Summer Wreck

The Easter Bunny has hip-hoppitied away and summer in the North Country is closer than we think. We all know that feeling of the air starting to warm, the grass greens for a week, the peepers start singing at night, and then - summer’s here! For a couple of months…

Since summers here feel so much shorter, we’re often driven to try to cram as many warm weather activities into them as we can. Family canoeing / camping trips, boating, hiking, swimming, golf, trips to the beach… or maybe these are the activities that we avoid for a variety of reasons. 

We just don’t have the energy, and the family camping trip or a hike sound like exercises in self-imposed torture. Or maybe even the way we feel prevents us from wanting to put on a bathing suit and head to the beach.

It's understandable how things like this can happen. AI Generated image.

While I always discourage people from worrying about the aesthetic aspects of strength training, I know it’s a concern for many people. But I think as soon as they recognize that it is only the superficial face of “getting fit,” it’s far easier to recognize that getting stronger is really about improving quality of life. Something that improves it is getting out there and living it!

Strength training provides us with a reservoir of energy. We can tap into it when we really want to, or more importantly, need to. So what do we do when we have conflicts between following our workout schedule during the summer, and things we want to do for summer fun? And when we want to do those things, what if we don’t think we physically can do them?

The answer is, put in the work NOW. 

Throughout those cold winter months, and these cold muddy months, we follow the program. We follow our schedule, we try to hit our numbers while maintaining strict form to ensure we stay healthy. When summer arrives (seemingly overnight), our strength will be there and our energy reserves will be ready. So what happens when social activities begin to pull us from our routines?

Balance

Let’s see… Do I go to the gym and check-off this workout in my plan? OR, do I go to the cookout / golf course / pedicure party?

Normally, I tell people, “do both.” While that’s the best case scenario, I know that sometimes it’s simply not practical. When we dogmatically stick to our schedule in the face of other interests, it can place an undue burden on those around us, or even alienate people important to us. The key here is a healthy balance.

I was deeply involved in fitness and weight training in high school, college and well into my late 30’s. Many times my schedule and activities throughout the day either paused during my scheduled workout time, or revolved around the idea of where and when I would be able to “get my workout in.” During my powerlifting days, this was heightened while training for a specific meet and I would try to strategically time my meals a specific set of minutes after my workouts. I wouldn’t say I was obsessed per se, but the only reason I wouldn’t say it is, it has a negative connotation. I preferred to say I was disciplined or committed. However, looking back I remember many times when I placed undue stress on myself, my ex, my family and friends.

It wasn’t all negative. In a later blog, I’ll discuss how this lifestyle got me through the most difficult times in my life.

Then something happened. I wouldn’t call it a moment of mature clarity necessarily. I’d have to say I suddenly gained perspective. My friends all wanted me to go along with them on an outing of fun and relaxation, but it was my bench press day! My scheduled workout was during the middle of the outing itself. And that’s when I noticed the importance of the words I always used, my schedule.

I was in charge of it. No one else. Back then, after 25+ years of rarely missing a workout, I realized, I’ve done the work. I am disciplined, yes, but it’s my schedule. I can give myself permission to change it if I want to.

With a promise to make-up the workout the following day, I gave myself permission to go have a great day out with my friends. No guilt, no twitchy feelings of “missing out,” just fun with good people. It taught me a very important lesson.

When getting my lifting session in was a constant priority, I missed out on days like that with the people who matter. It didn’t hurt that when I did indeed make-up that workout the following day, it was an excellent session where I even hit a new PR.

Getting and being strong is an excellent key to pursuing a good quality of life, provided we don’t forget to go out and live it for those good qualities. Just use the positive experiences to fuel the next session - because you put the time in at the gym, you can really enjoy the time spent out of it.

Put the work in now. And when those fun activities arrive with the warm weather, give yourself permission to push your workout to the next day. Just make sure that when the next day comes, make it happen. It’s a wonderful cycle where your work following the program gives you the strength and energy to get out there and enjoy life. In turn, the happiness you experience inspires you to go back to the workouts and replenish that strength and energy.

Give yourself permission to maintain that balance in the summer months.