VISIT FOR THE BEST FITNESS AND HEALTH ADVICES

Blog Archive

Friday, December 5, 2025

9 simple strategies for holiday eating (without all the stress)


It’s Thanksgiving week here in the States, so I want to talk about something that trips people up every single year:

How do you navigate a holiday week without feeling stressed, restricted, or like you “messed up” your progress?

First thing’s first:

There is no one “right” answer that works for everyone, all the time, forever.

Instead, our goal is to practice making proactive choices that feel good to YOU.

Let’s break it down.

Option 1: “I want to stay on my current plan.”

Some people are on a roll going into a holiday week. They’ve found momentum. They feel great. And sticking to the plan – even if it will be more challenging – feels worth it.

This often looks like:

  • Making deliberate choices around alcohol, desserts, portion sizes, etc.
  • Planning ahead so you have options available that fit your plan. (like bringing extra veggies or sparkling water to drink)
  • Being ready to set boundaries with loved ones

And if that’s you: great!

You don’t have to apologize for wanting to keep a good thing going.

Option 2: “I’m taking this week off from thinking about food and workouts.”

For others, taking a break on a holiday week is a better decision.

They know that things are already going to be hectic, and the added stress of trying to adhere to their routine isn’t worth the tradeoff.

Sure, progress may slow for a few days, but it’s OK to not always optimize for “fitness”.

Instead, we put a plan in place so they can get right back into their routine after the holiday break. 😃

Option 3: “I want a flexible middle ground.”

In my experience, this is the sweet spot for most people.

Sticking to a few strategies that feel good without being overly restrictive helps you maintain momentum through the holiday week.

Here are some of the ones we’ve found to be most successful. Think of this like a “Choose your own adventure” menu.

Strategy: Protein and veggies first

As much as possible, focus on getting a serving of lean protein and a fruit or veggie on your plate with each meal (in addition to anything else you’d like to eat!) Eating protein and fiber will help you feel fuller and make sure you are prioritizing some awesome nutrient-dense foods.

Strategy: Increase your water intake

Keep a water bottle, sparkling water, or other low-calorie beverage on hand. If you are drinking alcohol, try to alternate with a glass of water. This can help you find a better balance throughout the night.

Strategy: Scout out options ahead of time

It’s easier to make a choice ahead of time than in the spur of the moment. Scan the menu (if you’re at a restaurant) for some buzz words, and see what you can find that still sounds delicious!

Strategy: Put it on a plate

When possible, put food on a plate first before eating it. Using smaller plates at a buffet can naturally help you regulate portion sizes while also registering how full you actually feel.

Strategy: To-go box

Ask for a to-go box right at the start of your meal (or bring a container if you’re visiting friends or family.) This takes pressure off of picking at the food more if you really don’t want it. You have it, and you can easily put some away from later to enjoy.

Strategy: Treat Yo’self

Striking a balance between treating yourself on a special occasion and going off the rails can be tricky. One way I like to think about treating myself is not only enjoying the food and the company, but also feeling good when I wake up the next day (physically.)

Strategy: Balance across the day

Consider having a lighter meal to balance out a dense meal. If you know you’ll be having a bigger-than-normal meal at some point in the day, try prioritizing protein, fruits, and veggies in your other meals.

Big meals tend to have rich foods with plenty of delicious carbs and fats, so you don’t have to worry about getting enough of those in and can still balance your day on the whole.

Strategy: Fork down between bites

Putting your fork down between bites gives you a moment to enjoy your food, not speed through a meal, and to be more aware of your appetite. Easy money!

Strategy: Snack pack

If traveling, consider packing some easy snacks to take with you. Fruit, packs of nuts, protein bars, and jerky all travel really well and are great in a pinch or to supplement your meals!

Not all of these strategies will fit your needs – and that’s kind of the point! They don’t need to.

If you can move from reactive decision-making to proactive, you’ll be able to enjoy your holiday however you choose to do so, without all the stress around if you’re “doing it right” – even if that means taking a break from optimizing for “fitness” entirely!

I do want to note that not all holiday stress comes from food.

