It looks like that time again! School is coming up (or started already) but it doesn’t have to put a damper on your training. Here are a few tips to keep your gains going into the new semester:
BE PREPARED
Avoid the temptation of convenient but unhealthy food. Chick-Fil-A? Scrap it. McDonalds? Not a chance. In fact, just stay away from fast food in general. Learn to cook & prepare a few simple meals and cook it in bulk. This way, you’ll always have something healthy to eat when you’re in a rush. A good set of tupperware is good idea too — you can’t take food with you without something to put it in!
So, instead of snacking on Uncrustables and Takis because you’re “in class”, take the time to prepare some *actual* food to help you with your training sessions after school.
PLAN YOUR TRAINING DAYS
If you train every single day, then you know when you’re going to be in the gym. BUT! If you’re trying to schedule around your work schedule, class times, or other obligations, start by picking three days of the week that have the lightest schedule and commit to training on those days…and we mean *literally* write the time in your planner, Google calendar, etc to give yourself some accountability. Treat the gym like you would treat one of your classes (you’d never skip class amirite?). But in all seriousness, if you don’t do the work in class, you’ll definitely fall behind…so let’s avoid that!
SET SOME TRAINING GOALS
A good place to start is by committing to something measurable like, “I will go to the gym twice per week for the first two weeks of school.” After that, bump it up to three. Then FOUR! Then, pretty soon you will be back on your way to GAINZville!
BE POSITIVE & TAKE IT SLOW
Remember, our training should be fun at the end of the day. It should be that thing that you look forward to after sitting in a chair for 6 periods a day. If your training has slowed down during the summer, ease back into your routine gradually. This will help your body adjust to training again and will help you get used to your busier schedule, so don’t beat yourself up if you miss a training day because of work or a school-related activity every once in a while. You’ll get it!