What Do My Workouts Look Like?

Over the last year, my workout routine has changed drastically from what I would do when I owned my own gym. Circumstances like training equipment, available time, and energy created hurdles. However, I didn’t allow these changes to dissuade me of my foundation and my goal; remain fit and pain free. I have been amazed at how little training I have needed in order to have the aesthetic I desire while still having fun and keeping my priorities in order like my family and work.

Just to get an idea of little training I have been doing, here is a sample week of training:

Monday-

Aerobic Intervals:

4min Countdown Clock:

Run 400m

12 KB Front Rack Reverse Lunges (16kg/hand)

15 Push-Ups

Row In Time Remaining

-rest 2min b/t sets

x 4 sets

Tuesday-

Rest

Wednesday-

Rest

Thursday-

AMRAP 12min:

Run 100m

12 Box Jumps (24”)

12 Wall Balls (20lbs.)

-rest 2min

AMRAP 12min:

10cals Row

15 Russian KB Swings (24kg)

Friday-

Rest

Saturday-

Team Workout (with Lauren)

AMRAP 25min (share work):

100 Hang Power Cleans (115lbs.)

100 Cals Assault Bik

100 Walking Lunges

Sunday-

AMRAP 20min (alternating movements):

12 KB Push Press (24kg/hand)

12 Cals Row

12 Ring Rows

As you can see, I am training at most 2.5 hours in the entire week. This includes my warm-ups as well. To reduce the time it takes for me to prep for my workouts I choose movements that aren’t going to need as much prep time and I prioritize two or three movements in my warm-up in order to be ready. Though my training time is tight, I am 100% consistent. 4 times per week. No excuses. Something is better than nothing…always.

One last thing to mention is even though my workouts are important, my diet has also been consistent as well. No processed foods, no sugar, and 95% whole foods (more on this in another post).

Dump the excuse of “not enough time,” and let’s get started creating the life of your dreams today! Click the link below to get started.

secrets to staying fit as a parent…

When my fiancé and I had a child 6 months ago, my fitness routine was turned completely upside down. I went from working out 6-8 hours per week to 1-4 hours per week. I was worried that this shift would effect my fitness, specifically my body composition. On top of that, my motivation was low and the fatigue of few hours sleep and constant attention to the baby left me with no desire to use the few personal hours I could to get a good sweat in. Going through this experience however has given me unbelievable perspective when working with fitness and nutrition clients. I now see the disturbances to training and nutrition having a baby can cause! That being said, I am blown away by how I feel and look despite the changes in my life. I have learned to squeeze everything I can out of the exercises I do, food that I eat, and rest/sleep that I get. Here are some of takeaways I have gotten thus far:

1. Just because I don’t feel like training doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do anything. My work is fairly physical, spending 2-3 hours per day personal training individuals outdoors, then 5+ hours with the little guy. On days that I don’t feel like training, I just start doing something; a short run, some dumbbell curls, even some ab work. Getting going is the hardest part. Once I get moving, I give space for my mind to go from I have to work to I get to workout. When you feel like you are in a rut and don’t want to workout, just get moving and then reassess how you feel after a good warm-up.

2. Simplify Training. I have noticed that a lot of my training now encompasses more kettlebells and dumbbells along with bodyweight movements. Don’t get me wrong I still use the barbell, but on days where I don’t have a ton of time to warm-up and get going, it’s easier to grab a set of 24kg KB and start doing squats, presses, and RDLs than it is to build up using the barbell. Just the idea of having to put plates on and take them off seems like a choir. When you are short on time, grab kettlebells or dumbbells!

3. Eat more when you train, eat less when you don’t. I know this sounds simple and almost intuitive, but you need to eat for the demands of your life. I got caught with this early on after having our baby. I was still eating like I was training 6-8 hours per week when realistically it was more like 2-3 hours per week. The extra calories added up and soon I was fluffy around my midsection. It took a little recalibrating, but after I cut back a little on fats, my weight went back to my normal walking weight. Months later, when I got some time back to train (during the little guy’s naps) I ramped back up the volume and intensity. With this, I was left waking up in the middle of the night hungry, I added calories back in and sure enough, I was sleeping better through the night. Takeaway, eat to support your training.

There is so much more to talk about and I am sure I will learn even more as our child ages and the demands shift even more. I will go in with the intention of learning so that I am able share my lessons with the clients I work with. If you are having trouble with motivation or creating the habit of healthy eating and exercise, I’m here to help. Click the link below to set up a free assessment today!

BONUS

Listen to Scott and I talk about getting into a new training routine on our recent podcast (FItness, Wellness, and Longevity)

I Wish I Knew THIS Before I Started Training...

