Recent stats show that almost 80% of people have already given up on their New Year’s resolution by mid-February.
Since it’s February 8th as I write this note, I thought I would check in:
How are you doing with your resolution? Do you need help getting back on track?
There are a number of reasons why this happens, and honestly, it might not be your fault!
But we just want to help. So if you want help getting back on track towards your fitness goals in 2021, reply to this message with the words “Back on track”, and I’ll let you know about something special we have to help you achieve your resolution this year!
We are considering bringing back our “Foundations” Beginner Program. If this sounds like something you might be interested in, reply to this message with the word “FOUNDATIONS”, and we’ll send you the details.
This program would be specifically for:
– The person who likes the idea of high – intensity training, but hasn’t worked out for a while, and wants to start slow
– The person who wants some extra time to focus in and learn proper technique
– The person who is coming back from an injury, and wants to make sure they start things on the right track
If you are interested, reply to this message with the word “FOUNDATIONS”, and we will shoot you a message with the details.
We’re going to run a 7-day “Training Camp” – themed Fitness Challenge on Super Bowl week!
The Challenge kicks off Monday, February 1st.
With fun (but challenging) workouts, fast-action meal plans to follow, and daily accountability, we’re going to help a handful of clients get started on the path to losing weight and feeling better than they have in years.
Reply in the comments section if you’d like to join us!
But yesterday, I had a very long work day, plus did a hard workout. Because of an extra crazy schedule, I ended up missing my stretching work. And I will tell you, I can feel the difference BIG time.
Now I have tried a lot of different approaches to the flexibility and mobility work over the years. One mistake I made early on was trying to fit in full 60-90 minute yoga classes a couple of times per week.
For some people, these are great. But the issue I’ve had is that with the rest of the training I am doing, it’s just not really feasible to fit that in consistently, without taking away time that I might be lifting kettlebells or running or something else.
I have a complete progression I work through, but this is the beginning part of it:
1 – Stand tall. Root into the ground, use great posture. 2 – Fold forward, reach down and touch your toes. Let yourself hang, stretch the hamstrings and back of the body. 3 – Step your feet back, come down to a high plank (top of push up) position. Hold here for 15 seconds or so. 4 – Lower yourself to the ground (drop to the bottom of a push up). 5 – Sit your hips back to your heels (child’s pose). Hold here for 30 seconds or so. 6 – Bring your hips up in the air (down dog). Hold this stretch for 15 seconds or so. 7 – Walk your feet forward. 8 – Stand up tall, bring the hands to the sides, return to starting position.
Try doing this 1-3x and see how great you feel!
Now progression is the name of the game when it comes to any form of training.
This is just as true in flexibility as it is elsewhere.
It tends to be fairly easy to grasp here. Go less deep into a stretch and it’s easier. Go further into a stretch and it’s harder.
Simple, right?
Yep, so let’s not over complicate things!
Of course, just like you can’t always add or subtract weight with every exercise, every stretch isn’t always so simple.
There are some cases where you need to modify how a stretch is done, or even sub out one for another.
My friend Logan Christopher’s new program, 7 Minute Flexibility, is designed around just 12 stretches (with two of them being unilateral so being done to each side, therefore a total of 14 positions):
There are 100’s of possible stretches, but he chose these 12 because they cover just about every area of the body.
Sometimes you need to change your position to hit the same area. In other words there are modifications.
Is a gymnast bridge way beyond your ability? Do the cobra instead. It’s not a perfect match up but it certainly focuses on the spinal flexibility needed.
The cool thing about it is all the progressions and regressions from the course.
Just understand that it is always about this…progression.
And with 7 Minute Flexibility it is built around the idea of use it or lose it. The good news is with just a bit more practice you can also improve it.
If you are feeling stuck, today’s message could be very important.
I recently got challenged on something I think I am pretty good at.
My initial reaction was to be offended, and think “that person doesn’t know what he is talking about! Who does he think he is?!?”
Being too proud to accept constructive criticism, however, is not something I want to be.
I realized that this person had good points, and what they were saying was valid. I am going to work on improving in this area.
The experience got me to thinking about the fact that others challenging us can be uncomfortable. But a lot of the time, it’s exactly what we need to grow.
If you are looking for someone to specifically help you with your health and fitness in this way, contact us!
When you come train at FVT, we WILL challenge you.
Not in a crazy, drill sargent way.
If you stop showing up for workouts though, we will call you out.
If your form on an exercise could be improved, we will call you out.
If we see you training hard, but not making progress towards your weight loss goals, we will call you out and make sure your nutrition is dialed in too.
In summary, if you want to get better, surround yourself with people who are going to challenge you – in a good way! – and never stop trying to get better.
