Kyle made a very good point the other day with his flat tire incident, and I wanted to touch on it just a bit so that you can learn to become a fat burning expert over your lifestyle.

On Thursday, Kyle and I had an awesome training session in his home-gym underground dungeon. We used a great blend of bodyweight and free weight exercises as a means of conditioning - everything from KB cleans, to bodyweight squats, to barbell deadlifts, and some handstand practice. We hit our bodies in about every direction possible to get a holistic training effect and make sure we train every range of motion. We also finished off with a non-stop killer medicine ball circuit/game - throwing that ball in about every way we could think of. We had a lot of fun

This was my last training session until Monday. Yes, three days is a bit long to to rest and recover from my regular training, but there’s a special occasion this weekend. My wife, Renee, and I are moving tomorrow - and since that entails a lot of lifting and carrying, I thought it would be wise to not only take it easy during my training session today, but also to treat my moving day as another training day. So, although we did some very taxing exercises today, I kept my effort level moderate so that I have full access to my strength tomorrow come lifting time.

The only training I have planned for this weekend is to do some tension relieving via joint mobility exercises. Joint mobility exercises are one of the best ways to relieve muscular tension, decompress and lubricate our joints, and enhance our recovery process. In fact, I do some form of full-body joint mobility exercises daily for those very benefits. I don’t think I’ll have any problem getting in some joint mobility time - I have a feeling that after tomorrow, my joints are going to be BEGGING me for some attention.

So, why am I telling you all of this?

One of the most important points that a training program should address is making it personal to your lifestyle. It’s impractical to choose a generalized training program that was designed for someone else (that person probably has a perfect lifestyle that is optimized for training, but we know that kind of person rarely exists) and try to make it “work” for you. Everyone has a unique lifestyle - different training goals, different schedules, and different interests.

Oh, and I’m sure you’ve noticed, sometimes LIFE HAPPENS and there’s nothing we can do about it. Since we’re moving this weekend, I know that I need to step down my conditioning training and focus my attention on joint mobility to help with my recovery process.

One of the best things you can do is plan your training around what works for you, and use it to enhance your lifestyle. Training should not be a burden or a hindrance - it should be an adventure, your exploration into who you are. If you like to dance on the weekends, plan your training to accommodate this. If you like to hike, do the same thing. On the other hand, if you enjoy reading or can’t stand the thought of missing your favorite TV shows - make sure that your training takes this into account. Hint: if your main activities are sedentary, then you really need to take quality time out of your schedule to be active in order to burn fat and enjoy health. There’s no other way around it. I truly believe that the human body is best suited for daily activity - and that health is a natural byproduct of an active lifestyle.

The take-home message here is “stop trying to get it right, and start trying to make it personal for you, so that you enjoy the process and the changes that take place.” The time that you set aside and devote to your health, whether it be at the gym, planning out your meals, or walking the dog - is your own personal odyssey, and I want you to enjoy every moment of it because that is what you deserve.

To your health and success,

John Sifferman NSCA-CPT

P.S. Have you struggled with fitting in training during “life events” like relocating or getting a flat tire on the way to the gym? Please share, we would love to hear from you!