Rolling With the Punches

                Life can be full of surprises; you never know what it will throw at you. You can have the best laid plan, and suddenly it’s thrown out the window. The great ones know what to do in those situations. They learn to adapt and adjust their plan accordingly.

                In fitness (and everything else really), you need a plan of attack to reach your goals. But you must realize that at any point, that plan falls apart because of unforeseen circumstances. It could be you got sick. It could be you got injured. Maybe you got a lot to do at work. Maybe a change in family matters. Whatever it may be, you won’t be able to follow the plan to a t. So adapt to the situation. Don’t sit and sulk that you can no longer follow the plan. That’s life. Find alternatives instead that will still help you toward your goals.

                Now I’ve been talking about this in an overall sense, but it also comes down to the individual training sessions too. Let’s say you’ve gone to the gym and you’re planning to work on your bench press. When you get there, all the benches are taken. What do you do? Complain that you can’t work in? Sit on the side and wait 30 min just to bench press? No, you find an alternative. Do DB bench presses instead, or use the machine, or work on weighted push-ups. Those 30 min spent waiting could’ve been put to better use on something else.

                Maybe you’re swimming, but it’s a busy time. You have to share a lane with 5 swimmers but you hate swimming with others because they get in your way. Suck it up and swim. Adjust accordingly rather than complain and sulk.

                Learn to roll with the punches. Adapt to the situation and you will make life easier on yourself.