Hybrid Training
The holiday season can be a stressful time of year. You are likely planning and attending multiple gatherings with family, friends, and work colleagues. And although these are all fun and enjoyable activities, it can bring you out of your fitness routine and create obstacles between you and your hybrid training goals. While this is true, it is also not impossible to stay on track and achieve your training and overall health goals during the holiday season.
So, how do you approach the holidays with your health and fitness in mind? And, what are the benefits of training through the holidays?
Want to take the guesswork out of your training routine? Join one of our hybrid training programs.
1. Schedule your workouts.
This tip is effective regardless of the time of year. Whether it’s the middle of April or the end of December, scheduling your training sessions as you would a work meeting, dentist appointment, or your kids soccer game is essential to sticking to your training program. You wouldn’t skip those calendar items, so why would you skip out on your workout? Block off your time so you and those who also have access to your calendar know you are unavailable. That time is scheduled as non-negotiable YOU time.
During the holiday season, there is a higher likelihood that you may have to wiggle your sessions around to accommodate for other gatherings, appointments, etc. You may have to switch your evening workout to early morning or lunchtime or vice versa, and that is okay. Understand that it is a temporary adjustment to your schedule and that your preferred workout time will be back in action before you know it.
It’s important to be flexible in the timing of your training during this time of year. This is also why it is helpful to actually put your workouts in your calendar so you can maneuver the time slots as needed throughout the week. Do this weekly, if not even further in advance when possible. I, personally, schedule out my workouts for the week ahead every Sunday so I know what my week will look like.
2. Lower the barrier of entry.
Meet yourself where you are in your goals, abilities, and training availability. This is a major theme within Kathletics. We want you to meet yourself where you are during every season of life, year, month, or week so you can set yourself up for success in the long term. Lowering the barrier of entry gets you off the “all or nothing” wagon and onto the “consistency over perfection” train. We are team consistency ‘round here. It’s important to note that consistency does not require perfection, an excessive amount of workout sessions per week, or a specific duration of training. Consistency means that you show up week after week, as you are, and put in the work to play the long game. Fitness is for life. Not for 6 weeks, 3 months, or even a year. But for life.
You can lower the barrier of entry or meet yourself where you are by allowing yourself the option to:
- Shorten your training sessions
If you typically lift for 60 minutes, reduce your lift to 30-40 minutes (or even less!) as needed to accommodate the time you have available for training. You can do this by adjusting the number of sets, reps, and/or rest times, reorganizing your program to fit more of a superset or circuit style of training, or prioritizing the beginning of the workout and just completing what you can (our programs always plan for the most important exercises first).
This goes for your runs, as well. If you have a run scheduled for 90+ minutes, work with your running coach to see how you can rearrange for a deload week or shorten the long run to accommodate your travel or family schedule. Note: a good running program will build in bonus weeks to make sure you can achieve your race or run goals without sacrificing productivity. As a 1:1 Kathletics client, you and I work together and communicate regularly to make sure your workouts align with your goals, abilities, AND schedule.
- Reduce your training volume
If your training program has 3-5 sets of an exercise, reduce the number of sets to 2-3. I would rather you complete two really solid sets of an exercise at an RPE (rate of perceived exertion) of 7-9, rather than drag out 3-5 sets and potentially only hit an RPE 5-7 on each. The effectiveness of an exercise or training session does not rely purely on volume. Remember: this is only a temporary approach, you can get back to adding in more training volume after a couple of wonky weeks are through.
- Decrease training frequency
If you usually train 4-5x/week and are struggling to find the time to fit all of those sessions in, temporarily reduce your training frequency to 2-3x/week or as you see fit with your schedule. Again, consistency does not require perfection. Even 1x/week is better than skipping all together. Something is always better than nothing.
- Opt for a different form of movement
You can find structured (and unstructured) exercise nearly anywhere. Swapping a run for a stationary bike ride, walk, pickleball match, or similar are all acceptable swaps for cardio. You can also swap your lifting day for a quick bodyweight circuit or similar as needed, too. Some type of movement is better than no movement.
