QUESTION: HOW TO STAY STRONG WHILE ON LOCKDOWN?
COVID-19 has taken a lot from us, and the gym environment is no different. What’s going to happen to my strength and conditioning while I’m being kept away from the gym.
Stop The Press!
Thankfully, we have some great news for you.
When we talk about strictly about ‘muscular strength’ – or our ability to exert force against a given object in a single effort – there are numerous studies that point to us not losing much, if any strength (in the concentric/eccentric portions) over a short period of time.
Now, for the really great news, these very same studies show we aren’t going to lose any of our gains if we quit EVERYTHING, all physical activity, over the course of TWO weeks(1).
How We Work For You
Now, for the challenge! COVID-19 and the resultant nationwide lockdown means many of us have already been away from the gym for two weeks, and the omens don’t look good for getting back there for at least another two weeks.
Thankfully, our clients have already pivoted away from this and each has a personalised plan to keep up their health and wellness goals from home.
The beauty of having a coach is that our clients benefit from all their experience even from the comfort of their own home, and in some cases, with limited equipment.
One of the best things about having a smart, science-backed approach toward programming and design combined with a staff of committed, professional coaches, and a team that truly cares about you, is that we’re going to push forever forward whatever the odds may be.
Couple this with access to our strength equipment, our exclusive personal training platform and our ever-supportive community of clients, and COVID-19 has its work cut to prevent our clients from being successful.
To continue this success, we have three options:
Good option – Tempo work.
Tempo work means increasing our time under tension.
Our focus here becomes the time taken to complete a repetition or exercise, rather than the load we move.
A focus on slow contraction in a press or curl, taking 3-5 seconds to complete the movement may get really uncomfortable but has the effect of triggering significantly more physiological adaptation than, for instance, doing heavier reps super quick.
Being deliberate in your movement allows for maximum return from your workout.
Better option –Turn up the Tin.
Increasing the load we move, at the same time as reducing our repetitions. Our ability to build strength is defined by the load we are able to move. By increasing the load, we focus less on muscular endurance (higher reps @ lower weight) and more on increasing our sub and maximal strength.
Best option – The Combo.
Putting good and better together, creating a varied strength and conditioning programme.
The limit to the effectiveness of an at-home programme isn’t the gear you do/don’t have, but rather the creativeness of the programme your coach creates for you.
Adding together lighter, tempo focused workouts with lower rep strength-focused pieces yields the greatest results. This could see you curling a dumbbell or a log, as it could see you farmer carrying jerry cans as well as kettlebells.
Throw in some bodyweight movements like push-ups and pull-ups, squats and sit-ups, along with cardio in the form of walking, rowing, cycling or running and we have the perfect blend to maintain your strength and conditioning while at home.
If you are currently without a gym or programming while at home, reach out to us at admin@crossfithuttvalley.com. We are doing 100% online one-on-one programming/coaching during this unprecedented time and we’d be happy to help.
References:
(1) – https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-04-09/how-long-does-it-take-to-lose-fitness/8426246