Dave Hedges
Mar 21, 20123 min
Making the most of a rare sunny day in Dublin
I was asked a good question yesterday. It was one of those moments I always mean to have a voice recorder handy for but never do, because it was an important question with a big answer.
I’ve a feeling that now, 24hrs later, I’m not going to do it justice in writing.
However, here goes:
Q: “Why is it so much harder to train at home, I can’t seem to lift nearly as heavy as when I’m in here (wild geese)?”
Ok, that was paraphrased somewhat but the conversation was with a pair of women that train with me, and train hard. Over the last week though they’ve both had various commitments and have been forced to get their workouts done at home as they simply couldn’t get to me.
Fortunately both are well prepared, have their own kettles and notes on what to do.
The problem was different for both of them. One struggled to stay the course and get the reps done while the other simply struggled with a weight that she can usually handle while in the gym.
Neither of these issues are uncommon, so lets see if we can provide an answer.
A: There is no one simple answer, after all both girls have different symptoms. But we can generalise and cover most of the issue. Lets break into sections:
Mental Preparation
When you are scheduled to come into WG to train, it takes forethought.
This starts many hours before you arrive at the gym, maybe even the day before. The first stage of this is remembering the
Distractions
I already mentioned that your home is a “comfort environment”. You have deliberately set it up as such. You have a comfy chair set just the way you like it, the kitchen is fully stocked, just over there. The TV is sat proudly in the corner with its little remotes on the arm of your favourite chair. There’s no one breathing down your neck to get stuff done. It is your home, your place of refuge against the chaos of the outside world.
Lack of Motivation
This is the biggest downfall of all. You can overcome any distraction if you are motivated. And for this you may need tools.
If you’re a procrastinator, get a stopwatch/countdown timer. If I’m not there to shout at you, use a
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machine that will beep at you. If you train alone a timer is your best friend.
If you struggle to build the intensity to push hard by yourself, then you need to workout why. Why can you do it when I’m glaring at you but not on your own?
You need to work out you “why.” Why do I want to lift this? Why is this important to me?
Once you know the why, then the How is easy, just get on with it.Either way, keep a training journal and note down everything that happens in your workout. note the weight, the reps, the sets, the rest periods, the music playing, the time of day, the weather, the location, how you felt before/during/after.
It doesn’t need to be an essay, bullet points are fine. Over time you can look back over these notes and see what you need to create your training environment as well as the points that seem to hold you back.
Maybe certain songs get you pumped for lifting heavy while others leave you weak and unmotivated. Maybe you train better at a certain time of day. Do certain weather conditions suit (I work best in inclement weather, I set a PR on the kettlebell snatch one day in my back yard during a hail storm and gusting wind!)
This is by no means an exclusive list, these are general suggestions. Each of us have our own personal lazy demon that we must battle. But battle we must.
Training at home is great, everyone should be able to do it, many’s the time that life will throw a curve ball at you and you simply can’t get to the gym, so having the tools at your disposal in the home are vital.
Now, shut the computer down and get on with it!
Regards
Dave
www.wg-fit.com