I’m Not Going To The Gym For A Week

What?

Did he really just say that?

Can he be serious?

Your eyes don’t deceive you; I did say that, and I’m serious about it!  I should do a little explaining first though, right?  I’ll be at the gym so I can work my shifts and train clients, so I’ll be at the gym to make money.  I’ll workout 4 times this week; Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.  The key, though, is that I won’t be working out at the gym.

I find it slightly ironic that I spend a good amount of energy convincing people to go to the gym so they can work out, and here I am not going for a week.  There are a few reasons.  The most important reason for this week long hiatus is that I’m finally deloading this week.  (Quick refresher: a deload is a planned microcycle, typically a week long, of active recovery in a larger mesocycle.  A good recommendation for a 4 week meso cycle is to have a 1 week deload week.)  During my deload week, I’ll perform 4 full-body workouts, during which I’ll concentrate on fundemental movement patterns, mobility/flexibility/ROM, and conditioning work.   How will I be able to do this without going to the gym?  Simple!  I did purchase a TRX and a Kettlebell for a reason, you know.

I’ve used my TRX in the gym for about 9 months now, and I absolutely love it.  I’ve used it for a number of outdoor conditioning workouts, and I love this piece of equiptment.   Recently, I purchased a kettlebell from Perform Better for exactly the same reasons I wanted the TRX.  It is another tool in the box, and it provides variety for both strength training and conditioning workouts.  Each piece of gear offers great benefits, and the opportunities are limitless.  My goal for the next week is to both push my creativity in designing workouts, as well as prove that the gym isn’t necessary to exercise.  If you are creative, have a well designed program, and push yourself, your results will speak for themselves.  Over the next week, I’ll plug in numerous exercises on the TRX and with the Kettlebell into a full-body workout, experimenting to find which provide the best bang-for-your-buck.  With what I discover, I’ll be able to provide recommendations for those looking to get stronger and leaner, move better, and feel better.  During the next week, it’s not about moving certain weights, feeling strong, feeling fast, or anything that is a performance variable.  The deload is about exercising to restoring your bodies performance; take it easy on the CNS, work your muscles through a full range of motion, get a little sweaty while you’re at it.  I could care less if I squat 405lb or do 20 Chin-Ups; I’m going to hammer squat technique and chin-up techinque.  It’s a great time to check that form is perfect, and I’ll be using the week to evaluate my summer programming and make changes where they need to be made.  Trust me, I need to make some changes.  While I made some great progress this summer, I also made some mistakes I hope I can discourage you from making as well.

Until the 30th, I’ll use three pieces of exercise equipment: My TRX, a 20kg Kettlebell, and a Foam Roller.  Since recovery is the key component of the deload, I’ll spend a ton of time with the Roller and a lacrosse ball, taking care of as many knots as possible.  Sure, it’ll be a little painful, but that’s a small price to pay for better movement quality and better performance.  After the week is over, I should feel ready to go for the next three weeks, and from past experience, I know that I’ll be in barbell withdrawal after 5 days.  So, adios gym, see you in a week!

Hopefully, there’ll be extra time in the next week to catch up on some blog posts, and to delve in depth as to what I’ve learned from my workouts over the summer! It’ll be nice to also update my about me, and get some more videos up.  Until then, for what could be the 7th time, I leave with you a video on how to foam roll, because you should be doing it.