Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Training and Nutrition Plans for Fall

Now that summer is drawing to a close, what are your training plans? It seems we have certain times of the year that we tend to think about our fitness. For sure this occurs in January each year, when we feel positive about a fresh start and a little mortified by the damage of poor eating habits. Then another surge occurs when we hit spring, realizing we'll soon be putting on shorts and bathing suits. Sometimes that sharp focus fades as we hit mid to late summer. So what about fall? If you've already been to the beach or other vacation or had your fill of hot weather, you may already be day-dreaming of cool weather and sweaters. I know I am!

Summer has been challenging in terms of my personal fitness and nutrition goals, but the few cool, beautiful days we've had lately have me feeling re-energized. I can either keep plugging along, cover up with my sweaters and head straight into the fourth quarter season without achieving my goals or I can put this surge of energy to good use!

Alwyn Cosgrove (Afterburn and WarpSpeedFatLoss) has said "it doesn't matter what you eat or how you exercise between Christmas and New Year's...but it matters how you eat and exercise between New Year's and Christmas!" Too many times we go into fall and winter with less than optimal habits. We'd like to blame it on the holiday activities and abundance of tasty treats, particularly from about mid December through the New Year's eve bash. The problem is, we probably loosened up on our habits once we wore that bathing suit in front of everyone for the first time this year. We never recovered from our cook-outs, only to head straight into school and work schedules, topped off by shelves of Halloween candy every time we go to the grocery. Can you visualize the snowball from there?

Next thing we know, we're only focused on our fitness and nutrition from January to about mid June! For some reason, this feels like a beginning and an end to our fitness and nutrition each year, when it should look like a continuum of improvement and maintenance. I think dieting and finite exercise programs have greatly contributed to this.

Unlike the beginning and end to a diet, optimal eating should be from meal to meal, day to day, week to week. Every single positive change you make in your eating habits can be sustained, resulting in a cumulative effect that builds over time, regardless of what time of year it is. This is a complete shift in mindset from beginning a diet and then trying to figure out what you're going to do when you get to eat real food again. That's what Cosgrove is talking about when he says that a relaxed week between Christmas and New Year's isn't the problem, it's how we spend all those other weeks.

The same is true of training. Every day offers an opportunity to get up and move. I have a friend who says the cooler weather makes her running easier. In my area we have lots of festivals and fairs, Race for the Cure, and numerous other opportunities to get outside still and be active. Many of us like to use pre-designed fitness programs. That's fine! I have several and complete them as written and use them for reference in putting together my own programs. If you choose a fitness program (I have several good ones recommended on this blog) be sure you're choosing one that matches your current goals. It should progress you on your journey, so that when you accomplish it you're ready for the next level. There is no real end! Think improvement and maintenance.

I'm challenging myself, and I'm challenging you, to decide now on a fitness and nutrition approach for the fall and the last few months of this year. Take positive action! Let's not think yet about what a great year 2010 will be, let's start now!

This post contains an affiliate link for Warp Speed Fat Loss. Please see my disclosure statement.

Related Posts:

Ten Reasons Why I Workout

Afterburn II Review

Which Workout?

Cleaning Up Our Diets

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Okay fine you win, I consider myself challenged. You challenge me and I'll challenge Fred.

Great topic again. I'm always searching/looking for a goal. For the last 3 years or so, that goal has been losing weight/fat...check. I even mix it up a bit trying to run faster for distance or even besting odd Personal Records. All that aside, it's important to not wait. It's about getting off of one's a** and accomplishing the task.


later KM

MZ

Greenteagirl said...

Great post Kelley! I find it's much easier and enjoyable running outdoors in the fall. I am going to continue on with NROL4W and that should take me into 2010. After that who knows! I have some time to think about it. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Kelley! Good food for thought! Great timing, by the way...I was thinking along the same lines for most of last week.
My plan:
1. I've decided to continue with the BJJ training, uping it to 4 classes a week beginning in October.
2. Do another 6 week session of JLT's FLAB program split between early morning and luntime; this time pushing it up a bit to the intermediate and advanced routines.
3. Teach Aikido class Saturday mornings from 8-10:30 )includes a killer bodyweight warm-up session for the teens class at 9:00am...this year I'll be bringing them cartwheels,'shrimping' and 'butt slides' from my BJJ training!)

Should be able to whip myself into sub-200lb "fighting condition" with that schedule...[starting FLAB again on Sunday]

Kelley Moore said...

Thanks everyone for stopping by and for your comments!

Smoke, I'm really getting into the "beating personal records" thing. Changing my mindset to one of performance. I figure if I can increase my performance, any extra fat I have has no choice but to come off!

Greenteagirl: I really admire how you are sticking with NROL4W and how consistent you are. It's a great quality and inspiring to me. Can't wait to watch the outcome and see what you choose next!

Fred! You are totally heading to sub-200. That sounds like a brutal schedule to me! I know you can do it though. I knew you were going to be great at BJJ! I bet the teen class will really love that warm-up!

BululuStudio said...

wow what a plan, huh? good luck

Anonymous said...

Hi Kelley,

I recently discovered your blog and wanted to let you know how much I’m enjoying it. I’ve added it to my blogger dashboard and look forward to reading new posts.

I’m currently working through the routines in NROLFW. In your post on 25 March 09, you recommended “if you're a woman, get both” --that is, both NROL and NROLFW. With only a copy of NROLFW in front of me, I’m wondering, what is in NROL that isn’t in NROLFW? From a few reviews I’ve read online, NROL recommends specific tempos for the exercises, but this isn’t mentioned in NROLFW. Is what you meant in your post? Thanks in advance for your answer.

Gabriella

Kelley Moore said...

Bululu Studio - thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!! Do you have any particular fitness plans for this fall?

Kelley Moore said...

Gabriella, thanks so much for your kind comments about my blog and I'm so glad you are finding it useful! Your question re: NROL vs NROLFW is excellent. I plan to devote a blog post to discussing the comparison.

You are right that lifting tempo is a part of the structure of the workouts in NROL. Another concept that is covered well in NROL and not really explained at all in NROLFW is periodization, where there is a specific rationale and plan for choosing the sets/reps in a particular rhythm or time frame. There is much more detail on the basic moves, the programs are clearly identified based on goal (such as fat loss, hypertrophy and strength). There are no recipes but a broader section on food choices and why. These are a few of the differences.

You might like some of the variations in the exercises (squats, lunges, barbell work) in NROL. In general, I think it offers great education and explanation in some areas that aren't covered in NROLFW. Not sure if the creators thought women would not be as interested, or if the target audience of women were those who were newer to lifting. If you like more explanation behind why you're doing what you're doing I think NROL would be a great compliment to NROLFW.

I'll be happy to answer any other specific questions you can think of, always feel free to email me too and I'll step it up on that official comparison review! :>)
k

Anonymous said...

Kelley,

Thank you for your response to my question. I’m definitely going to get a copy of NROL to enhance the NROLFW program I'm following. :)

FWIW, I don't know why the authors didn't include the information you mention above in their book for women. Personally, I like to know the rationale behind a workout program.

Thanks again for your response.

Gabriella

Kelley Moore said...

I am not sure why they didn't include it either! I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts after you get it! k