and i’ve met a lot of people who some people think they have “all the time in the world) and that way of training is the least productive anyway.
Nobody trains for 6 hours a day, nobody does that apart from pro cyclist in season so don’t let the papers and magazines fool you time after time, this way of training DOES NOT HAPPEN with these so called celebrities and actors, they are not only not capable of it, but where does that time come from!!!!
Whatever your circumstances, i think 4 minutes as an emergency measure is not too much to ask to make sure your body still gets a workout and still allows you to make progress on this challenge, and for the rest of your life?!!
Another big excuse taken care of!
Have a great sunday and let’s get going again!
well just got back from a cycle with the wife’y and still bloody cold although the sun’s been out all bloody.
eating has gone right out the window today.washed 2 cars been up the track and have’nt had time to eat yet so going to have fish and wedges when i get round to it now.Drunk tons of water but no food yet????
Not the way to do it Cyril, how long does it take to have a piece of FRUIT and some BABY PORRIDGE, 2 MINS mate thats all, and you have gone all day without food. I did Keri’s 4 minute theory today, be4 I even read it. Took my granddaughter over the beach to build SAND CASTLES and the DUNES were calling to me, so I made a game out of it cos she wont let me out of her sight. I was running up the dunes and she and Ken were trying to catch me, I got up, ran down the other side, and up again b4 she even got to the top, then I ran down with them chasing me, and did it all over again 4 times, we were all wiped out and we had to carry her back to the car, but Keri is spot on, felt better 4 doin it and she thought it was a great game, my hubby tho was not impressed. But I feel as tho I have done something today and goin to walk the dog now. Have a great week, will post when I can get on line. Jean x
keep it up Jeany 😉 going to have veg and all that now with fish but dont feel like eating that???chocolate or chunk from the shop up the road either???be back to normal tomorrow now 🙂
great performance jean and nice to see you so motivated again. We all get dips so great to see you flying again! That way of exercising is certainly better than not doing a thing, and great to see you offering advice and being so positive!
cyril
jean has a point, i do a lot of on the go eating, thats the way life is sometimes and it sounds like it is for you, a long term successful strategy!
thanks for your support too cyril, this site doesnt work properly without you and your inspiration!