Training and Working: Some thoughts on Hobbyist Fitness

Just some quick thoughts on training for those of us who have full time careers and other obligations.

We are not professional athletes.  This is a hobby...be it kettlebell sport, powerlifting, triathlons, Highland Games, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, road cycling, marathons, etc.  The vast majority of us will never see a dime for all the blood, sweat and tears that we pour into this stuff.  If you do it will be far less than the money you put into it, I can guarantee that.  With that in mind, it makes little sense to mirror our training loads like the pro's.

 We are professional: teachers, lawyers, firefighters, nurses, doctors, construction workers, police, soldiers, computer programmers, trainers and everything else under the sun.  We are also husbands, wives, fathers, and mothers.  To me, these tend to outrank my hobbyist pursuits.   I work out to be healthy, look good, and to feel good.  I find it rather hard to "feel good" if my fitness focus continually leaves me feeling drained or hurting constantly.

My approach thus far has been to establish a daily or weekly minimum to hit.  This is normally a set amount of volume or certain go to workouts that I can hit no matter what the day, at least under most circumstances.  If it is a bad day and I am feeling tired I should still be able to hit my minimum.  If I am feeling good, then maybe I might add a little more to my minimum for the day.   Once I have my daily minimum established for a bit, I might increase the total load by a hair.  Rinse and repeat.  You will have good days where the effort feels just plain easy and pushing a bit will come naturally.  Same with bad days and on those you know that all you have to do is hit that minimum and you are done.  Though to be honest, once you hit the minimum you will probably feel better for it and might want some more.  Be honest with yourself.  If you are hurting, take a day off.

I understand that intensity sessions can garner great results in less time, for a while.  But they also can start racking up aches and pains, not to mention risking injury, that take a toll on the day to day stuff that matters.  Getting that extra work done at your job, practicing ball with your kids, taking the wife out dancing, etc.   Point being, build your baseline.  Get a lot of work in at 50-80% effort.  Your 50-80% this year will not be the 50-80% of next year.  I swear it.   Build your base and you will be better able to taper for those couple of comps a year that you hit and chances are you will be less injury prone for it all.

If it's not for you, go do your thing.  Again, this is just my own approach to it all and I am not breaking records or anything.   I'm just having fun.