The holidays can be an extremely charged or lonely time for many, so if that’s you, please know that I know how that feels, and I’m thinking of you. ❤

-Matt

P.S. If you want a downloadable “menu” of these options, here’s one we put together for our coaching clients and I’d love for you to have it.

The post 9 simple strategies for holiday eating (without all the stress) first appeared on Nerd Fitness.



from Nerd Fitness https://ift.tt/jWnN4fx

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

7 things you can stop worrying about


Fitness shouldn’t be one more thing to feel bad about.

So today, I want to take a few worries off of your plate.

Think of this as a permission slip to stop overthinking the stuff that doesn’t matter nearly as much as you’ve been told.

Stop worrying about missing a week of workouts.

Even if you miss a week of workouts multiple times each year, it has no discernible impact on your overall progress.

You may feel less “full” or “pumped” in the moment, but nothing structural is changing. And even if you’re off for longer than a week, regaining any lost strength or muscle happens relatively quickly.

Bottom line: if you miss a week for a vacation or because you’re taking care of a sick kiddo, don’t sweat it. And if you need help getting into a rhythm to start with, we’ve got you.

Stop worrying about eating that piece of cake.

There are no “bad” foods.

And it’s not just cake that’s getting a bad rap.

Unfortunately, fear-mongering around food is at an all-time high right now.

Just this week, I saw someone say not to eat too much spinach or it will bleed the iron out of your body. 🤦‍♂️

Not only are these messages wildly inaccurate and unhelpful – they make you feel like you did something wrong.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Bottom line: you’re not “bad” for choosing to eat a food. And if you’re feeling confused by all the nutrition noise out there, check out our Guide to Healthy Eating.

Stop worrying about hitting the perfect set & rep range.

You can make amazing progress with both high volume (as high as 20+ sets per muscle) or low volume (as little as 3-4 sets per muscle).

Heck, even 1 set per week done to failure has shown strength improvements.

Same goes for reps.

You can build muscle on anything from 5-30 reps, as long as they are challenging!

Bottom line: if you’re not competing in a strength sport, a few challenging sets per week (at least 5 reps per set, close to failure) is all you’ll ever need. For most people, I’d stick in the 6-15 rep range. Not because it’s a magic number, but because it tends to be the easiest to execute!

Stop worrying about rest periods.

I LOVE that this was a question I got from a reader, because it highlights that they’re thinking about recovery, too.

There is so much conflicting information out there that we should be taking 2-3 min rest in between sets to gain muscle. But with supersets we’re doing the complete opposite. Thoughts?

Here’s the thing: they actually both work.

A June 2024 study comparing supersets versus traditional straight sets found similar amounts of muscle growth – but noted that supersets DO increase perceived exertion (i.e. it feels harder, likely because with less rest, you’re more out of breath and muscles feel more fatigued!)

Bottom line: do whatever fits your schedule and enjoyment of exercise. Supersets save time and add a cardio challenge. Longer rests help you feel fresher for your next set – which is great for strength. And both build muscle just fine.

Stop worrying about if you have the right workout tools.

If you’ve ever worried about if you should use a machine vs a dumbbell, a barbell vs a kettlebell, or just your own bodyweight, let me put your mind at ease.

They are all great.

You can use any of them to get awesome results.

Bottom line: The best tool is the one that you have access to, are comfortable with, and are excited to use. We can figure out the rest from there.

Stop worrying about “optimizing” your protein intake.

Protein is important.

But if you’re getting around 0.7-0.8g/lb of bodyweight, you’ve already eating enough to support strength, muscle, recovery, and satiety.

Heck, I have clients see huge improvements at even lower protein intakes (between 0.4-0.6g/lb of bodyweight).

What’s that look like in the real world?

For most people, it’s around 1-2 palm-sized servings of protein at each meal.

That’s it.

And sure, going to higher levels may have additional benefits in some unique cases. But these are the smaller optimizations around the edges, not the bulk of the impact.

Bottom line: 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is an easy number to remember, but it doesn’t apply across everyone broadly. Do your best to get a solid source of protein in with each meal, and you’re in a great spot! 🙌

Stop worrying about “perfect” exercise technique.

The truth is, there is a wider variety of safe and effective exercise techniques than most would lead you to believe. We all have slightly different bodies and anthropometry (ratios of arm length, torso, leg, etc.) One person might feel more comfortable squatting with toes straight ahead and a narrow stance. Another with toes slightly turned out and a wider stance, etc.

None of these are wrong.

We run into trouble when we try to force people with different bodies to all move the exact same way. That’s not how it works.

The “best” technique is the one that fits the individual, feels good, and allows them to express their best effort in the target areas.

Bottom line: Technique doesn’t need to be perfect – it needs to be safe, repeatable, and effective. Everything that falls within that is great!

So what does matter?

This is the part that gets lost in the noise.

What moves the needle the most is incredibly boring and incredibly consistent:

  • Getting enough sleep (7-9 hours for most people)
  • Eating mostly balanced meals (with foods you enjoy)
  • Moving your body often (some low intensity, some higher intensity)
  • Doing strength work a couple times a week (near to failure)
  • Staying connected to people you care about
  • Having a strategy for when life gets messy

The hard part isn’t learning the “right” way.

It’s tuning out all the noise so you can stay focused on the stuff that actually works.

My hope is that at least one thing in here lets you take a little breath and go,

“Oh…thank goodness. I can stop worrying about that.”

If you want help making all this feel doable in a busy, real-life schedule, just hit reply. I’m always happy to help.

-Matt

The post 7 things you can stop worrying about first appeared on Nerd Fitness.



from Nerd Fitness https://ift.tt/pJDgmcX

Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Why accountability feels different for everyone


Two words I hear all the time: motivation and accountability.

From clients, readers, and people who want to get healthier but can’t seem to make it stick.

While they sound simple, both are actually…complicated.

When someone says, “I just need more accountability,” what that really means can vary a lot.

  • Sometimes it’s about systems and structure.
  • Sometimes it’s about clarity on their goals and how to achieve them.
  • And sometimes, it’s about how we personally respond to expectations – both from ourselves and from others.

Why no single “system” fits everyone

If you’ve ever read books like Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, or Switch by Chip and Dan Heath, you know there are a lot of frameworks out there for understanding behavior.

After 15 years of coaching, here’s what I’ve learned:

None of these systems are foolproof. None of them fully capture how complex people really are.

But that’s not the point. Each one is a lens. A new vantage point that helps us see our habits and struggles differently.

And when you’re stuck, sometimes that’s exactly what you need: a fresh perspective that gives you a new way to approach things.

Enter The Four Tendencies

Several years ago, our entire coaching team read The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin, and it provided some really key insights that we’ve baked into our coaching program and how we think about helping people ever since.

The basic concept is this: people respond to internal and external expectations differently. By understanding which expectations you thrive with, and which are a struggle, you can work with your natural tendencies instead of fighting against them.

The most common tendency we see is The Obliger.

Obligers are the glue of a team or family. They meet outer expectations (deadlines, commitments, helping others), but resist inner ones (self-care, personal goals, boundaries).

Sound familiar?

If you’ve ever said:

“I know what I should be doing… but I can’t seem to do it for me,”

…you might be in this group.

One of our clients described it perfectly:

“Every bit of energy feels consumed by surviving my workday, meeting the needs of my family, helping with the needs of others… there’s too little self-care and self-prioritization in my life at this time.

I know I bring the situation upon myself. I am wired to commit to things, to be involved, to want to be needed and valued and recognized. But it comes at a price. The demands from other people or things leave little left for me.”

That’s the Obliger experience in a nutshell.

And let me be clear, this isn’t about weakness or lack of willpower.

In fact, Obligers get SO MUCH done.

The problem is they often sacrifice their own goals to help others, which can lead to health challenges in the long-run.

How we help Obligers succeed

At Nerd Fitness Coaching, we help Obligers by providing three key supports: external accountability, Dial Mode adjustments, and tracking wins as they accumulate to reinforce and reward their progress.

