Ernie Schramayr and his fourth quarter press
As I sit down to write this week’s column, it is the first week back to school for both of my kids.
One is in high school and the other is in college. While the beginning of this school year is, undoubtedly, different, it’s still a signal that we are into a new season with new challenges that is also brimming with the exciting potential of things to come.
In the past, I’ve written about how September feels more like a “new year” than January, regardless of what the calendar tells us. The mid-winter holiday season often feels more like a “break” from the year in progress, while September means back to school, work, sports and “life.”
From a health and fitness perspective, this is the perfect time to get back into the things that were put on hold during the lazy, hazy days of summer. Whether this means paying closer attention to eating habits, getting back into an exercise routine or if it means taking the management of a medical condition more seriously, now is the perfect time to get to it.
As incredible as it might seem right now, New Year’s Eve is only 16 Fridays away, close enough to use as a target date, but, far enough away that the coming months can be broken down into specific training and nutrition “phases.”
Much like an athlete would do four months before the start of a season, I am suggesting that anyone who is serious about creating lasting change in their body take some time to plan out their physical maintenance schedule from now until the end of the year.
The secret to getting into great shape over a period of months is to plan to make changes to your exercise routine three or four times in that period. The idea is to provide your body with a stimulus that it isn’t used to, forcing it to adapt by building lean muscle tissue, burning fat and enhancing cardiovascular fitness. With most programs, adaptation occurs within two to four weeks, meaning that the best plans change at least every four weeks.
During this period of “adaptation,” it also makes sense to adjust eating habits if one has physical goals that go beyond simply being healthy. In other words, eating to build muscle is different from eating to burn fat. Both can be healthy and both have their place in a training regimens that evolves over time.
Like many people, I have been exercising at home for the last five months, with no immediate plans to return to my gym. I’ve set myself up with dumbbells, resistance bands, a stability ball, a TRX suspension trainer and a workout bench and an exercise bike. I’ve done a pretty good job of maintaining my pre-lockdown fitness and have even added daily walking into my routine. With all of the uncertainty around us, my workouts have been a constant that I actually have control over. It’s helped me to maintain physical, mental and even spiritual wellbeing.
Moving out of summer into fall has made me realize that we are entering the fourth quarter of 2020. As challenging as this year has been, it’s actually been outstanding in many ways and I want to make sure that I finish it strong and in control.
With this in mind, I’ve designed a workout and eating regimen for myself to help navigate the challenges ahead in the fourth quarter, from further lockdowns, holiday binging or from business obstacles.
In next week’s column, I’ll be outlining exactly how I’m planning to get to the end of this year in better physical, emotional, and mental health than when it started. My hope is that it inspires you to join me in the best way that you can.