I am a new dad. I am also tired. Becoming a father has been the greatest experience of my adult life. I can finally justify the flesh lasagna near my belly-button: Dad Bod. I want to be a good dad. I’m making sacrifices. For instance, I started supersetting Russian imperial stouts with Michelob Ultras. Gotta [...]
I am a new dad.
I am also tired.
Becoming a father has been the greatest experience of my adult life. I can finally justify the flesh lasagna near my belly-button: Dad Bod.
I want to be a good dad. I'm making sacrifices. For instance, I started supersetting Russian imperial stouts with Michelob Ultras. Gotta stay hydrated. Carrying a baby in a car seat is the ultimate farmer's walk.
At the same time, I'm Han Solo selfish. I don't want to flush my physical prowess down the Porcelain pooper pipeline.
Even though time is tighter than Mary Magdalene, I am doing my best to juggle barbell and baby.
If you wanna know how, keep reading. I'll gladly bidet your preoccupation with productivity.
Before I spoon-feed you the “actionable” takeaways, I wanna highlight two important principles. Both principles supersede my specific situation, which is to say…
- They're useful even if you aren't strapped for time, attention, or energy. (Hint: these are finite resources, you're always strapped for them.)
- They're useful even if you're doing something other than basic barbell and bodyweight training. In other words, if you are trying to become a better soufflé chef (or whatever), these principles will still tickle your pickle.
Ready?
Principle: Win or draw
You need to either put in as much time as necessary to improve a physical attribute, or put in as little time as necessary to maintain a physical attribute. In other words, if you aren't doing enough improve, then you should be doing as little as necessary to maintain.
Here's an example…
If you want to become more flexible, you need exist near your end range of motion (in any given position) for a minimum of two minutes, most days of the week. THIS IS A MINIMUM. On the flip side, you can probably maintain your flexibility by simply reaching your end range of motion (in any given position), most days of the week.
IMPROVEMENT LOOKS LIKE
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MAINTAINING LOOKS LIKE
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In general, maintaining is much less time consuming than improving — a disparity that holds across most physical attributes. If you can't commit the the improvement demand, then just maintain. Avoid purgatory.
PURGATORY (IN RED)
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You're in purgatory if you're doing more than what's necessary to maintain, yet not enough to improve.
Principle: Focus
Establishing strong habits and rituals is much easier when your brain can connect your actions to positive consequences. Positive consequences are more pronounced when you focus. Here's why…
If you have ten resource units and you spread them across ten different domains of improvement, then the degree of improvement won't be large. It might not even be visible.
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This is like doing ten different stretches for ten different body parts for the minimum time improvement requirement. You'll probably improve, but the improvement will be mild (perhaps invisible), in the short-term.
There's nothing inherently wrong with spreading yourself thin, but if you have an OWW brain (like I do), then you're probably going to find yourself saying: “I'VE BEEN DOING ALL THIS WORK, AND I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO SHOW FOR IT. WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME? I AM USELESS.”
In contrast, if you devote eight resource units to one domain of improvement and spread the remaining two units across the other nine domains, then you'll see a larger improvement. Granted, the improvement will be secluded to one domain, but it'll quench your brain's thirst for feedback.
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This is like doing ten different stretches for ten different body parts, spending 80% of your time on one stretch and 20% on the other nine. Your improvement will be much more noticeable in the short-term.
This cycle is a drug.
Focus facilitates feedback.
THIS IS WORKING!
Feedback creates momentum.
I WANT THINGS TO CONTINUE WORKING, SO I HAVE TO KEEP GOING!
Momentum turns into confidence.
I AM MAKING THINGS WORK, I AM AWESOME!
Confidence creates certainty.
I KNOW HOW TO WIN AND I KNOW I AM A WINNER.
This is an important cycle to maintain, even if you aren't short on time.
No time for improvement?
Perhaps you don't have time to improve. No biggie. Just maintain across the board. You don't need to push the progress pedal to the floor every single month. When you maintain, you don't have to worry about feedback, because you aren't expecting to improve.
What to focus on?
If you're anything like me, focusing is tough because you want to do ALL THE THINGS. NO BLUR. CLEAR. I NEED TOTAL CLARITY AHHHH. Unfortunately, “things” require time, attention, energy — finite resources. You can't do ALL THE THINGS, because you don't have infinite resources.
Focusing is a decision. If I were Tim Ferriss, I'd mention something about the origin of the word “decide,” because it means “to cut away.” When you decide, you eliminate. Cutting away isn't easy (unless you're Kaitlyn Jenner). Culture pushes us towards addition, not subtraction. Buying clothes is pleasurable. Getting rid of clothes is painful.
