I’m not sure about you, but I’ve seen many people that get stuck in a rut with their workouts. They do the same thing over and over, and don’t go back to re-evaluate both their goals and their routine.
Here in New England the seasons are very distinct, and therefore the activities associated with the seasons are different too. Eating habits can be different too.
In the winter, for example, I tend to eat slightly heavier foods and the main activity outside of the gym is snowboarding. Because of the extra calories, winter is an ideal time to concentrate on strength training. With that in mind, I ensure that my workouts target the big compound movements – barbell squats, bench press and deadlifts. I also use a workout log to ensure that I am progressing week over week. The only way to continue to grow muscle and strength is to continue to tax your system by increasing the weight lifted over time. Personally I don’t find snowboarding that taxing, so don’t do anything specific to core strength/flexibility or leg strength/flexibility.
Now that summer is rolling around, the diet is lighter and the activities change. This is the season for mountain biking, wakeboarding and strutting around on the beach. These require different capabilities. Wakeboarding benefits from upper body strength and core stability. Mountain biking benefits from explosive leg strength and stamina. Being on the beach benefits from reduced body fat and plenty of lean muscle.
Therefore my routine is now changing from purely strength based to a combination of strength, explosive strength and cardio activities.
While I haven’t completely decided on my routine, I know I will include the following
- Rowing Machine
- Treadmill, HIIT running
- Power Clean and Press
- Jump Squats
- Cable Woodchop
- Cable Side Press
- Renegade Rows
- Weighted Pullups/Chinups
- Bench Press
These will all contribute to explosive strength, lean mass/reduced body fat and increased core stability. Enjoy the summer!
Over Long Distances 