You have about six weeks until the the start of Summer on June 21. What does this mean in regards to health, fitness, or even martial arts training?
Actually, I don’t know! But I am not a fan of marketing that goes like this,
“Get ready for swimsuit season by …”
(Insert Shake Weight Infomercial)
The problem with a deadline like the one I mentioned for summer is that it makes us think we have to act NOW.
That may or may not be the case.
I would recommend against letting an outside force put pressure on you like that…. Buuuut what if you can’t help but set these deadlines?
Well, the way I see it you have three options.
Option 1: Just give up on trying to be make any changes to your current health routine. Go ahead and eat anything you want. Stop any type of exercise or training (did you even start?), and party like it’s 1999.
Option 2: Continue to do what you have been doing all year. In six weeks, summer will be here and you can start at that time. Or not?
Option 3: Think of the next six weeks as the preseason. Make changes now for summer (or whatever deadline you want).
When one season is over, the best athletes immediately start thinking about what needs to be done in order to succeed in the next one.
An easy start is to address the potential roadblocks to your training program.
These happen when there are mobility issues, stability issues, or a major imbalance in the body.
In order to keep it simple, try this test. Can you perform a rock bottom squat, with arms overhead and hold that position? (FYI, no external load or weight is needed!)
If you can hold this position, that’s a great indicator of adequate mobility in most of the major joints of the body. And you have decent stability as well!
Unfortunately, most people are not going to be able to perform this correctly. The biggest mobility issues are lack of ankle, hip, and t-spine range of motion. Stability issues may need to be addressed as well.
Check out the Control Your Health Channel on our Wah Lum YouTube Page for some ideas on how to address mobility and stability.
What about working out or training over the next six weeks?
Follow two rules: dial down on the workout time, and increase the frequency.
Don’t worry about 45- to 60-minute workouts right now because you probably don’t have time.
If you did, wouldn’t you be training that much already?
Let’s not add any more stress than necessary. Keep workouts short and frequent.
As an example, here is what I am doing. Because I have a tight upper back and hip mobility issues, I spend 5 minutes mobilizing these areas before I start.
Then I do a short workout that consists of a big upper body movement (pull-ups or presses), a big lower body movement (squatting or deadlifting), and something for the core (get-up with a kettlebell or ab-wheel).
I’m done in 20 minutes and am able to fit this in multiple times during the week.
Training like this during busy times is great because you won’t feel like it is a chore.
You will actually look forward to these training sessions because you will feel energized afterwards and left wanting more.
Summer starts in six weeks. But that doesn’t matter!
What counts is doing something you like often; getting better at it and feeling better about yourself.
-Oscar
Wah Lum Kung Fu and Tai Chi
Control Your Health
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