Everyone's got their things they love about their job. I fell pretty lucky to do what I do. I admit my work comes with some challenges, but I feel my pros list is considerably longer than my cons list! This past week I was reminded of so many of the things I love about my work. I wanted to share these things with you . . .
The first obstacle course race (known to the junkies as OCR) I ever did was a Survivor Mud Run. It was a 5k, had easy obstacles, and lots of mud. The hardest part was the 800m running stretch just before the finishing obstacles.
This is what brought me to Quinn's Gym. I trained with him for about two months before the race. The week of the race he asked me if I was going to keep coming to the garage after the race was over. He knew that my goal would be met - complete the 5k - and that without something tangible to be working toward I would go back to doing nothing. Literally. While I hadn't really thought about it, when he brought it up I knew he was right. Without a goal of some sort I would not come back. We decided we would see how the race went and figure out an ambition from there. While the race was fun, it wasn't terribly challenging. The running was the most difficult part. So we decided to find something with a little more umpf. Enter Spartan Race. I would have about five months to train. My goal was to run the whole race and successfully complete every obstacle (if you fail an obstacle in Spartan there is a 30 burpee penalty). Training for Spartan is one of the best things I have ever done in my life. That sounds so dramatic, but it pushed me both physically and mentally. I never thought of myself as a strong person or a fast person or a even a fit person. These transformations began to take place, not just on the outside, but internally as well. By the time the Spartan came and went I no longer had to worry about having a goal to continue pursuing my wellness. There was now, built within me, an understanding of what wellness felt like and I wanted to maintain it. OCR is a huge part of how I came to be where I am today. I think it is a beautiful testing ground. It is not just a physical challenge, but an emotional and mental challenge. It requires mental toughness and emotional grit. OCR will always hold a special place in my heart! As a coach I field all sorts of questions. I thought I'd take some time to answer the most common questions I hear for you . . . the masses.
How many times a week do you workout? This is by far the top question I get. My answer will probably shock you - in the terms you are asking, I workout three times a week. Getting to this number has been a journey for me! When I began going to Quinn's Gym I went twice a week. As I advanced in movement and metabolic capacity I increased my attendance to three times a week, then jumped to five times a week. In the past years, I have spent seasons of working out six days a week or even eight times a week when hitting two-a-days. You probably wonder what has changed that I now only workout three times. Well, I have learned - both through further education and personal experience - that three times a week in the garage is enough. By enough I don't just mean sufficient, I mean it is abundantly enough. Anything over three times a week in the garage and I actually begin to see deterioration in movement and strength gains. I am left zapped and often fighting off perpetual soreness and minor ailments. Three times a week in the garage gives me the chance to train my body in strength movements and cardiovascular capacity so that I can live a full life outside of the gym. I take the time freed up by not being in the gym to do other "workouts" - trail riding, hiking (especially with difficult terrain), and trail running are a few of my favorite activities outside of the garage. Getting to this number has all been a part of coming back to my goals time and time again and asking the question, am I making choices to have the life I want? Are my routines building up or destroying my quality of long-term wellness? When I realized my workouts were not aiding, but actually tearing me down I had to take an honest look at my approach. What do you do for workouts? A typical day in the garage looks like any day in a Frank Fitness class or personal session. Two of my three days I do strength work - which varies based on the strength cycle I'm in. Right now I'm doing a Front Squat and Shoulder Press cycle. Then, the third day, I'll pick a strength move of choice for "fun" - it could involve the barbell, kettlebells (like Turkish Getups), or even bodyweight work (like pull-ups or push-ups). Once the strength piece is finished I hit a good conditioning set. My aim is to keep things fresh and varied - both in duration and movement. One day I aim for a sprint workout (6-12 minutes), another falls in the mid-range (12-18 minutes), and then one endurance workout (18-30 minutes). All these choices help me stay strong, heart healthy, and fully functioning. How much sleep do you get? I preface this with, everybody's body is different and as such sleep needs vary. The important thing is giving your body the opportunity to show you how much it sleeps. This means getting to sleep early enough to allow yourself to wake up on your own accord (i.e. without an alarm) for a couple weeks. A challenge for sure, but worth it! I have found that I need nine hours of sleep - which obviously falls on the longer side. However it is what I need to function well, so I make a concerted effort to get my 9 hours every night. When I don't get them all in, I try to make time in my day somewhere to compensate. What does your nutrition look like? My goal is to keep it as simple as possible. The reality is, in addition to being a coach, I am a busy mom. My diet consists of whole foods and my aim is to keep processed food out of my belly as much as possible. I try to fill myself with so much goodness that I'm not hungry for junk. That said, I do eat foods many people dub as "bad" foods. I like a bit of dairy (mainly Greek yogurt, cream, butter, and a tiny bit of cheese), I eat some grains (I have a French toast weakness and I enjoy good granola in my yogurt), and I definitely partake in Peanut Butter M&M's and Twizzlers (especially when they're fresh)! These are exceptions though, not the rule. My diet is dictated by eating foods that sustain my body's nutritional needs (not just building muscle but, even more importantly, healthy functioning organs). This necessitates lots of healthy carbs - fruits and vegetables - to get the natural (not fortified) vitamins and minerals I need. A normal day might look like this:
And while this isn't a common question, it is a common response after these questions, so let's address it . . . Wow, that's great for you, that would never work for me! Actually, you're wrong (insert bomb drop). I know it's scary to deviate from what you've been told and believe. However, have you ever asked yourself why you believe what you do about how fitness is achieved? If you really boil it down, it is the fitness industry. Their job is to sell you fitness, therefore it is an industry. By nature, industry's motive is making bank. What happens is, instead of assessing the reality of what we are experiencing (feeling overworked, broken down, stressed out, and insufficient), we keep believing what we're being told. If we will consume more we will be happier and better off. In this case, if we add protein shakes, recovery supplements, and more workouts then we will finally reach our destination . . . majestic unicorn. However, if we dare to quit buying into the industry we might see we've been caught in a sneaky little rat race. We might realize we don't need protein shakes and supplements to aid recovery! We really just need a day or two of rest! We might understand that chasing the #fitspo is perpetuating the nagging feeling that we are insufficient. The belief that if we sweat more, work harder, and don't give up we will attain our dream body. Does what I say bother you? Does it make you feel like you wouldn't be doing enough? Does it make you roll your eyes at me? Good. Think about that. The truth I have found - through education and experience - is that this rat race lifestyle leaves me worn and, literally at times, broken. My body cannot keep up at those rates. So I have made the conscious choice to choose life. Which has brought me to the answers to above. Got more questions that I didn't address? Or new questions that these thoughts and perspectives made you think of? I'd love to get down to the nitty-gritty with ya! Shoot me a message or find time after class to chat it out! |
AuthorMy name is Tiffany and I am the owner and trainer at Frank Fitness, a garage gym. I provide workouts to increase/maintain cardiovascular wellness and build strength. My goal is to help athletes maintain life-long wellness. Archives
January 2018
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