It's funny; I look forward to taking a vacation and then as it approaches I reminded of how stressful it is to take one.
We leave on Tuesday so this week has been maddening, making sure that everything is done and my ducks are in a row, so that I can enjoy the time away. The backside of the vacation is equally as stressful because as soon as I get back I will have to get caught up, as well. Add a relocation into the mix only 2 weeks after vacation (only about an hour north) and that only compounds the stress. I know that if I don't have everything done before I go, I will not enjoy the vacation and it will defeat the purpose of taking one. So, what do I do? I get caught up wasting an hour-and-a-half on my personal Facebook page arguing about contact tracing. *sigh* Sometimes, I just can't resist temptations.
This last week was one of those weeks where I still enjoyed the training, but I NEEDED it more than I enjoyed it, if that makes sense. I needed it to decompress and blow off steam. I also needed it because even though I have trained for years, I still struggle with my motivation prior to going on a vacation. I can't help but think (and it's true), "what is the big deal with missing a couple of workouts in the big picture?" And then the answer hits me quickly.
It IS a big deal. It's a big deal because, like most, I don't want to go on vacation feeling like a slob and even though I don't look like one, when I don't train, I feel like one. It's a mental block that most of us have and deal with. I don't typically train while on vacations, either. It's just not a vacation if I don't break from my typical schedule and routine. Plus, I'm an all or nothing kind of guy. If I'm unable to train at 100%, I'm not going into the gym to not accomplish anything. I would rather chill and rest instead of investing time the, risk of injury, etc., to not get anywhere.
So, I pushed through and had great workouts and I am one step closer to unloading on these legs that have been somewhat dormant for the last few months due to my hip injury. I started training legs again with compound movements but only heavy enough to kind of "break in" my hip so that it can get stronger before the big push comes when I return from vacation.
Yesterday, I tested the hip out by doing both hack squats and smith squats and everything was great (other than strength, of course). Now, it isn't that my hip isn't recovered and ready, but my brain is not convinced that it is 100%, yet. That's just how my brain works. So, I have to build up the strength in my stabilizer muscles of the hips, and as I stack one leg workout on top of the next, I feel more confident that I can go 100% and start pushing weight without the fear or anxiety of "something might happen."
I went at it hard, but my strength was obviously down. It still felt great and was satisfying simply because of doing the exercises that I haven't been able to do for a few months, now. The pump was fierce and the soreness today tells me that I hit them plenty hard.
I will keep my diet in check relative to just throwing it out the window while I'm on vacation. I will indulge, but I am taking protein powder, nuts, I will order Panera salads with triple chicken everyday, and limit my carbs based on activity for that particular day. There is no doubt that I will also be hitting up old favorites for a burger and for breakfasts, too, but I am not going to there with the intention of going ape shit on food. I don't want to come back home to a hole that I've dug for myself that I need to take a month to dig out of -- especially considering I will be training at a different gym in 2 or 3 weeks. I can't walk into a new gym feeling like an untrained slob. My ego can't handle that. lol
So, I will get back to work, work through the weekend and make sure that my ducks are in a row before leaving town. I will take the time of the plane to structure my training for the off season and also my diet. I want to incorporate a training schedule that allows for training legs twice a week or some variation of that. It might be a rotation that allows for fewer days between leg days vs. upper body, etc. I don't know just yet.
After the year I've had (we've all had), I need this break, though, and I'm looking forward to it, big time.
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