December 1, 2022 – Masters Program

Training in December

We know that December is often a tough time to stick to your fitness routine. While there might be a lot of new year’s resolutions starting in a month, we want you to make the most of December and not forfeit 1/12 of your year. How can you do this? First, figure out your fitness priorities so you can make each training day successful while still navigating a busy December schedule. 

We are currently in the final 4-5 weeks of the cycle and some may stress about getting to every portion of every training day. We understand, though, that many may end up being short on time and not be able to get to all of the training listed in the program (kids are out of school, family is in town, traveling, etc). Those days do not have to be thought of as failures for your training. We just have to shift focus.  If or when that happens, just know your plan and how to make the most of your time that you have in the gym. Here are our suggestions for how to shift your focus if you find you are short on time for training: 

Step 1: Figure out what you need to work on most for the next season. This should be something that takes time for you to improve. So if you need to get stronger, prioritize the lifts. This will ensure you are getting this extra month of training on your strength. If it is your cardio that is a struggle then commit to certain progressions we are doing for Assault bike or Rowing or something similar. (Often found in the Invictus Athlete or Masters program) 

Step 2: Figure out how much time you will be able to commit to training per day on average.

Step 3: Identify the days that you know ahead of time will be tough.  This may be an office party that will interrupt your night time training or you are visiting family and will not be at your normal gym. Think of a solution ahead of time. That might mean you need to train in the morning, find a trial for a run or find a commercial gym to drop into. 

Step 4: Follow your plan. If you set a goal, know how much time you need, and make a plan to ensure you will have that time available to you. This will ensure that you are well on your way to a successful December and ahead of the game when it comes to New Years Resolutions! 

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Every athlete needs to assess how they are feeling today. Assess how your body has responded to Monday-Wednesdays sessions and either do the following:

1 – Take a full rest day. If this is the option you choose, then you are not allowed to feel guilty for not going into the gym. Resting is crucial to advancement in your training so if you choose to rest then have no regrets!
2 – Mobilize. Use your regular training time to mobilize. Find your problem areas and spend some time focusing on those areas.
3 – Active Recovery. This could be swimming, doing a trail run, a low intensity row session or spending time on low impact movements. Whatever activity you choose to do should be a restorative activity and not deplete you for the remaining week of training.

Optional Session
Spend 30-45 minutes doing cardio of choice (Row, BikeErg, Run, Swim, Assault/Echo Bike or SkiErg) at a Zone 2 pace. Feel free to mix and match modalities but the intention is to stay moving for 30-45 minutes while keeping the heart rate between 60-70% of your max heart rate.