The Un-Training Camp
A lot of trainees have a hard time taking a week off. So, I decided that if I made it an assignment, or better yet, a challenging experiment focused on results, they might actually do it. So, here it is: the “UN-Training camp“. It’s similar to the 30-day diet challenges, but, instead, it challenges your lifestyle. The UN part is easy; the week of UN-training will be an exercise in not exercising. The two main rules in this challenge are 1) do not stress about not working out and 2) focus on your food and your sleep. IT WILL BE GOOD FOR YOU!Most people on a fixed training regimen work out too much. They’re not paying attention to whether or not their workouts are truly benefiting them from day to day. It’s simply, “I’m going to work out five days this week because that’s what I always do.” If that’s your attitude, depending on your other stress inputs, several of your workouts have the potential of being not only non-beneficial, but downright bad for you. Learn what your stress level is so that you can do something about it. If you are not willing to do that, or are afraid to do it because you are worried about your looming poor test results, at least take one week completely off of regimented training every five to six weeks.
In practice, what does this mean? Go along with your daily schedule, but don’t go to the gym or do any planned workouts. Walk or do sports that are fun for you, but only at a lighthearted pace – and don’t stress out that you are missing workouts at the gym.
Where the hard work is:
- Not feeling guilty for being quiet for a week
- Eating a perfect non-inflammatory diet
- Getting to bed early (9pm-10pm)
- Having downtime in place of gym time
Don’t be mistaken, this is not a vacation, nor is it a way out for you buttercups out there. This is serious work to your benefit in both short and long terms. If you are not a professional athlete and are not training for a particular event, sustainable fitness should be your goal. Learning exactly how much training volume you need to stay at an optimum level of health and reduce the future risk of injury and disease is valuable information. “Sign up” for the UN-Training Camp by leaving a comment below, on my Facebook page, or on Twitter using the #untraining and @EvaTwardokens. This is a good way to test how you feel after a whole week off. If you feel like a new person, great! This probably means you have generally been hitting it too hard and should continue to evaluate what your sustainable exercise sweet spot is!
So, get on it! Make it a group challenge or go it alone. Get that UN-Training Camp scheduled!
NO Equipment Needed Workout:
*UN-TRAINING CAMP!
*please warm up appropriately!
THE FIRST UN-TRAINING CAMP STARTS HERE!
Post your experiences in a comment, on my Facebook page, or on Twitter using the #untraining and @EvaTwardokens! Start a group, make a date and let me know how you are doing!
