Training Should Fit You, Not Punish You

After a two week break (for a reason that will never be topped), last night was the first night back at our CSF Women’s Boot Camp in Castleknock.

The goal was simple: get back to tip-top fitness as hard and as quickly as we can!

Wait, that’s not it.

Everything was slowed down. People were encouraged to work at their own pace. There wasn’t even a side-eye glance at someone for using “too light” of a kettlebell.

Some could push a little harder. Some needed recovery time between sets. Both were equally ok for me. The point of a session is NOT to leave it wrecked, on the verge of puking. It’s to leave feeling better than when you started.

Every now and then, there’s a time to test yourself, be it an event or race or just a gruelling session. Your first session back is never the time, no matter how you feel about yourself or if you feel the need to punish yourself for missing sessions.

And this is something I’ve had to remind myself, having not run for nearly two weeks… and delaying my run today even further for this blog!

Even typing this, with the Dublin Half Marathon coming up in three weeks or so, my thought process is to cram sessions in, ignore “easy/heart rate runs” and get my fitness back asap. That usually leads to injury, but it doesn’t stop me from thinking about it either.

That short burst of feeling incredibly productive and on top of the world isn’t worth the even longer downtime it could bring.

For a lot of people, with summer ending, now is the time to get back into their routines. September is almost a mini January in that respect.

Training is not punishment for going easy over the summer. September is not the time to crush yourself! It’s the time to build a foundation so your body can handle harder workouts that follow.

That was my job in last night’s boot camp session: to help people build that foundation. To provide alternatives to exercises that they may struggle with. For example, switching out a double straight leg raise for a deadbug or switch split squats to wall sits, etc. A coach’s job is to work with the person in front of them, not set a ridiculously hard workout and bring them to the point of puking.

People think they need to get fit before starting a fitness class. That’s like needing to start driving before doing a driving lesson. But I do understand the sentiment. I’ve been there and felt that. But a good coach can relate to what you are going through.

So that class or run group you’ve been putting off? Take the leap and sign up today

And if it is my Women’s Boot Camp class in Castleknock, I would love to see you there tomorrow night for a circuit style workout:

https://www.trainerize.me/profile/coachseanfitness/?planID=127883&mode=checkout

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