I use an app called Streaks that has the various physical activities I want to each week(ruck, weights, bike, krav maga) and the days I want to do them. It helps to keep me accountable to myself.
The only thing that has ever kept me consistent is making it the first thing I do. Is getting up at 4:30am fun? I don't know - I don't become fully conscious until 6:00, but assuming I have the same facial expression as the other people at the gym, I'd guess not. Regardless, the positives are obvious: No traffic, no waiting for apparatus, feeling smugly superior. (The last one is only true if you don't say anything to anyone - talking about your workout habits mostly makes people's eyes glaze over but telling them you get up ridiculously early just confirms to them that you are a psychopath.) (Especially your spouse.)
Smart and funny. And true. When I first started training, I'd get up at dawn and wallow around in my frozen yard doing bear crawls while my neighbors gawked and worried about their property value. Knocking it out early is almost fool-proof. Feeling smugly superior is a bonus; until you fall asleep during that 85-page power point presentation at work. Thanks for sharing.
Ha! That happened to me the other day, but luckily I wasn’t presenting and off camera! 😂
I used to write all my weekly workouts down in a notebook and log the results. Now I just use Notes. To your point, when I know what I’m going to do, it’s much easier.
The other thing I had to do was commit to a new workout time. Because of lots of change, I’m back to a 5:30 am schedule. I hate it but it’s my time and no one else is awake. I can grit it out, and the pot of coffee I put on beforehand tastes that much better!
I’ve found this to be a problem in the past because I’ve tended to obsess about work ahead of health and fitness, so fitness has always been the thing to ‘give’ despite how much I know it helps mental health!
I am a member of The Fort in NYC and I have to book workout slots ahead of time and if you cancel last minute there is a financial penalty. That has been a game changer over the last 6 months and I have rarely missed classes. I do think it’s actually less about the financial penalty or disincentive to cancel, it’s more about the strength of the community and camaraderie with the coaches who are great.
I do think it’s incredibly tough to have the mental fortitude and get out there every day for solo fitness stuff like running or working out alone. Kudos to you Wendy and others for managing to do that!
I think social contracts help, a bit like sobriety. I would love to find a light touch community for accountability where I can do my thing in the outdoors or down the gym and still be plugged into a virtual community where everyone encourages each other with their particular fitness endeavors!!
Booking workout slots is a good add. I felt the same when I was using an obstacle course racing gym - it was the accountability to that community and the coach that made it non-negotiable. Social contract is embedded in that. Agree there's a gap to fill on another way to build community on this front that isn't the vast wilderness of social media.
Joe de Sena's email this week answered a question about how to get fit with kids...his answer? Get up before everyone else and get it done. This has been my success strategy in the past, as my work can throw a definite wrench in the planned lunch workouts more often than I'd like.
I cannot stress the pre-planning point enough, however, ESPECIALLY for those of us with kids. Spending any time on the day thinking about WHAT your workout will be is a recipe for skipping or sub-optimal results. In that regard, this is the first time in my competitive racing career (such as it is) that I've outsourced some of that in the form of an AI-generated running plan (trying out athletica.ai). I still program my own strength, though, but that is pretty easy for me at this point (5/3/1!).
The hardest thing to balance now is trying to work out with my wife (strength) in the evenings and still get dinner on the table at a reasonable time! But that's only one problem now that I have the preloaded, pre committed schedule to follow - much more realistic.
Yep Richard - the pre-dawn workout was my go to for a long time as well. Judging by your stellar racing career, you've got the pre-planning down to a science. Look forward to seeing you pass me on the course in 2025!
I schedule a minimum of two events per year. A cross country ski marathon, and a race up a local mountain (1.9 miles and 3200' ascent). It forces me to focus on sport-specific training. Since these events are annual and identical, I use them to grade my training program. There's an added component. I live in a small, outdoors-oriented mountain community. A large percentage of the community is competitive. Race results are posted immediately and are a topic of conversation. Your time and ranking are known to all. Enuf said...
I also use a trainer. My trainer is a highly competitive athlete so he focuses me on training geared to my goals, not just general fitness and of course I don't dare disappoint him. Having said that, he is adamant that my competition is with myself. Me vs. me.
I believe sport specific training is very important, it focuses you and maximizes your training efficiency. With one exception. I take at least two weeklong backpacking trips per year. Spending a week or more in the wilderness hiking 15-25 miles/day provides a general fitness that improves most aspects of your health and fitness -- Michael Easter would call it rucking and in an ideal world I'd do it more frequently.
Finally, I live in an ideal environment and I'm retired -- I have lots of time but I am old and I don't recover or adapt to training as I once did. Gwendolyn is correct, It's Not Too Late but I would add It's Not Too Early either. The sooner you build that fitness base the better. It is harder to build fitness in your later years.
