Rest Periods Revisited
This post continues on from an older post about rest periods, and clarifies some of the potential nuances involved. In particular, while longer rest periods may be better, this needs to be considered in the context of a lot of other variables, and being proactive about managing your workouts based on total volume of training (rather than individual variables like rest periods) may be more meaningful overall. This also helps to explain why some lifters can get away with not following strict programming, training by feel, while still seeing great results.
The Travel Workouts Guide
It’s probably easier than you think to train when traveling, as your primary focus should be on maintenance rather than continuing to gain strength and muscle mass. By focusing on the basics, you often only need a single workout per week. At the same time, it’s also important not to overlook the benefit of occasionally just… taking week off.
Lifestyle Scope Creep
Scope creep, the accidental inflation of a project over time, can happen in many areas of work and personal life. When we let scope creep get out of hand, it can lead to overwhelming issues that create more work than necessary or undo progress we already made. Habit scope creep is when your habits take up more and more of your time that they start to have negative effects on your life like take up all your time, cause too much stress, or lead to burnout. One of the best ways to combat habit scope creep is to regularly assess if what you’re doing aligns with your goals and what’s important to you. Quitting and move on from things isn’t bad - it ensures that your valuable time is spent on what really matters.
Should You Workout On Vacation?
You don’t need to workout while on vacation. The amount of time people often take for vacations (one to two weeks) is generally not long enough to lose your progress. Even if you do, it’s much easier to get back to your pre-vacation numbers than to get there in the first place. Vacations are supposed to be fun, relaxing, and restorative. You’re not supposed to be going through your normal routine and habits. Taking a break means that you’ll (hopefully) come back to your normal life with enough energy and motivation to make it through until your next break. Traveling, or even vacation days at home, are usually more physical than an average desk job. You’re still moving. However, if it doesn’t feel like enough, a simple workout once a week while on vacation is enough to keep your gains up.
Is It Okay To Work Hard For Yourself?
Quitting isn’t bad - it’s an important skill to have. You can’t do everything, so you have to be okay with quitting things that you don’t enjoy or aren’t beneficial to you. Laziness, too, isn’t inherently bad. It’s a natural part of life and the cycle of productivity. You can’t always be doing something, and laziness helps us recuperate from the energy we expend. Forcing yourself to work tirelessly at all things (your day job included) doesn’t bring more productivity, satisfaction, or money - so you need to assess if it’s really worth your time. It is okay to work hard when you want to do it, especially on things that bring you happiness or make you feel proud of what you accomplished.