Category: Daily

There are certain people who never fail to stir a cascade of negative emotions somewhere deep in my being. On top of my head: Nazis and people who don’t like mustard. But even more so, individuals who use the term “girl push ups”.

Push up is a push up regardless of the sex.

Women’s training isn’t that different compared to men’s. Sure, my female clients often like to put extra focus on different areas of the body vs men. Which then affects how the program looks. But that has nothing to do with gender. It has all to do with the training goal.

And yes, there is some science behind modifying training based on your cycle. But a simple “train based on how you feel” is as complicated as it needs to get for most.

The same big rocks matter regardless of the sex: train with consistency, pick a challenging weight and/or version of the exercise, get enough sleep, manage stress and fatigue, eat a healthy diet (and mustard), laugh often and never hold a fart for over three minutes.

Base your training around your goals and what you want, not your sex. And if you hear “girl push ups”, run in the opposite direction as fast as you can.

We need to keep filling all our training buckets. While ideally trying to keep them somewhat even.

Strength – for the majority we’ll do just fine by focusing mostly around the 8-12 rep range. Ideally, 2-3 times a week.

Cardio fitness – short high-intensity efforts with a full recovery in between bouts. Once, max twice a week. Moderate intensity “traditional” cardio at a conversational pace as often as possible. Parrot sticker for those who do this daily. I don’t.

Mobility – do whatever it takes to achieve and maintain a deep squat, toe touch and connecting your fingers behind your upper back (shoulder scratch test). At least.

Power – the bucket most people ignore. Which is a real bummer. As we age, we lose power faster than we lose strength. Training power could be kettlebell swings, or various jumps. But it could be as simple as performing some strength exercises faster. Or even taking a quick step. Depending on the person.

The answer is not always exercise and vegetables. Sometimes the best place to start is to find better ways to manage stress, anxiety and fatigue. It could be as simple as setting firmer boundaries with work, going to bed earlier, or learning to disconnect.

But it could also mean seeing a mental health professional, ending a draining relationship, or completely changing how one lives their life.

These are all bold, tough actions. And far from easy. Which is why we often try to fix our stress, anxiety and fatigue problems with exercise and diet. It’s like bringing in a chisel when what we really need is an industrial jackhammer.

When stress, anxiety and fatigue get the attention and tools they deserve, there is often significant progress with one’s physical health and fitness. And the exercise and vegetable habits are more likely to stick too.

Be someone who refuses to have off days with movement. A person who engages in some form of intentional physical activity each day. Regardless of how insignificant that activity might seem.

Sure, it’s pleasant when life goes to plan and we can engage in a full training session or go for a 60 minute walk. But alas, there are days when despite all our brilliant plans it’s impossible to even contemplate spending 30 minutes training, walking or playing.

Sometimes these days turn into a week. It’s tempting to lift the arms up and surrender to life’s distractions. But there’s an alternative.

On those frantic days, what’s the smallest action you can take to keep the momentum going? What little effort would build on the identity you’ve set for yourself?

It could be a single push up, a brief pause in a deep squat or a downward dog. Whatever. It can seem insignificant. But it can have a tremendous impact on how you see yourself and the future actions you take.

Our best chance for getting kids active and curious about movement starts with us, adults. Our actions shape how they will view physical activity. And they’ll likely carry a part of that view with them for the rest of their life.

We can lead by example by being positive role models. By being physically active ourselves, and enjoying it without grinding our teeth, we show.

And by using positive terms when talking about our own training, moving or playing, we tell. We don’t do it because we have to. But because we find enjoyment in it.

So, if the idea of training in a gym makes you want to dive headfirst into an axe, choose something else.

When training for health, strength and longevity, that’s what should go through your mind immediately after most training sessions.

Progress is not about how many calories you burn or how tired you get.

Progress is doing just enough so you feel like coming back the next day. And then doing it all over again.

Let someone else do all the grunting.

Not to be a gym junkie. But to live a vigorous life outdoors.
Not to compete. But to explore and complete.

Not to rush. But to connect with nature, yourself and the people you love.

To inspire, teach and help others to do the same.
And to shape a healthier, better world.

Most of us would do just fine getting a seven and a half, an eight at most, out of ten. No, that doesn’t put us on top of the class. And no, we probably won’t win competitions where we’re judged by our performance or how we look in our underwear. But do we really care? Because seven and a half gets us where we want to go.

Seven and a half gets us the strength to enjoy the activities we love, the health for longevity, and the body that we can feel confident in. And long term we’ll do better than trying to be a straight-a student.

Most of us don’t have the time, energy, and let’s be honest, the enthusiasm to get the perfect marks in health and fitness. Not 52 weeks a year. Accepting only 10 or nothing will remove the flexibility we need from a sustainable approach to health and fitness.

Because despite our best efforts, life will kick in. And when we cannot get a ten, it eats into our motivation. It can make us feel like a failure when we can’t give health and fitness our full effort. Leading us to a cyclical all-or-nothing approach.

But once we aim for a seven and a half, we’ll give ourselves the permission to not be perfect. We accept that good enough is, well, good enough.

Often the afternoon sweet cravings are nothing more than hunger carried over from the first half of the day. The solution could be as simple as eating bigger meals for breakfast and lunch.

For breakfast, vegemite or peanut butter on toast just won’t cut it. As delicious as they are, neither will keep you full. Instead, more calories are in order. Most of us do well with around 400-500 calories. Including at least a palm size (or two) of protein and some fruit/berries or veg. Or both. Whatever.

As for lunch, that light salad isn’t enough for a human who wants to rage all afternoon. Instead, try having a full grown up meal with some carbs and fat in the mix. 600-800 calories sounds about right. Including at least a fist size or two of protein and a minimum of two fist sizes (or 1/3 – 2/3 of the plate) of vegetables.

But dammit, sometimes it’s just nice to have a cookie. And that’s cool, too.

It’s ok to skip workouts. When your body is giving you all the signals to do so. But skipping a workout doesn’t mean we can’t find other ways to move.

Going for a casual walk, light stretching, or even gardening. Any movement counts. Whether we think of it as ‘exercise’ or not.

With practice, you’ll know whether the signals you’re getting are a genuine reflection of your body. Or just your mind playing tricks on you.

Then, it’s a skill to skip a workout and not feel bad about it. Because there’s nothing to feel bad about. You acted on what your body was telling you to do.