I posted this on LinkedIn a handful of days ago, but decided there was enough teaching in it to share as an article as well:
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“Another reason why you are out of shape despite training Very Hard:
You are looking for a tactical solution to a strategic problem.
Let me mansplain.
The specifics of your workouts (exercises, sets, reps, time, distance etc.) matter.
However.
They pale into insignificance when compared to the scene in which they sit.
By that I mean if your training regime is fundamentally incompatible with the other demands on your time and energy (work, family, etc.), no amount of diddling with the details will move the needle.
It actually makes things worse, in many cases.
So.
What you probably need to do is scale your training back to enable you to establish the fundamentals (going to bed and waking at a consistent hour, walking every day without fail, and so on).
How far back?
A couple of sessions in the gym and a couple of sessions of cardio per week.
Plenty enough to see results — because your body will be in a position to adapt to the training stresses placed upon it.
You may find you never need to train more than that.
But you can if that is your wish, provided any additional work is never at the expense of those fundamentals I mentioned.
The approach I have just described is certainly not the fastest at producing results.
However, it is arguably the most sustainable — and considering that you have to train to be strong and in shape, I would say the approach that allows you to do that consistently for many decades to come is the best one.”
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A couple of points to highlight:
1) Oftentimes you will get far more for doing far less.
2) Sustainability is far and away the most important factor in any training programme.
Believe it or not, these two things are responsible for the vast majority of progress I have made in the last fifteen years, and all of it since Connie was born in 2020.
I know this to be the case because (despite appearances) I am not perfect, so there have been times where I have strayed from these tenants and every single time I have ended up some combination of burned out and injured.
Given this, you will not be remotely surprised to learn that everything I teach in “The Christmas Survival Guide” is sustainable by design and you may be shocked by how little training I recommend (especially handy when time is tight as it is for many during the festive season).
You can hop aboard this 14-day email course for £60 (a derisory amount, according to one chap who signed up).
Full details are below, please read them carefully before committing:
https://philtyreman.co.uk/xmas/
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman