Friday Thoughts 20
Happy Friday. Here’s this week’s edition of Friday Thoughts, where I share helpful Instagram posts I saved over the week and sometimes work out new blog ideas. Enjoy.
January by the numbers:
Each month I like looking back at my stats; total workouts, steps, average sleep. This way I can start to use the information to see patterns. Last year, a big takeaway from this was working out too many consecutive days. I would workout for 15-16 days in a row, and not feel any negative effects, but 10 days later there was always a 3 day off stretch. This year, I’m trying to be more strategic and take the rest days BEFORE I need them. Anyway, here’s a look some data I like to see each month.
Workouts: 27 - 4 conditioning workouts, the rest were all weightlifting workouts with a barbell. Squatting and going overhead in all of them.
Steps: While my in gym training has been consistent, walking not so much. I’m surprised to report my step average for January was 7,077. Honestly, higher than I expected.
Average Sleep: 7 hours 37 minutes. Slowly creeping up. I hit 8 hours 5 times! I only got it once in December and November.
Daily Step Challenge:
As of earlier this week there’s about 10 people, that I know of, who are still on their daily walking challenge streak. Keep it up people, 8 days to go!
Athlete or Bodybuilder:
I found it interesting he included rotate here. It’s something that’s becoming more and more important in my own training and in clients’ programs. I think if Dr. Aaron wrote this post a couple of years ago if it would have said anti-rotate, a training concept that seems to be getting more and more outdated as we understand the importance of properly rotating. Regardless, unless your goal is to build as much muscle as humanly possible, train like an athlete.
Pull Up Variation > Banded Pull Up:
I love these, I call them “feet-on-floor barbell pull ups.” It’s a great gap between barbell inverted rows and working towards eccentric reps from a bar.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits can always make you think.
Thanks for reading!
Justin Miner
@justinminergain