The Not Too Early addition is a good one. I started figuring this out when I was 45. Wish it had been 35 but glad it wasn't 55. My parents' are back in the gym at 80 with a trainer and it's changing their lives. Having trainers has certainly helped me with focus and optimizing my workouts but in the end — nothing beats personal accountability. "Me vs. Me."
Fantastic post! Pre-programming combined with scheduling is such an effective tool to get a lot of questions out of the way and have your expectations developed, especially in regard to time commitment each day.
Another tool I like to use is a buy-in to the day and/or contingency workout that is often shorter/higher intensity on days where everything works against me in getting to the scheduled, pre-programmed workout.
Buy-in to the day is some part of my morning routine that is fitness-based that takes less than five minutes tops. Contingency is usually a 5-10 min HIIT style workout in some area I want to improve upon.
Fantastic adds to this conversation. I too have a "workout from anywhere" contingency plan that can be done with my body weight. Have never thought about the buy-in to the day but that is a new tool for the arsenal for sure. Thanks!
Gwendolyn, you’re very kind to give me credit. However, years in the military, and then in high tech, made it clear to me that there are lots of people with good ideas, but very few people who can plan and execute. You have good ideas and you can execute and that makes all the difference
I wake up every day before 5 a.m. and do everything I need to do for myself before my work day begins so I can almost guarantee no interruptions. This includes working out, putting away dishes and laundry, straightening up, making a very healthy dinner (that I take to work to eat around 10 a.m. guaranteeing I get a solid protein filled meal in as to not be tempted by junk around the office), and even getting the car washed and going to the grocery store (is a great time to go when it first opens). The best part about this is that when I get to work I am in a great mood already feeling accomplished (and the endorphins from exercising are still kicking!) And, when I get home from work (no matter how late) I can actually attempt to relax, knowing what I already accomplished earlier in the day and that anything new can be addressed during my morning routine the next day when I am refreshed after a good night’s rest!
NOTE: I will share that I am VERY fortunate my gym is right across the street from my condo and my work is 10 minutes away. So, I am actually able to get a lot done in the time I have allotted each morning. (Both things factored greatly in my decision as to where I live.)
I use an app called Streaks that has the various physical activities I want to each week(ruck, weights, bike, krav maga) and the days I want to do them. It helps to keep me accountable to myself.
Going to check out Streaks. Thanks for sharing Mike.
Minimal and visual. I really like it.
The only thing that has ever kept me consistent is making it the first thing I do. Is getting up at 4:30am fun? I don't know - I don't become fully conscious until 6:00, but assuming I have the same facial expression as the other people at the gym, I'd guess not. Regardless, the positives are obvious: No traffic, no waiting for apparatus, feeling smugly superior. (The last one is only true if you don't say anything to anyone - talking about your workout habits mostly makes people's eyes glaze over but telling them you get up ridiculously early just confirms to them that you are a psychopath.) (Especially your spouse.)
Smart and funny. And true. When I first started training, I'd get up at dawn and wallow around in my frozen yard doing bear crawls while my neighbors gawked and worried about their property value. Knocking it out early is almost fool-proof. Feeling smugly superior is a bonus; until you fall asleep during that 85-page power point presentation at work. Thanks for sharing.
Ha! That happened to me the other day, but luckily I wasn’t presenting and off camera! 😂
I used to write all my weekly workouts down in a notebook and log the results. Now I just use Notes. To your point, when I know what I’m going to do, it’s much easier.
The other thing I had to do was commit to a new workout time. Because of lots of change, I’m back to a 5:30 am schedule. I hate it but it’s my time and no one else is awake. I can grit it out, and the pot of coffee I put on beforehand tastes that much better!
I use the Future fitness Ap. Also, I signed up for my first gravel road race on my Mtn bike after reading your book!
Going to look at that app - thank you. Congrats on that road race! So cool. Keep us posted here on how it goes.
I’ve found this to be a problem in the past because I’ve tended to obsess about work ahead of health and fitness, so fitness has always been the thing to ‘give’ despite how much I know it helps mental health!
I am a member of The Fort in NYC and I have to book workout slots ahead of time and if you cancel last minute there is a financial penalty. That has been a game changer over the last 6 months and I have rarely missed classes. I do think it’s actually less about the financial penalty or disincentive to cancel, it’s more about the strength of the community and camaraderie with the coaches who are great.
I do think it’s incredibly tough to have the mental fortitude and get out there every day for solo fitness stuff like running or working out alone. Kudos to you Wendy and others for managing to do that!
I think social contracts help, a bit like sobriety. I would love to find a light touch community for accountability where I can do my thing in the outdoors or down the gym and still be plugged into a virtual community where everyone encourages each other with their particular fitness endeavors!!
Booking workout slots is a good add. I felt the same when I was using an obstacle course racing gym - it was the accountability to that community and the coach that made it non-negotiable. Social contract is embedded in that. Agree there's a gap to fill on another way to build community on this front that isn't the vast wilderness of social media.
