Is Your Smart Training Plan Making You Dumb?

It’s crazy to think about how much my mindset about training has changed over the years.

Ride or Die Running

On one end of the spectrum is the {very long} stage of life I spent waking up and running for one hour, no matter what. Like seriously, no matter what. I remember heading out in some pretty gnarly storms, slipping and sliding all over the place. Plus all of the weekends I went running, if you could even call it that, with bad college hangovers. Okay, okay this happened post-college too.

The good: it was a damn strong habit. Nothing got in the way. Plus, while it didn’t really serve me physically it did help me clear my head when not much else did at the time.

The bad: it involved absolutely no listening to my body or thinking about what I actually wanted to do day-to-day. And, as noted above, really didn’t do much for my physique or hormonal health either.

Lessons in Training

Fast forward fifteen years, a complete career change and two pregnancies and here I am today.

While many of my training plans have been smart, particularly over the last 5-10 years, I’ve also tried some dumb crap and pushed too far too soon post-pregnancy and post-injury because I was anxious to get back at it.

If I could travel back in time, knowing what I do now, of course I’d train differently. And more efficiently. And I cut myself a little slack sometimes. I’d gain back a lot of time in many of my days, and I probably {definitely} would have looked and felt better too.

But, looking back, I don’t actually want to rewind and do things over. These experiences have helped shape who I am now.

I’m a more empathetic coach, which gives me a better shot at helping people practice smart, safe and effective training now. I’m able to help my clients see that they actually won’t gain 600 pounds or die from a day, a week or even a month away from the gym. I help my clients adjust their plans before they’re sidelined from following some strict plan rules on little sleep or with a nagging injury. You know, because a piece of paper said they should. {We’ve all done this – hello dieting!}

When Smart Training Plans Make you Dumb

Most of the time, when you’re super set on following a strict plan, you overlook signals from your body in order to stick to the rules. You get so used to following “guidelines,” you completely ignore your own desires and training becomes a chore. You downplay aches/pains/stress/lack of sleep, and increase your chances of getting injured or burnt out. You’re so focused on the end goal, you forget to enjoy the process.

While I love following a a training plan, I’ve used them as an excuse to go too far before. I’ve trained on too little sleep and pushed through intense conditioning workouts when I already felt exhausted.

Much like following a diet plan, if you follow a good strength or conditioning plan to a T, you’ll get results. Until you don’t. When you physically can’t follow the rules anymore because your body or mind just doesn’t want to anymore. You know, when life happens.

Smart Training Plans and Temperature Checks

By actually taking a “temperature check” before you start moving in the gym, you put your body back in charge. You ensure that your training sessions are more fun and this alone will keep you coming back for more. You prevent silly injuries by making adjustments day-to-day or week-to-week to account for what we’ll call, life things.

Now, I have a training schedule that helps me determine what I do in the gym (or at home) 3 days a week. I work closely with my coach, yes he’s my husband too. We talk about my goals, how I’m feeling and what else is currently going on before he writes my next training block.

And, this part is important. I am getting much better at giving myself the grace to adjust on the fly. Sometimes that means doing the scheduled training session, but going a bit easier. Other days that means I feel awesome and want to make it squat day…again. And yes, sometimes that means pushing things out a few days in order to do some mobility and a walk.

I set aside time to “train” each week and rarely skip it. Thank you running days for making this so non-negotiable! I fit in my 3 scheduled/programmed training sessions 99% of the time as long as my body and mind say yes. However, I reserve 2 other times each week to move. There’s no plan for those days. I decide what to do entirely based on listening to my body and what I actually feel like doing. A kettlebell complex, some breathing and a walk, a run outside, sled pushes, bench press, vigorous vacuuming? Who knows!

My training sessions generally leave me feeling energized and excited. Sure, I throw in an occasional ass-kicker that leaves me smoked the rest of the day and sore for a few days after. Mostly because I’m weird and enjoy that every now and then.

Listen to Your Body

Take the time to listen to your body instead of just paying attention to external cues like a training program or some silly diet rules.

Following a training plan is awesome. If you love getting results and don’t want to make decisions day-to-day I highly recommend it. Just don’t get so set in your ways that your training plan makes you stupid. Any plan absolutely needs to include some flexibility so you have room to listen to your body.

“If you listen to your body when it whispers, you will never have to listen to it scream.”

– unknown