Well this post ended up feeling a little like a lecture. Maybe I am grumpy today. 😂 Happy Friday yall!
Fatigue and Training:
Fatigue can be described as a lack of energy or motivation, both physically or mentally. It can be caused by a lack of activity, and also by an excess of activity. Stress from work, personal life, and things like pandemics can also add to the cause of fatigue.
Unchecked fatigue can lead to serious issues such as injury or illness. Two of the best things you can do for treating fatigue are getting adequate sleep and nutrition.
If you have not been exercising regularly it may mean that you need to start moving and doing more in your day. If you have been exercising regularly it may mean that you need to pull back a bit and let your body rest and recover. Are you getting at least 6 to 7 hours of sleep a night? Are you eating a balanced diet with fresh/whole fruits and veggies?
However, we should not look at fatigue as a bad thing. It is more like the temperature gauge in your car. When everything is working as it should the temperature is in the middle of the gauge. When there is a problem the needle moves left or right. When we are groggy in the morning or moody this is our body telling us that it needs something.
There are a few working theories on what fatigue means for the body. In all of them fatigue is seen as a built in gauge for the body to prevent injury or illness from occurring. Keeping this in mind can help you understand how to handle fatigue and stay productive.
One purpose of having a training plan is to help avoid excessive fatigue. Holding back a little and staying rested can be better than having the best workout ever. Adding things like prioritization to the plan allows you to do this over the course of weeks and months. This can lead to bigger gains in strength and performance. </end lecture>
Workout details:
Back to strength training today with the recommended bodyweight routine. I will admit that my mind was not really focused on the workout today. I got a good nights sleep in but right now I really just want to be riding my bike. However the training program is setup with these strength days for a reason: to help me have good overall strength for staying comfortable on the bike for longer. Thinking about this helps me push through the workout, a little bit anyway. Music is the bigger help. Lots of drum and bass today, as usual.
On the pull up front I am feeling progress. I did 4 sets of 3 pull ups again. The goal is getting my chin above the bar on each attempt. The other goal is minimal movement from the rest of my body. I want these to be strict with no kipping/cheating.