Joe de Sena's email this week answered a question about how to get fit with kids...his answer? Get up before everyone else and get it done. This has been my success strategy in the past, as my work can throw a definite wrench in the planned lunch workouts more often than I'd like.
I cannot stress the pre-planning point enough, however, ESPECIALLY for those of us with kids. Spending any time on the day thinking about WHAT your workout will be is a recipe for skipping or sub-optimal results. In that regard, this is the first time in my competitive racing career (such as it is) that I've outsourced some of that in the form of an AI-generated running plan (trying out athletica.ai). I still program my own strength, though, but that is pretty easy for me at this point (5/3/1!).
The hardest thing to balance now is trying to work out with my wife (strength) in the evenings and still get dinner on the table at a reasonable time! But that's only one problem now that I have the preloaded, pre committed schedule to follow - much more realistic.
Yep Richard - the pre-dawn workout was my go to for a long time as well. Judging by your stellar racing career, you've got the pre-planning down to a science. Look forward to seeing you pass me on the course in 2025!
I schedule a minimum of two events per year. A cross country ski marathon, and a race up a local mountain (1.9 miles and 3200' ascent). It forces me to focus on sport-specific training. Since these events are annual and identical, I use them to grade my training program. There's an added component. I live in a small, outdoors-oriented mountain community. A large percentage of the community is competitive. Race results are posted immediately and are a topic of conversation. Your time and ranking are known to all. Enuf said...
I also use a trainer. My trainer is a highly competitive athlete so he focuses me on training geared to my goals, not just general fitness and of course I don't dare disappoint him. Having said that, he is adamant that my competition is with myself. Me vs. me.
I believe sport specific training is very important, it focuses you and maximizes your training efficiency. With one exception. I take at least two weeklong backpacking trips per year. Spending a week or more in the wilderness hiking 15-25 miles/day provides a general fitness that improves most aspects of your health and fitness -- Michael Easter would call it rucking and in an ideal world I'd do it more frequently.
Finally, I live in an ideal environment and I'm retired -- I have lots of time but I am old and I don't recover or adapt to training as I once did. Gwendolyn is correct, It's Not Too Late but I would add It's Not Too Early either. The sooner you build that fitness base the better. It is harder to build fitness in your later years.
The Not Too Early addition is a good one. I started figuring this out when I was 45. Wish it had been 35 but glad it wasn't 55. My parents' are back in the gym at 80 with a trainer and it's changing their lives. Having trainers has certainly helped me with focus and optimizing my workouts but in the end — nothing beats personal accountability. "Me vs. Me."
Fantastic post! Pre-programming combined with scheduling is such an effective tool to get a lot of questions out of the way and have your expectations developed, especially in regard to time commitment each day.
Another tool I like to use is a buy-in to the day and/or contingency workout that is often shorter/higher intensity on days where everything works against me in getting to the scheduled, pre-programmed workout.
Buy-in to the day is some part of my morning routine that is fitness-based that takes less than five minutes tops. Contingency is usually a 5-10 min HIIT style workout in some area I want to improve upon.
Looking forward to your upcoming posts!
Fantastic adds to this conversation. I too have a "workout from anywhere" contingency plan that can be done with my body weight. Have never thought about the buy-in to the day but that is a new tool for the arsenal for sure. Thanks!
Gwendolyn, you’re very kind to give me credit. However, years in the military, and then in high tech, made it clear to me that there are lots of people with good ideas, but very few people who can plan and execute. You have good ideas and you can execute and that makes all the difference
I think you're the one who is too kind, but thank you. What I like is how this one idea is bringing forth other ideas in the comments here.
I wake up every day before 5 a.m. and do everything I need to do for myself before my work day begins so I can almost guarantee no interruptions. This includes working out, putting away dishes and laundry, straightening up, making a very healthy dinner (that I take to work to eat around 10 a.m. guaranteeing I get a solid protein filled meal in as to not be tempted by junk around the office), and even getting the car washed and going to the grocery store (is a great time to go when it first opens). The best part about this is that when I get to work I am in a great mood already feeling accomplished (and the endorphins from exercising are still kicking!) And, when I get home from work (no matter how late) I can actually attempt to relax, knowing what I already accomplished earlier in the day and that anything new can be addressed during my morning routine the next day when I am refreshed after a good night’s rest!
NOTE: I will share that I am VERY fortunate my gym is right across the street from my condo and my work is 10 minutes away. So, I am actually able to get a lot done in the time I have allotted each morning. (Both things factored greatly in my decision as to where I live.)
Mikes right, it’s a great app. I use it for all reoccurring tasks that I don’t want to clutter my todo list.
Highly recommended.
Apologies, I was affirming Mike's endorsement of Streaks. This should have been a response to his post.