If you're struggling to find focus, you need to identify your biggest hemorrhoid. This is subjective. You can either grow your biceps or walk up the stairs without knee pain. There isn't a right or wrong answer. Depends on your psychology.
With these two principles in your pocket, you can better understand the adjustments I'm making to my training.
FIRST, NO HOT FUDGE.
I believe the primary driver of muscular progress (especially for a noob) is getting stronger within a handful of multi-joint compound exercises. If you've browsed through my Boring Barbell Program, you know I'm a fan of incline presses, snatch deadlifts, chin-ups, squats, overhead presses, and rows.
My program revolves around these lifts. The progression scheme I use for them is slow and boring, but effective.
To combat boredom, I do other exercises I'm interested in (usually calisthenics). These “other” exercises are condiments. And here's the deal with condiments: they are disgusting by their lonesome. You don't eat hot fudge without ice cream.
Condiments compliment.
Since I don't have much time to train, I eliminated the condiments. My strength on the big barbell lifts are the only thing I care about. If they are improving, then I know I'm improving.
Hocus focus.
SECOND, SHOTGUN SETS.
When people say they don't have time to train, they usually mean: I don't have large secluded blocks of time to train. Fortunately, training doesn't have to be a compartmentalized activity condensed into one discrete and continuous block of time.
You might not have large secluded blocks of time to train, but you probably have small random chunks of time. You need to use these small random chunks of time to your advantage.
Introducing: shotgun sets.
Every few hours, I do one set of
- Squats (with lungey hinge movements)
- Pull-ups (with hanging leg raisy movements)
- Push-ups (with mountain climbery movements)
I don't strive for a specific number of reps. The rule I follow: stimulate, don't annihilate. Although, “annihilate” is a rough word. Perhaps better said: I avoid fatigue. Because I know, in few hours, I'll be doing another set. I'd rather be fresh and motivated, as opposed to fried and fatigued.
Although I accumulate some training volume with shotgun sets, they aren't meant to be a driving stimulus for progress. They're simply a stopgap. If all else fails, at least I did something for the day.
You can get creative with shotgun sets.
Don't have a pull-up bar nearby? If you have the right kind of door frame, then buy an attachment. Punch this link (Amazon) to see the door frame pull-up bar I use. You can also keep a kettlebell by your computer. Or, if you work at home, you can keep a barbell loaded with 135 (or 225) pounds in your office. Every time you walk into your office, do some deadlifts, rows, cleans, presses, etc…
THIRD, ANKLE ROCKER STAR.
I'm shamed to admit, I haven't made much mobility progress in the past year. Prior to becoming a dad, I spent 20-minutes (most days) doing CARs, but I lacked focus. I gave myself blue balls.
Now, I spend 10-minutes moving my joints through their full range of motion (warming-up, essentially). After, I dedicate 5-minutes to my right ankle; I'm focused on improving my right ankle rocker mobility.
Prior, I was spending 20-minutes to maintain. Now I'm spending 15-minutes to maintain and improve.
Hocus focus.
FOURTH, MORE OFTEN, LESS LONG.
Currently, setting aside 20 to 30-minute chunks of time more often is easier than setting aside 60 to 90-minute chunks of time less often. Translation: instead of training three or four days per week and having my sessions last 60 to 90-minutes, I train six days per week with sessions that last 20 to 30-minutes.
I do my daily 15-minute mobility routine when the baby is sleeping (or whenever is convenient). I don't have to “check out” for this. I “check out” when I lift, and my lifting revolves around the boring barbell lifts.
I do one boring barbell lift with progressive intent, per session. I might do other exercises if I have the time and energy, but I won't go heavy. Only the boring barbell lift gets the love. For instance, I'm gonna do conventional deadlifts today. My only objective is to deadlift slightly more than I did last week. I may do some weighted chin-ups in between sets, but I won't push the envelope.
Mini-me forced me evaluate how I was using my time. Turns out, I wasn't using my time. Time was using me.
I'm more focused now. I finish my lifts MUCH quicker than I used to. I'm not lazing around between sets. I'm breathing heavier than I normally would. Feels great. It hasn't interfered with my output (as of now).
If anything, I feel better during my sets. I lock into the zone much easier because I have to. Basically, if you're struggling with productivity, then you should have a kid.
Makes total sense.
I can't wait for everything I wrote to crumble in five months, when this spawn starts crawling and shoving every available object into his mouth.
May the Gains be with you,
Ant