Sometimes you need a change of atmosphere. When I first started my transformation, I had already been working out. My biggest change would be my nutrition. But I really wanted to feel like I was starting over and wanted someone else’s input. For that reason I decided on a change of atmosphere. I wanted to make sure that everything around me was positive and that it was all about accomplishing goals and training. My decision was to train at Emerge Fitness for my change of atmosphere. Once I reached my goals I went back to my old gym. I was revitalized and continued with a great workout routine and even incorporated some of the things that I picked up at Emerge into it.
Next I decided that I wanted to train at a higher level so I went to Xtreme Speed in Plainfield, IL. I trained there for about 10 weeks 3 days a week. The atmosphere definitely breeds success. The opportunity to train with other people who work hard every day and train at a high level of intensity, not only motivated me but opened the door to a different style of training that I was not use too. I thought that I knew what High Intensity was until I met these guys. Trying out different types of training is great for developing the body and it is also a great way to stay engaged.
Around the holidays I ended up back at my gym and was incorporating Xtreme’s training methods into my own workouts at home. A couple of weeks before the Super Bowl I was feeling like I was overtraining. The overtraining was not due to what I was doing in the gym, it was due to the amount of cardio that I was doing. I set a goal of running 1,000 miles this year. I was running about 25 miles a week which wasn’t really something that I was use to. It was close to 10 miles further than I had been running a week. I got to the point in which my joints were sore, I was running slower, I was losing strength and my mind did not feel right. My memory was not what it had been a few weeks before and I was feeling agitated. I knew what was going on but I was hoping that I would work through it. I finally smartened up and decided to take a break. The way I finally saw it was that my Cortisol levels were too high and the only way that I could get them under control was to take off. Initially it was going to be one week but I decided to take a second week off. I listened to my body and it was telling me that I wasn’t ready. I almost worked out at the end of the second week because I started to feel like I needed to be in the gym. Kind of like I was getting withdrawals.
Two weeks off after a couple of weeks of lame workouts. Now what? Do I start-up slow? Nope, I left on Sunday for Plainfield, IL and would workout from Monday to Wednesday at Xtreme Speed. Once again I wanted to fire it up again with the right atmosphere. It’s not like I hadn’t fallen out of shape again so I felt great getting back in there. They still kicked my ass. First and third day are upper body days and the second day is a leg and cardio day. After the second workout it felt like a fog had lifted. I feel awesome and my thought process seems like it getting back to where I was before I was losing my mind.
Although I needed the rest, I also needed a change of atmosphere. That atmosphere has to be positive. It can be the physical place and it can be the people that you train with. It can even be the workout. Finding a group of people with a high level of intensity is what works best for me.
I also learned that if you set a goal that is not going the way that you wanted like I did then you better change it before it is too late. Don’t let your pride get in the way of a mistake.
For me healthy life style is not an ongoing battle. It is about getting in tune with your body, learning and reaching your goals. I have a passion for this new phase of my life, so I choose to spend the time on myself and also on helping others figure out what works for them.
Evolve My Life ™ 