Hey there: It's Hallowe'en weekend and in the past I've given you some strategies as the 'best' treats to eat this weekend. Or I've given you extra workouts to do before heading out for a night of partying but today I have something different in store for you. But before I get to today's tip I want to let you in a little experiment I'm running.
The experiment is the Collins Health Project. What this involves is a behind the scenes look at the healhy and not so healthy things I do. Yeah I admit it. Every now and again I like to enjoy a beer, some pizza and maybe even some ice cream. But I have a standard to maintain, as do the rest of you. And of the best ways to make ourselves accountable is to let others what we are doing. They will support us and give us a pat on the back. And at the same time they will let us know when something is out of character given what out stated goals are.
So with that in mind I'm going to video portions of my workout? I'm going show what I'm eating, how much and how often. You'll get to see what I do to relax during my down time. This will serve two purposes which are to help me get in the best shape of my life and secondly to help you steal some ideas that may help you as well.
Stay tuned because some of the first footage you'll see from this Hallowe'en weekend will be unique but hopefully serve as a great launching pad for the rest of the project. Now on to the tip.
Did you ever watch the Price is Right? I remember watching this a kid when we would visit our grandparents in Edmonton. And besides all the crazies who dress up for the show (sorry if you're one of those crazies) but the games were really well branded and memorable.
I remember one game in particular where you had to guess the price of the prize. And there was a band that represented an upper and lower limit for the price. When they lit up your price behind the band you saw if it fell within the range of the band.
So how does this related to your training? Well think about the upper limit as the intensity, duration, frequency and type of your training. And the lower limit represents your rest, regeneration, tissue quality and nutrition. The two ends of the range are always connected. As the upper end of the slide rises the lower end gets pulled along.
But what most people do is start up with a training program and don't put as much effort towards the lower end (the rest, recovery, tissue quality and nutrition). So this begins to put strain on the body.
With this strain there are a number of outcomes including fatigue, over-reaching, over-training and potential injury. Things that nobody wants.
So remember as you carry on with your training to think of the Price is Right game. As you are going to push harder and step up your workouts you need to make sure you are putting equal attention, if not more, to the other end of the spectrum.
Here's the other cool thing. When you take some active rest and aren't trying to extend the upper end of the range, continue to put as much emphasis on your nutrition and rest. This will allow your body to 'catch its breath' and optimize its potential. You may have experienced this if you've ever lost weight and looked your best while on vacation. You've minimized the stressors on the body and allowed the balance to swing in favour of 'rest and digest'.
Have a safe and fun Hallowe'en. For anyone joining us for stairs tomorrow I may be dressed a little differently. (pics to follow)
Chris okanaganpeakperformance.com 'always moving forward'