Perfect Programming Was Making Me Train Less
I made four workout programs in 18 months and failed to finish every one. Here's the simple system I use instead: pick one workout, start the timer, do the work.
Ten years ago I was a Division I wrestler.
I had lifting and practice programs laid out for me.
And all the time in the world to do them.
Now I'm a 31-year-old dad with an 18-month-old daughter and a son who will be born any day now.
As you can imagine, I have limited time. And working out feels harder to do.
Not because there isn't time to do it. It's because I'm overthinking it.
The Problem: A Bad Case of Analysis Paralysis
I'm used to having well-thought-out programs to follow like my college wrestling days. Over the last 18 months, I've made four different programs for myself and I've failed to follow each of them.
Here's why:
- I learn about a cool exercise and need to incorporate it into my program somehow. Then I rethink the program.
- I only have 10 minutes to work out so I decide not to because I "need" a full 30 minutes to do my workout for the day.
- I'd miss a workout, fall behind, and feel like I needed to start over.
- I'm tracking too many metrics that make me anxious every day.
These four reasons gave me a bad case of analysis paralysis. I overthought my program until I stopped working out entirely.
I kept looking for the perfect solution for my situation and feared that anything else was a waste of my time.
As a busy dad, that approach isn't working for me. A perfect program only works if I actually follow it. Right now, I'd rather have an imperfect system I can stick to than an optimal one I keep abandoning.
So I'm simplifying it.
The Solution: Pick Something and Start the Timer
I love calisthenics, kettlebell, sandbag, and mobility workouts.. And I've kept track of some of my favorites for years.
I put them, along with several variations I developed, into a physical binder I can look at every day.
This binder has 50 workouts broken down by category:
- 10 calisthenics
- 10 kettlebell
- 10 sandbag
- 10 mobility
- 10 hybrid (mix of categories)
Each workout is three exercises. Usually push, pull, and legs. They all build strength and cardio because I do as many rounds as I can in the time I have. Today I did 10 sandbag lap-to-chest lifts with a 125-pound bag, 15 push-ups, and 15 air squats for 20 minutes.
I pick one workout for the day and do 5-20 minutes of it.
If I have 20 minutes, I use 20. If I have 10, I use 10. If I have five, I use five.
I pick the workout based on how I feel that day. Sometimes I'll plan a few in advance.
Terrible sleep?
I'll do a mobility workout.
Excellent sleep?
I'll do a sandbag workout.
This has made it easy for me to avoid all-or-nothing thinking. A short workout is always better than skipping because conditions weren't perfect.
The only thing I track is how many days I work out each week. That's it.
I've been following this approach for the last few weeks and already feel a lot better.
- I don't feel anxious about tracking everything
- I don't waste time rethinking my program
- I don't skip a workout just because I only have five or 10 minutes
My mission is to stay athletic, strong, and mobile while being fully present for my family.
Right now, this is the approach that's working for me.
If You're a Parent Struggling to Fit in Time to Work Out
You don't need as much time as you think.
- Pick a workout
- Start the timer
- Do the work
- Move on with life
Then do it again tomorrow. Or whenever life gives you another opening.
Consistency doesn’t need perfect conditions. It requires starting.
