One may as well begin with Marcus Martinez's email: How Many Days a Week Should I Workout?
To which Dawn said, "The full recommendation adds up to 670-1185 mins per week, average 95-169 mins per day. My mind reels."
Well, yes. In fact the full recommendation is:
- four 45-60 minute strength sessions per week
- two 15-30 minute interval sessions per week, only one if your goal is not fat loss
- two 20-40 minute lower intensity cardio sessions per week, if your goal is fat loss
- a 30-45 minute walk every day, or at least every other day
- 20-40 minutes of stretching every day
- 10-30 minutes of meditation every day
Then again, I feel like we already do more than that. Okay, "feel" is probably not the operative verb for math. Fiiiiine, right off the top we have 90-120 minute practices three times a week, that's 270-360 minutes right there, that pretty much matches the 250-380 minutes of weekly practices that he recommends. And outside of practices Dawn works with a trainer and I work with my clients, so we're both actually over. But, now we're on break. I want a new drug! I want to seriously strength train, I don't do it in season because like I said I'm already over. Just say no to overtraining!
First of all, let's not be a hero and not take the high road, just as an exercise in giving it a goddamned rest:
- four 45 minute strength sessions per week
- two 15 minute interval sessions per week
—fifteen-minute workouts, how cuuute - two 20 minute lower intensity cardio sessions per week
- a 30 minute walk every other day
- 20 minutes of stretching every day
- 10 minutes of meditation every day
Let's address those daily practices:
- I already walk 30 minutes every other morning: it's 30 minutes door to door from home to work, and I work four days a week, check. I walk to the train, take two flights of stairs down, stand on the platform, train surf on the train, and take two flights of stairs up. It doesn't have to be more than that. On the other hand, it doesn't have to be less than that. It's good standing, walking, and climbing stairs, and if I do sit on the platform or the train, it's good sitting i.e., squatting. All with proper form! The reason you should do all these things with proper form is JUST BECAUSE. Because you should do things the way your body is designed to do them, the better for doing those things and the better for your body and the better to build on. And obviously I do all that, in reverse, from work to home, and I'm not even counting that, which is why I don't sweat it if sometimes I sit down.
- I actually also already meditate for 15 minutes every afternoon, check. More about that TK.
- That leaves 20 minutes of stretching every day—okay fine, I will add that. And since I'm walking in the morning and meditating in the afternoon, I will stretch in the evening. But how about for 15 minutes, my timetracker is set up in fifteen-minute increments.
Okay but, I will tell you this: I'm not working out hard six days a week. I want to crosstrain over break, but I also want to break on break. If I try out for travel teams again in February, I fully intend to go the distance for the season: fill up the tank now, don't run out of gas later:
- two 45 minute strength sessions per week
- two 60 minute combined strength and interval sessions per week
- two 20 minute lower intensity cardio sessions per week
- a 30 minute walk every other morning
- 15 minutes of meditation every day
- 15 minutes of stretching every day
Now I'm not going to just lay this on top of my life, I'm going to work it in with what I've got. Which is learn to skate clinics and referee practices on Sunday, Nora at GIC on Tuesday, Kris at Fit Foot on Wednesday, yes, sometimes your trainer plans a month of foot rubs, it can happen to you, and Travis at GIC on Saturday. So clearly, the two strength sessions Tuesday and Saturday when I am already in the weight room. Also clearly, a) the time to do my Sunday workout is during ref open skate, between learn to skate and referees, and b) I'm not going to take off my skates and put them back on, c) heavy weights + skates probably not a great idea, so d) that's going to be an onskates interval session:
- two 45 minute strength sessions per week
- one 15 minute onskates interval session per week
- one 60 minute combined strength and interval session per week
- two 20 minute lower intensity cardio sessions per week
- a 30 minute walk every other morning
- 15 minutes of meditation every afternoon
- 15 minutes of stretching every evening
Here's another thing: I really, really need to do some housecleaning around here. Those can be my lower intensity cardio sessions. What, it's totally legit. Now that I'm thinking, I think I don't start housecleaning projects because I subconsciously know I don't have enough gas for them. Also housecleaning isn't twenty minutes, more like an hour minimum. What happens if I mentally prepare and fuel up for them like they're workouts? When should I do them, Monday and Friday? Haha, NOPE, how about just Monday:
- two 45 minute strength sessions per week
- one 15 minute onskates interval session per week
- one 60 minute combined strength and interval session per week
- one 60 minute housecleaning session per week
- a 30 minute walk every other morning
- 15 minutes of meditation every afternoon
- 15 minutes of stretching every evening
Or, in order:
- Sunday: 15 minute onskates interval session
- Monday: 60 minute housecleaning session
- Tuesday: 45 minute strength session
- Wednesday: 60 min foot and body rub
- Thursday: 60 minute combined strength and interval session
- Friday: rest and relaxation
- Saturday: 45 minute strength session
- a 30 minute walk every other morning
- 15 minutes of meditation every afternoon
- 15 minutes of stretching every evening
I definitely think whatever I do on Thursday I should do at home, I have plenty of weights and other toys I can work out with. I could do tractor runs. Though that's not using weights, so not strength. I could just do two strength and two interval workouts.
I ...don't want to work out on Thursday.
First of all, I want to write! I was supposed to get to write during break, and here I have filled all my time back up with workouts. Secondly, I want to see people! Thirdly and seriously, that time might be better used for recovery and rebuilding between strength workouts. Fourthly, I'm supposed to get to breeeeeak. What I need is just one open night in my week besides Friday night, which isn't open. Friday is the opposite of open, Friday is Sorry We're Closed! where what only ever happens is tacos and watching TV on the couch. I need an open night when anything could happen!
"In testing, that's called 'ad hoc' time," Dawn says. I know, you haven't heard from Dawn in a while. We're driving to Grand Rapids and I've been talking for like an hour straight. But now I stop dead in my tracks, transfixed. "I thought you would like that."
I do!
Sunday: 15 minute onskates interval session
Monday: 60 minute housecleaning session
Tuesday: 45 minute strength session
Wednesday: 60 minute foot and body rub
Thursday: AD HOC TIME
Friday: rest and relaxation
Saturday: 45 minute strength session
a 30 minute walk every other morning
15 minutes of meditation every afternoon
15 minutes of stretching every evening
This is the world's longest shaggy dog story ending exactly where I usually start: three high-intensity practices, two low-intensity practices, including the foot rub (no seriously it's more or less a full body deep tissue massage, some of it really hurts AND it's going to be hella beneficial), and two rests, including the ad hoc time.
| SUN | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT |
| SLEEP | SLEEP | SLEEP | SLEEP | SLEEP | SLEEP | SLEEP |
| morning | morning | morning | morning | morning | morning | morning |
| HOBBY cooking | WORK | HOBBY cooking | WORK | WORK | WORK | PLAY^ strength |
| HOBBY appts | WORK | HOBBY bills | WORK | WORK | WORK | HOBBY tasks |
| PLAY^^ interval | PLAY cleaning | PLAY^ strength | PLAY^ bodywork | PLAY ad hoc | PASTIME | PASTIME |
| 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| evening | evening | evening | evening | evening | evening | evening |
| SLEEP | SLEEP | SLEEP | SLEEP | SLEEP | SLEEP | SLEEP |
Geez, I looked for my summer fitness chart and I guess I never did it. I kind of hate not even being aware that something fell through the cracks, but also feel kind of validated. It's been a hell of a long haul, I'm kind of glad that I wasn't aware how hella until after it's been hauled.
