The Wrong Recipe

Most people focus on what happens inside the gym, when they’re actually training.

And that’s important, don’t get me wrong.

But what’s even more important is what happens outside the gym, when you’re not training.

This determines your capacity.

What’s your capacity?

Your capacity is how much stress (i.e. load) your body can endure in a given day before pain and injury enter the picture.

And we’re not just talking about physical activities (like squats and deadlifts).

We’re MOSTLY talking about factors that add stress and load to your system outside the gym.

Like Sleep, Diet and Stress, your “Recovery Box”, which you can absolutely control.

I’ll give you an example.

It may seem like a good idea to schedule a 5:30 a.m. workout for tomorrow. You’re putting your training time on your schedule and making it a priority.

But what if you stay up working or binge-watching NetFlix until 1:30 a.m. and then go to the gym?

Bad idea. More than a bad idea, actually.

It’s a recipe for pain and injury.

Remember that when we train, we’re breaking down our muscles and connective tissues. The adaptations to the training can only happen with recovery.

And that’s your responsibility, too.

There are two ways that coaches can help you avoid going over your capacity each day (and thus, avoid pain and injury).

We can reduce the stress that your body is facing outside the gym, by improving your diet, increasing the quantity and quality of your sleep, and pursuing healthy ways to manage stress (think meditation, not alcohol consumption).

What’s the other way? Simple. We can increase your capacity. By becoming stronger, more stable when getting in and out of foundational movement patterns, and improving your joint mobility and tissue flexibility, we can “raise the bar” so that your body can tolerate more stress inside the gym.

If you spend time deliberately, purposefully and intentionally reducing the stress on your body before you get to the gym and increasing your capacity to perform once you get there, you’re going to be light years ahead of most people.

Pretty soon, a lot of people who started a fitness program in January are going to get bored, frustrated, or worse, injured, and unfortunately, they’re going to quit.

But you’re smarter than that. You’re better than that.

Don’t let that be you.