Seasons are changing soon but don’t get too far ahead of yourself. There is still plenty of snow for us to enjoy! Having said that, you can see the change coming. Spikes of warmer weather. Stores swapping over to bikes and camping gear. It’s on the horizon, are you ready for spring and summer activities? In my opinion, your answer should be “YES!”
Many of us have the mentality that we need to switch gears with our training as we go from season to season. You hear it all the time. “I need to get my ski legs ready.” Or, “I need to get ready for bike season.” While it is true that there is nothing we can to do replace the actual activity we can be better prepared for it. How are you better prepared for it without worry? (GPP) General Physical Preparedness. The bigger and broader the base of your fitness the better prepared you will be for any task at hand. Including your powder runs or long climbs on the bike.If you train (GPP) there will be less gaps to fill in and less ground to make up.
Think about some of the areas of fitness that you are good at and you want to improve.
-Top end strength
-Stamina
-Cardiorespiratory Endurance
Or maybe it’s something like
-Flexibility
-Power
-Speed
We all have strengths and weaknesses. That’s normal. We are born with certain traits that lend themselves better to some of the areas of fitness listed above than others. What I can tell you is the more well rounded you are and the more you work on your weaknesses, the better off you will be. This doesn’t mean we ditch the training that allows us to work our strengths. It simply means we pay attention to those things we could work on and take the time to do them. Think of a well-rounded training routine. How do you do it? Variance.
Variance is different than “random”. The main thing being that random, by definition, doesn’t have a plan. With variance, we have a plan. It provides us with an element of structure that allows us to have a well-rounded training program. Below are some of the more simple and traditional ways to get some variety in your training routine.
Time domains: short, medium, long, or interval workouts
Load: light, moderate, or heavy weights
Repetitions: low, moderate, or high reps
Movements: bodyweight, weightlifting, or things that fall under categories like running/rowing/swimming, etc.
If you vary these elements in as many combinations as you can think of the creativity is nearly endless. And the variance will turn you into a well-rounded beast. Below are some less traditional ways to change things up and can be fun as well!
Time of day: Early morning vs. evening
Environment: This is sometimes less controllable but if you can take advantage of it this can be a real eye-opener. Things like altitude, room or outside temperature, outside vs. inside training, etc.
Objects: Get rid of those small dumbbells and try a barbell. Ditch the barbell if you're always using one and grab a sandbag or flip a tire. Swing a sledgehammer or do some sled drags.
The real benefit behind all of this is that it puts you in a position where you have to do less in order to “get ready” for the next season. You’re in a ready state of fitness all the time. With some small tweaks and time spent doing the specific sport you love you’ll be back to peak season in no time. It’s also a game changer in getting some FUN back into your training. Variance keeps me entertained, eliminates boredom, and helps me avoid getting stuck in a run.
Try some of the things above and leave a comment on the post. I would love to hear some feedback on what you think, how you find if valuable, and ways that you accomplished it.