A brand new episode of the Fitness, Wellness, and Longevity Podcast is now available! You can download now wherever you listen to your podcasts or click the link below.

Scott and I didn't always have our heads on straight when it came to intelligent training. We learned from out mistakes but we also came across influential people that allowed us to call an audible and reassess what our training looked like. Today we share some of our biggest changed that we made. If you are looking for direction in your training, you won't want to miss this!

If you have any questions for the podcast please send them my way: sean@flochfitness.com

See you next time!

Athlete Spotlight: Kelsey Kinsella

There is one word that comes to mind when describing Kelsey Kinsella: grit. Kelsey has been a part of the Floch since the beginning of Floch Fitness over 6 years ago. In our time working together, Kelsey has competed in the sport of fitness (Crossfit), worked on maximal strength (her personal best deadlift is 400lbs.!), and has moved closer to body composition goals. To give you an idea of Kelsey’s physical and mental fortitude, she has rowed the fastest 2,000m time for any female athlete I have ever worked with (7:32!!!).

With the immense changes in the world, Kelsey (a Physician’s Assistant at a major Broward County hospital) has had to balance her training with her extremely stressful work life. For now, that has become our goal in working together: stress reduction. Kelsey is continually bounced between trauma and ICU, and her training gives her stability. This is her time she can work on herself, both the mind and body. Even after a shift, she goes home, laces up her shoes, and gets her run and bodyweight training. I prescribe the workouts and she completes them. Time and time again. She knows that even an average effort on a workout is better than no attempt at all. As Kelsey’s life circumstances change and the pandemic eases, I look forward to our next step in Kelsey’s fitness journey. Thank you for being part of the Floch Kelsey!

Are you looking to balance your work life with physical training? If you feel like it’s time to make a change, I’m here to help. Book a free assessment today to get started on the path toward the best version of you!

How Sore Should I Be?

When I was 16 years old, my good friend and training partner Max and I went to the gym and jumped into a brand new training block called German Volume Training (popularized by Charles Poliquin). We didn’t really know what it was called, all we knew is that we would put about 50% of our max bench press on the bar, perform 10 repetitions, rest a minute, and then do it again...for 10 total sets. Failure wasn’t an option as we performed forced reps to achieve the 100 total prescribed reps. That was just the start of the workout and we had an additional 6-10 sets of various other exercises to perform as well. For the next week, I couldn’t lift my arms up past my belly button. I was so proud. This is only a hilarious story since we both survived to lift another day, but it brings up the question, “How sore should I be from my workouts?” There are many factors that will affect the amount of soreness an individual experiences (diet, sleep, age, etc.) but today I will focus only on the athletes training and exercise. Like many answers, that depends. Is your goal to be sore, or is the goal to improve something else, like body composition, strength, or performance. If the goal is to be sore, there are very simple ways to cripple athletes and have them rolling out of bed the next morning unable to sit down on the toilet (see 100 bench press workout). Sometimes soreness is inevitable, like if you are exercising for the first time, or if you are coming back to training after a layoff. But if your goal is to make strength/performance or body composition improvements, you must be able to train with frequency (2-3x per week). If you are too sore from your previous workout, and you are unable to to train or your training is compromised, then you can’t make progress. If you are not sore at all and aren’t challenged by your workouts, then you won’t make progress. This is why I rely on the minimum effective dose. In exercise, you want to push beyond the threshold of your current abilities, and then recover. This forces the body to adapt. Any more stimulus, is wasting your time at best and detrimental at worst.

A good way of determining if the training stimulus is enough (popularized by RP Strength) is using a pump and soreness scale.  After the workout ask, “Did I get a good pump and was I challenged?” Judge on a score of -2 to +2 (+2 being I didn’t get much pump and -2 being I was so challenged that I couldn’t even finish the workout, 0 being I am pretty sore, but I could train tomorrow).  The question you ask the next day, “How sore am I?” Same scale -2 to +2 (+2 I could train right now and I am not even sore, -2 I am crippled and need to take a day or two off).  Most training sessions should have a some of 0.  If you are doing a lighter week or deloading you may have more +2s, and once in a while you may have some -2s when you are really challenging yourself or maxing out/testing.  If you 80%+ of your training sessions are 0, then you are sure to make great progress over time.  I leave you with this quote, “You only need to suffer enough, any more is just showing off.”

Looking to get the best workout of your life and stop wasting time in the gym? Floch Fitness will write you a custom exercise plan that fits your exact needs. Click the link below to set up a free assessment and let’s workout together to create the best version of you!