“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.”
Albert Einstein
We are almost approaching 12 months of the Covid situation and with gyms being closed for the majority of this time, I still see many people struggling to adapt to the situation.
I see people who trained at the gym, consistently 4-5 times a week, do nothing for the best pert of a year.
Their desire didn’t change. They did not become less motivated. They did not have less knowledge.
They didn’t adapt to a change in their environment.
I experienced this same situation years ago whilst working in the prison.
When the regime went smoothly, when everything was on time and as planned – there was no issues.
If an ‘incident’ prevented the usual routine to happen, then chaos usually followed.
The environment changed and the prisoners struggled to handle this.
Have you struggled to adapt to training from home? If you were a regular gym go-er pre covid then you cannot use a ‘lack of motivation’ as an excuse as to why you are not training from home.
I know what you’re thinking – “I don’t have access to the same equipment I did at the gym”.
The equipment at your favourite gym are merely tools to obtain a desired outcome.
I have never had someone ask to train with me because they want to use my ski-erg. Almost 100% of people come because they want to work towards a goal.
The majority of the population can still work towards this outcome from home, with minimal or no equipment.
If you are reading this blog, you probably follow me on social media, you will see the amount of training solutions I have offered lately.
You have shown you are motivated to train from a gym, you should have the same motivation to train from home – if you have the ability to adapt.
If you are in this position, there are things that you can try before having the fixed mindset of “I can’t train at home”.
Hire a Coach – yes I am biased on this one, but if you’ve never had to train from home with limited or no equipment, then chances are you won’t know where to start, what to do or how to structure your training. A good coach will provide you with this information and keep you accountable.
Get the Family Involved – if you have kids, get involved in their Joe Wicks session or encourage them to join in your workout. Make it fun and they will make sure you don’t don’t skip on them. This can have a positive impact on your kids aswell as you.
Plan your Week – schedule your session in your diary and make a commitment to honour that time to train. Avoid the mindset of “I will do a workout later”. Set a specific time, organise the kids as best you can and put it in the diary. If you are half arsed in planning your session then you’ll be half arsed with the application.
Walk – do not underestimate the impact walking can have on your health (physical & mental) and waist line. If you are not confident with training from home, you could still make great progress by increasing your steps every day of the month.
Join a Tribe – similar to having a coach, if you join a group of like minded individuals then this can inspire you to do something active. It might be meeting someone for a walk or a run, joining an online workout group. It might not be the same as going to your class at the gym but being accountable to your friends or family can be a powerful tool.
Set Small Targets – at any time, starting small and building momentum works best for most people. If you have done nothing in January, don’t aim for 7 workouts next week. Even when it comes to your workouts, aim for short sessions initially and build from there.
I am not saying that it is an easy time for anyone and you probably are having to adapt to many other situations that this Covid year has sprung on you.
It might take some work but it can be achieved if you put some plans in place and start working on a growth mindset instead of holding onto your self limiting beliefs.
If you can learn to adapt to this situation, it can transcend beyond your health and fitness.
You will build confidence in yourself to handle whatever life throws at you.
You have the choice to adapt. Or not.
“When Napoleon was asked what principles of war he followed, he replied that he followed none. His genius was his ability to respond to circumstances, to make the most of what he was given – he was the supreme opportunist. Your only principle, similarly, should be to have no principles.”
“When you are faced with a new situation, it is often best to imagine that you know nothing and that you need to start learning all over again. You will develop your own strategic muscles instead of depending on other people’s theories and books”
Robert Greene
Coach Milligan 