Sticking to your home workouts

Oh, what? Another home workout? Look, don’t turn your nose up - we don’t know how long we’re in this thing for. So just you bookmark this if you don’t fancy trying it now. But I suggest you do it whenever you feel you want a decent workout.

Elizabeth At Home

This workout comes via The Athlete Program, who are delivering home-friendly WODs to their athletes and posting tutorials over on their YouTube channel. There are several variations for this depending on what equipment you have available. I have a single 22.5kg dumbbell at my disposal, so I did it like this:

For Time

22 - 16 - 10

Alternating dumbbell cleans

Tricep dips

*30 second plank hold after each movement

If you’ve got two dumbbells, lucky you. You don’t need to alternate. Use both and stick to the traditional rep range of 21 - 15 - 9. This’ll also work with kettlebells, those bottles filled with stones some poor folk are resorting to, or you could get your backpack out and use it for sandbag cleans or weighted squats. If you’ve got no equipment, then you’re going to have to sub for air squats.

Do those dips off of anything - a chair, a coffee table, your sofa; just make sure you get that 90 degree angle. Ne reps are no reps, home or not.

Working out when you’re home alone

One of the things I enjoy most about my training is the social side. Since being under house arrest in self isolation, that has obviously got 100% less possible, and while I haven’t really struggled to stay motivated, I’ve struggled to come to terms with the inevitable drop in volume when it comes to exercise.

I read a study today via @wod_science that compared some training versus no training. Although a drop in physical activity will inevitably cause a loss of muscle mass and strength, continuing to move about will counteract that, and will put you in a good position to catch back up when all this madness blows over.

80% of success is showing up

No it isn’t. Woody Allen may have a stack of awards from a long, successful career, but it wasn’t in any sort of physical activity, was it?

Success comes from pushing hard. And pushing hard by yourself can be difficult. So here’s some tips to help you work hard, even when there’s no one to show off to:

1. Find a routine: Your life just got flipped turned upside down. Whether you’re a creature of habit, or fly by the seat of your pants on the daily, things are pretty different around here and establishing a new routine is a good way of getting your head round that. Plan when you’re going to eat, plan when you’re going to rest, and plan when you’re going to train. Then stick to it.

2. Set goals: At the beginning of a workout, think about what a ‘good score’ looks like for you. That might come from hitting a certain number of reps with your bottle full of stones during a HIIT session, maintaining a certain pace on your erg, or reaching a certain weight when you’re lifting with the bar. Whatever the goal, chase it.

3. Stay accountable: I don’t really like the idea of punishment and deprivation when it comes to training, but I know some people dig it. If you miss a rep, or don’t hit the pace you intended in a workout, give yourself a burpee penalty. Maybe balance that out with a reward if you manage an extra rep, or if you surpass your goal weight on the bar. 

4. Track progress: Keep a training diary to keep tabs on how you’re doing. You could simply record your weight or measurements, you could keep a journal of your training, or you can do what I do and video EVERYTHING. I resisted Instagram for a long time, but have actually found it invaluable as a training diary and for keeping a track of my progress. I record all my scores and numbers there, plus I can scan back if I need a reminder about how far I’ve come (and still have to go). Good for motivation.

5. Go online: Your gym’s probably going live on social media, your PT is probably offering face-time workouts, and your favourite fitspirational celeb is probably trying to get you to sign up to their Zoom workout. You’ve got options. Even if you’re working out alone, you can still get involved with a digital community who are also working out alone. Bring on the #bantz.