Part of making a change in your life, in your routine, in your health and training is wanting it more than any obstacles that are thrown in your way. When your want is greater than the obstacles in front of you, you can do anything.

Some of the obstacles you can avoid and set yourself up for success.

1. Knowing your schedule: Lunch at 12 pm, Meeting at 2 pm. You have an hour to two hours to get a workout in. So you plan your day and your workout ahead of time.
2. Setting up a workout routine: setting up a workout routine helps keep you on track. Trying to come up with a workout while you are trying to do it is difficult. Sometimes you will not challenge yourself as much as you could. Sometimes you will not remember how heavy, and what intensity you did the same workout before.
3. Make it a priority: Making your workout, your training a priority will help when you have to prioritize your activities in the day.
4. Inform your support group: Let your loved ones and friends know your goals, what you plan to do, when you plan to do it. This helps them when they are planning their events. This also helps you stay on track. They can be a voice of reason, support, or even encouragement.

Sometimes obstacles are unavoidable and will come at you fast. You can throw your hands in the air and give up on your goals. Or you can adapt and wedge your workouts in where you can.

1. Stop and regroup: Sometimes a meeting comes up and messes up your routine. Instead of giving up on your training for the day. Look at your schedule and see where you have time. Wedge it in even if it is right before bed.
2. Change up your workout: If you have something come up and you cannot use the time you had allotted. Work in what you can. If you only have 20 minutes get a run in around the block.
3. Keep your training/workout a priority: If you keep a priority you are more likely to find a way to get it in.
4. Make it a game/challenge with yourself: its going to be hard in some cases to get the workout in, so make it a game/challenge. See where you can wedge it in. This way you won’t just say F’ it, the day is shot. I at least find it more fun this way to try to wedge it in.
5. Be kind to yourself you can control how you respond: It is not easy to switch gears all the time. Sometimes it is out of your hands. You may be waiting to workout with a partner but they are detained, you may be wanting to do an outdoor workout but it is raining. These things are not in your control but you can control what you do and how you react.

This week was that kind of week for me. Obstacles came in many directions. My want is greater than those obstacles. I came into this week with a rib still dislocated. My partners work was going to mess up our Muay Thai training for Saturday. The person I was waiting for to train with on Saturday decided they needed a rest day, so I had to regroup and do the training on my own.

Monday 10/19/2020: 58 minute – 8 minute glute activation warm up, 1 mile run, 20 minute lower body workout, 8 minute glute burn out, 7 min ab/core workout

Been resting since Thursday. I went to chiropractor on Friday to find out I had two ribs out, I had suspected 1 rib, so I rested my back for last three days.

But back on the wagon today. I still have a rib out I can feel it, but does not hurt nearly as bad as it did.

So since I had time to change up my workouts and plan to try something new I stated a new way to do my workout.

Training: Lower body workout day, I started with a glute activation

8 min Glute activation– only do these exercises till you feel your glutes activate but not to failure. You want to make the mind body connection between the muscle groups you will be using.

1) Mini band glute bridge
2) Mini band clam shell
3) Donkey Kick
4) Fire Hydrant
5) Reverse hyper – on the bench. (little hard on my back but will get better)

20 minute lower body workout – Each set is 10 minutes long – x 2 sets… 45 seconds on 15 seconds rest
1) Jump Squats
2) Alternating Stepping Lunge
3) Single Leg Hip Thrusts Left (Note: if you don’t feel your glute activating during this exercise use 80/20 hip thrust instead. I did this to get a better activation.)
4) Single Leg Hip Thrust Right
5) Alternating Stiff/single Leg Deadlift
6) Standing Calf Raise
7) Speed Air Squats
8) Alternating Side Lunges
9) Hamstring Heel Curl
10 ) Static Squat Hold Burn Out

Glute Activation 8 min
1) Straight Leg Fire Hydrant – 40 reps each side L and R – point toe down to activate gluteus medius
2) Bird Dog Slider 25 reps each side L and R – I used a sour cream lid because I don’t have a slider disk
3) Side Balance leg circles 30 seconds each side L and R
4) Side Balance leg curls 30 seconds each side L and R

Core workout 7 minute – 60 seconds each exercise , 3 exercises then 30 seconds rest.
1) Seated Ab Circles clockwise circles
2) Seated Ab Circles counter clockwise circles
3) Plank Mountain climbers
———–30 seconds rest
4) Marching Planks
5) Scissor Kicks
6) Starfish Crunches
————30 seconds rest
7) Russian V tuck twist (these were hard for me)

Workout #2: 1 mile run and partial of what I did in the morning for Lower body workout.

H said he wanted to get more workouts in than just the Muay Thai training days. So to help I told him I would do a second workout on Mondays and Wednesday with him to help him out. He has a hard time getting the energy to do it after work so I just grab him right when he gets home so he can’t think about it and say no. First day he has done it after work, and hoping we can make it a habit for him and us together.

Tuesday 10/20/2020: 1 hour of Muay Thai training

It was so nice to get back into the gym again. We worked the Thai 4 counts. I love coming back to these, and getting back to basics.

I still have one rib dislocated but I feel much much better. I just avoided clenching tonight.

It was an amazingly fun class. Thank you Khun Kru Krysta! It was a great workout and great training.

