September 2020.  It has a different feel but September it is.   My son didn’t ask to go back-to- school shopping as if school isn’t happening this year.   I feel sad about all the changes the kids have to cope with.   But it is a challenge to embrace and grow stronger from it.  To me, September symbolizes a fresh start as much as, if not more than, January.  It’s a legacy from all those formative years in school. A new year! A new me! Such was the promise in my teen years.  Though the landscape has changed the desire to start anew and push ahead is still there.  With Covid and the lockdown, the last 6 months have focussed more on adjusting and staying a basic course than making leaps forward.  But, enough!  I say a good way to approach this Fall is to set a process goal.  Select a task to stick to each week to push you forward.   Do you have a goal floating in your head that you’ve yet to act on?   Maybe it’s an unassisted pull-up, a full body push-up, to run 10 KM or achieve better conditioning.  If so, let’s break down the tasks you need to achieve to get there.

Example. 

Goal:      Do a bar muscle-up

Process:  Complete Bar Muscle up drills twice a week.

Goal:       Feel fit again

Process:  Sunday morning sign up for 4 gym workout for the week ahead. Attend without fail!

Tips for setting process goals:

  1. Be as specific as possible. i.e. Bar Muscle up drills will be done on Wed at 7pm and Saturday at 11am.  Drills will be x.  or I will workout Monday and Wed 6pm Friday at 4pm and Sunday at 11am!
  2. Write it down old school with pen and paper and post it somewhere visible.  Commit to yourself.

Not sure? Consider the mindset tip below and try it!

“I want to see it, before I believe it.”

We are visually oriented people. We seem to trust our eyes more than our other senses.

It’s why we call our ultimate direction our “vision”. It’s why when we hear something in the middle of the night, we want to take a look before we feel safe enough to fall back asleep. We can hear news through the grapevine, but we doubt it until we see it.

Recognizing our visual orientation, we can leverage it to our advantage. Many of us find that there is power in writing down our goals. It helps us to see them in black and white.  We begin to believe in them much more.

Let’s write down our vision and our goals. Let’s write down anything that is important to us, not because it’s a mundane task… but because “seeing is believing”.

*Always happy to talk health and fitness goals. It’s one of my favourite topics! Here to chat about it. Be in touch if it would help ([email protected]).

Athletics workout for Sunday September 6, 2020. 

I liked this descending chipper of the tried and true. Good for the legs and heart!

1 mile run

50 box jumps

50 deadlifts

800 meter run

35 box jumps

35 deadlifts

400 meter run

20 box jumps

20 deadlifts

Looking for a lighter deadlift i.e. 60-70 percent of a 1 rep max.  We’ll lower volume if best. Barbell, kettlebell or dumbbell deadlifts all work, choice by where we are at.

Modifications if we cannot deadlift and/or box jump will be sit-ups, an upper body movement, weighted glute bridges or kettlebell swings.

Run sub options:

2km row/1km/500m

1600m ski erg/800 m/400m

80 Cal Bike/40cal/20cal

Burpees: 75-50-25

 

Photo:  Virginia Hayes (aka Shades’ Mom).  The Eagle symbolizes strength to me; which you all have in spades. Soar on!