When preparing for a competition, I always have my training planned out ahead of time. Written down in a calendar, week by week, month by month.
Some exercises change, depending on how I feel and how things are going. But having a plan is the first step in the process of getting stronger. My husband (who admittedly writes most of my training cycles) and I know by now what works for me and what exercises get me stronger. So, we plan the 12-16 week training cycle accordingly.
As the weeks go by, we assess how the training is going and adjust what needs to be adjusted.
Am I not hitting PR’s?
Is my body physically beat down?
What weak points do I still need to work on?
What’s holding back my big lifts? (squat, bench press, deadlift)
On my Mom Fitness blog (www.momWOD.com), I am running a 60 day challenge. It’s beginner/intermediate workouts for busy moms who are trying to make headway in their life with their fitness, nutrition and family lives. Before I started this challenge, I opened up an Excel spreadsheet and planned out the 60 days.
What happens during Week 1? What nutrition tips are inserted and when? Does the training and planning make sense? Is it easy for beginners to follow?
For the first time in a long time, I feel like I have a decent control over my training. I’m getting stronger (all around). When my competition is done in April, I’ll take some time to just have some fun, do some things I don’t do during my training cycle (metabolic training, sprints, prowler, etc) and not have a huge plan for about a month. Then once that month is done, it’s time to start planning again.
So, what are you doing to get closer to your goal?
Do you have your next couple months planned out? Or do you fly by the seat of your pants?
Doesn’t matter what your goal is, it ALWAYS pays off to have a plan.
Write it down. Plan it out.
Plan. Lift. Assess…….. Repeat.
