Now that we are in the summer months, with exams over and holidays approaching many trainees either stop training, don’t restart if training was discontinued over the exam period, or begin training for aesthetics instead of functional training for their sport- for a beach ready body rather than a finely tuned athletic machine!
SO GET BACK TO THE GYM AND KEEP ON TRACK!
There are 3 months before terms start, maybe more, a perfect amount of time to implement the program that was highlighted earlier. Remember it works over three phases, raising condition and work capacity, building the base then working for a peak. This can be achieved in as little as 6 or as many as 14 or more weeks.
-Here are a few points to keep in mind to ensure your training is re introduced to be effective and safe, bringing you into the upcoming season in the highest state of readiness.
-Start cautiously- remember your body will not be as conditioned, injury resistant or as ready for work as it was before your lay off. Follow the program, start where is comfortable and do not rush into it. Keep good form.
-When the bar is loaded to your work set, switch on into training mode- switch off from everything else. After a break this will require practice like everything else and may not come first time. Keep good form.
-Perform every set one rep at a time and execute it correctly- do not rush. PERFECT your form.
-When the discomfort intensifies over the weeks, dissassociate yourself from it and push on.To be able to train hard is a privelege- remind yourself of people who are less priveleged than you, in nursing homes, or hospital, or confined to wheel chairs. Remind yourself how much you WANT to get stranger and better and forge onwards. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it!
-Training intensively is no excuse for getting sloppy with your exercise form- the FACT IS the harder you train the more important that perfect technique becomes.
-Remember to keep your nutrition up to date, including consuming enough of the right calories from the correct sources as well as correct pre and post workout feeds. RECOVERY from training start in the stomach, not in the gym. The training is simply the stimulus.
-Get enough sleep! The body repairs and recovers when we sleep. So it makes sense that the more we do the more sleep we will require. Never lose sight of this crucial fact- many people do not progress continuously because they are not recovering sufficiently! No one can sprint for a mile- as your training intensifies, be aware of your recovery, get extra sleep where it is needed and even take extra days of rest between training sessions- take more out of your body and you need to put more back in!
-If you do not recover you will not be able to continuously increase the training stimuli and will not improve.
KEEP YOUR ROUTINE- CAPITALISE ON THE SUMMER MONTHS TO PREPARE FOR THE SEASON AHEAD!
Train hard and stay safe!