- Modify your workout
This is specifically relevant to those of you who will be traveling for the holidays. You may not have access to the same equipment as you do at your go-to gym or home gym. Whether you are staying at a hotel or in your parents basement, you may not know what kind of equipment is available, if any. Swap exercises or equipment as needed to keep up your consistency. Barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells transfer over fairly well. Resistance bands and cable machines transfer over well, too. Exercise swaps are available to all of our clients for when these types of situations arise.
3. Prioritize nourishment.
There is no shortage of sweet treats and all the fixings around the holidays. Don’t get me wrong, I love cookies, cakes, mashed potatoes, and breads just as much as you do, but it’s important to understand how they fit into your daily eating.
First things first, recognize that nourishing your body with protein, colorful produce, and grains and eating holiday treats BOTH have a place in your nutrition. Pro tip: desserts are great for pre-workout or pre-run fuel! Secondly, you need to stop approaching holiday meals or desserts as if it is the last time you will ever eat that food. I promise you, you can make mashed potatoes at any time of the year. You can also make cookies, cakes, pies, and all other holiday desserts at any time of the year. Once you understand this concept, it makes holiday eating much more like another day of eating rather than falling into the “it’s my last meal on earth” mentality.
With that said, if you have health and fitness goals, you will want to prioritize protein at your meals just like you do the rest of the year. Keeping your protein high will help you build and maintain muscle mass and strength. You will want to make sure you are filling your plate with colorful fruits and vegetables to ensure you are getting proper vitamins and nutrients. You will also want to consume whole grains (yay fiber!) and healthy fats to keep you feeling fuller for longer. Prioritizing these types of foods will help you maintain and/or improve your health and fitness over the holiday season.
4. Don’t wait or quit.
November and December quickly become the time of year where people begin to throw in the towel and say, “I’ll start training again in January”. And while that might seem like the easier route, it’s quite the opposite. It’s initiating the all or nothing pattern that does not provide sustainably or consistency. By discontinuing your training or nutrition routine, you are avoiding obstacles versus working through them. Plan ahead and follow a program for your training. Eat regularly and allow for a variety of foods during the holidays.
There are several major holidays throughout the year and that’s not even including the days or weeks you travel on vacation. If you combine those days with the other unaccounted for days of stressful work periods, family obligations, and illness, this does not allow for a very consistent training schedule year after year. While I understand fitness is a part of your life, not your whole life, fitness is still for life. You want to create or follow a system that allows you to meet yourself where you are so you can show up in every season of life.
Aside from the general strength training and cardiovascular training benefits of building strength, gaining muscle mass, improving endurance, increasing and maintaining bone health, improving brain and heart health, boosting energy and mood, etc., there are loads of benefits of working out during the holiday season.
1. Manage stress.
The holidays are a stressful time of year! Fun time of year, yes, but also stressful. Regular exercise can help manage the stress you experience from the uptick in social gatherings, work obligations, and holiday shopping. There’s nothing like picking up heavy shit and putting it back down or stomping your feet on dirt (or snow) to get a little stress relief.
2. Maintain fitness.
You can absolutely increase and improve your fitness level over the holidays if you’d like. But for many people, it is a challenge to enhance your strength and cardiovascular system while also decreasing frequency and volume. Focus on maintaining your fitness over the holidays by committing to training 2-3x/week, nourishing your body with protein, colorful produce, grains, and healthy fats, and managing your stress to the best of your abilities.
3. Time for yourself.
Whether you are visiting your family or your family is traveling to you, carving out time to go to the gym gives you the opportunity to take time for yourself. As a fellow introvert, getting a solo workout in can make all the difference in how I show up for family gatherings. It allows you to decompress and show up as your best self.
4. Workout with your family
On the other hand, the holiday season can be a great time to train with your family and friends. What better combination than to spend time with your loved ones while you both prioritize your health and fitness? Nothing like a friendly push up competition during the holidays!
Training during the holiday season can be a bit hectic, but with a solid plan of working program and accountability, you can rock it through the end of the year. I’m all for setting fitness, professional, personal, and financial goals at the New Year, but don’t wait until January to start training regularly. Meet yourself where you are in your fitness now so you can approach training in a sustainable way. Take the guesswork out of your training by joining one of our hybrid training programs before the New Year.
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