School started last week and I’m finally getting back to the gym. As expected, I couldn’t work out much while our kid is out of school. There were just too many things to do in the summer. I worked out occasionally, but couldn’t really get into the groove. However, it was still a good learning experience. Now, I know I should just write the summer off. I just couldn’t get a rhythm going. Next summer, I’ll just concentrate on having fun outdoor and not worry much about working out. This summer, we went swimming, camping, hiking, and walking all over town. We had a great summer break and I was active. It was good to take a break from working out anyway because my elbows were really hurting by the end of spring. I overdid it with the pull-ups.
Anyway, this is my biggest lesson this year.
- Schedule a work out in every day.
This is easy when our kid is in school. I’d drop him off at school, come home and work on my sites for a bit, then head to the gym. Going to the gym is a regular part of my day when Junior is in school. That rhythm is disrupted in the summer. I try to get some activities in, but it’s not quite the same as working out every day.
New workout plan
Now that I’ve accepted it, I could plan to work around the summer break.
Fall – Workout season starts when kids go back to school. We usually take our annual vacation in the fall so I’ll have to take that into account. I’ll start off slow and keep a steady pace. The first week back was pretty rough because I couldn’t lift as much weights and I’m aching all over. It should be better in a couple weeks.
Winter – I’ll ramp it up a gear after New Year. All the rust will be gone by then and I’ll be ready to lift more weights. New Year is always more motivating as well. There will be a ton of people in the gym, but I could work with that.
Spring – Hopefully, I’ll peak in the spring. This year, I was able to reach 19 pull ups at the end of spring. I didn’t make 20, but that’s alright. I’m still happy with that progress. Unfortunately, I hurt my elbows so I’m back at the starting line again. Now, I just do pull ups once or twice per week. Anyway, getting into peak shape in the spring is good because I’ll be ready for the summer.
Summer – Just kick back and take it easy. I’ll hang out with the kid and try to keep active while enjoying the great outdoors. The key ingredient to staying somewhat in shape in the summer will be eating right. I need to eat better and cut down on the carb. I’ll come up with a good plan and get the family onboard.
So that’s my new fitness plan. Now that I know my limitation, I’ll work my way around it. I think working out regularly for ¾ of the year is pretty good, right?
How was your summer? Were you able to stay active?