Training: jab cross burn out, kick burn out, Minnesota Shuffle burn out between rounds
1) jab, cross, left kick, right kick

2) rear kick, hook, cross, rear kick
3) held pads for H

4) lead kick, cross, hook, lead kick
5) held pads for H

6) rear kick, hook, cross, lead kick
7) held for H

8 ) lead kick, cross, hook, rear kick
9) held for H

Remember to clean your equipment! Especially during Covid-19.

Wednesday 10/21/2020: 1 hour 10 mins – 1 mile run and Biceps, Triceps, shoulders day, core workout 10 min warm up before run

1 mile run

Weight lifting: 50 minutes Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders
1) front raise to lateral raise- 2 x 10 lbs , 5x sets of 8 reps
2) overhead triceps extension – 20 lb kettlebell, 5x sets of 10 reps – ( set 4 I got 9 reps, set 5 I only got 8 reps)
3) chest press to shoulder press – 2 x 10 lbs , 5x sets of 8 reps
4) push up to elbow plank – 3 x sets of 5
5) Bicep curl 30 lb resistance – 5 x sets of 15 reps
6) Lat pull downs 30 lb resistance- 50 reps
7) halos – 25 lb kettlebell, 3 x sets of 10 counter clockwise and 10 clockwise

Core workout 7 minute – 60 seconds each exercise , 3 exercises then 30 seconds rest.
1) Seated Ab Circles clockwise circles
2) Seated Ab Circles counter clockwise circles
3) Plank Mountain climbers
———-30 seconds rest
4) Marching Planks
5) Scissor Kicks
6) Starfish Crunches
———-30 seconds rest
7) Russian V tuck twist (these were hard for me)

I finally got a full set of resistance bands that will got up to a 150 lb pull when you use all together. I need to invest in some actual dumbbells, I used plates from my barbell set for this. But you use what you have and you make it work.

Workout #2: 1 mile run with H, and coached him through my workout I did today.

Also my outfit is on point and I look cute! We worked on compound movements, like front raise to lateral raise, and then moved onto more isolated muscle focus. Like bicep curls and lats pull downs. With the isolated muscle focus, we worked on time and attention on the eccentric movements. Did core work, and glute activation again. Yay!

Thursday 10/22/2020: 1 hour and 10 minutes Muay Thai

Whew it was an amazing day of training. My ribs are feeling better. And while I am sore from yesterday’s upper body workout day, I had a great class. I kept my energy up and did not get into my head about my mistakes. It’s a constant battle of mine.

Funny quote of the day. “None of you are Sanchai, so don’t do it.” Khun Kru Krysta.

Also got two rounds of extra curricular pop the leather in with H after class. I am pooped. Happy to have a rest day tomorrow to let my tired muscles rest.

Training: ladder kicks 1-5, double kicks, and Minnesota shuffle for active recovery between rounds
1) Jab, Cross, Lead Kick, Rear Kick
2) held pads for H

3) Jab, Cross, Hook, Rear Kick
4) held pads for H

5) Cross, Hook, Cross, Lead Kick
6) held pads for H

7) Jab, Lead Kick, Cross, Rear Kick (I did this in a flow trying to go non stop)
8 ) held pads for H

9) Cross, Lead Kick, step back after kick to switch stance, Cross, Lead Kick
10) held pads for H

Extra Curricular
11) Two rounds of pop the leather

Woot what a great day!

Saturday 10/24/2020: 45 minutes – 1 mile run and Full body weight lifting workout

Some days things just don’t go to plans. Sometimes what you expect to happen, plan to happen, just does not follow suit.

So you get your workout in when and where you can.

And then sometimes fresh fruit is waiting for you after your workout, so it makes things all the better.

1 mile run

Weight lifting:
1) cross over – using resistance bands 3x sets of 20 reps
2) Back squat – Olympic barbell – 3x sets of 8
3) shoulder press – using resistance band 3x sets of 8
4) Front Raise to Lateral Raise – using plates 3x sets of 10
5) Good Morning – Olympic barbell- 3x sets of 10
6) Bulgarian Split Squat – 3x sets of 15 each leg
7) Frog hip thrusters- 3x sets of 15
8 ) Bicep Curls – resistance band, 3x sets of 20

So while not what I expected I still got one in. Yay!
Also wore one of my favorite shirts.

I had so many obstacles this week. Some were known, some were out of the blue. Some were avoidable, some were unavoidable.

1. Rib out (unavoidable, unplanned)
2. Work schedule being messed up (planned, unavoidable)
3. Partner not wanting to workout after I planned for said partner and waited (unplanned, unavoidable)
4. Weather not working with us (unplanned, avoidable)

But I did my workouts, I went to my training, I did not let those things derail me as they can so easily do.

Now you won’t be able to plan around, avoid, and wedge a workout in all the time. You will have days where there is no time to do that. No extra time, no down time. You will have days where your body says no…Those are understandable.

However, if you have days where things come up, your plans are scattered, and you still have time and or with a little creative juggling you can wedge a workout/training in. Don’t let those obstacles derail you while you throw your hands in the air. You are the one that is in control of how you react to a situation. I have to still tell myself that on those days when s*$t is just not going to plan.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a fantastic day, and week to come. If you liked this post, please click the like button so I know. If you want to follow my adventures, subscribe, and if you want drop me a line, or comment please feel free to do so.