Here’s how you can translate those into your own practice:

  • A coach or workout buddy you checks in and celebrates wins with you
  • A checklist or tracking system that makes your progress visible
  • Building out a Dial Mode – i.e. a plan for different types of days so you can adjust accordingly and avoid burnout
  • Reframing goals as something that benefits others – i.e. “I’m exercising so I have more energy for my kids.”

As you’ll notice, several of those are about externalizing your accountability.

Here’a another fun tactic: write a letter from your future self to your current self thank you for showing up. This is the exact thing that clicked for my client Gina. When things got hectic, writing that letter made her feel accountable to her future self (in a good way!). That simple shift helped her stay consistent through a chaotic month.

The Hidden Danger: burnout and the “pause button”

Obligers often take on too much.

They juggle a million competing expectations – deadlines, family, coworkers, community.

And when it all gets too heavy, they tend to hit the big red pause button on SOME of those.

“I just can’t deal with all of this right now. I’ll get back to it later.”

Totally understandable. And in fact, it’s an act of self-preservation. They CAN’T keep going at 100 miles per hour.

We often see folks in this scenario try to cut out all of these outside expectations with the hope that they’ll finally have time to focus on themselves later.

It sounds logical, but it usually backfires.

Because Obligers actually thrive with some form of external accountability.

So the key isn’t to eliminate expectations. It’s to curate them.

Here are a few counterintuitive questions I like to ask to do just that:

What are the benefits of NOT moving towards goal X right now?

And what are the consequences of continuing to move towards it?

By reversing the old “pro/con” list, we can get a lot of clarity on what feels good to you!

Big picture takeaway

Motivation and accountability aren’t one-size-fits-all.

Understanding your “tendency” gives you a new lens – and using tools specific to your needs increases your chances of success in the long-run.

If you want to see where you land, you can take the free quiz from Gretchen here -> https://gretchenrubin.com/quiz/the-four-tendencies-quiz/

Let me know which tendency you get! (I’m a Questioner! 🙋‍♂️)

-Matt

P.S. Fun fact: ~60% of the people we work with at Nerd Fitness Coaching identify as Obligers. Everyone’s needs are different, which is why we design coaching around you, not generic motivation hacks. If that sounds like the kind of structure you’ve been missing, I’d love to talk to you. Just hit reply to this email. ❤ 

The post Why accountability feels different for everyone first appeared on Nerd Fitness.



from Nerd Fitness https://ift.tt/eNEqy4h

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

If you need to hear this…


I’ve gotten several messages from readers lately that have my Spidey-senses tingling.

Here are a few examples:

“I’ve been working out 3x/week for 16-weeks. It’s going well and I’m seeing changes, but I’m not sure if my progress is good enough or what I’m missing.”

“I’m worried my goals aren’t specific enough. I feel a bit lost and there’s so much out there to consider. I’m not sure if I’ve got it all right.”

It echoes a question I’ve talked about before: What does “enough” fitness actually look like?

It’s normal to ask these questions. We all crave reassurance that what we are doing actually matters.

And if you’re looking for a place to start or recalibrate, the Nerd Fitness Starter Guide has some great frameworks to point you in the right direction.

But what if our fears are being preyed upon by a fitness industry obsessed with optimization – fixating on details and over-exaggerating their importance? And as Magic: the Gathering nerd, I get it. I love geeking out on the details and fine-tuning the system.

But if we focus too much on “perfect,” we can lose sight of how impactful the foundational stuff really is. And how freaking AWESOME it is that you are already working on those pieces. Don’t get me wrong. My message isn’t “Don’t worry about it! Just do the basics.”

For so many of the people I talk to, it’s this: You’re already doing great.

If you want to make some adjustments, awesome, but make sure you also celebrate the foundation you’re building. Fitness shouldn’t be one more thing to feel bad about.

Most of us are already juggling so much: work, home, imperfect schedules, and limited time and energy.

The more people I talk to, the more I realize what most folks need isn’t more information – it’s reassurance and clarity: That they’re on the right track. That they’re doing enough. That they are enough.

And often, that clarity comes from understanding what you can let go of, not what else you need to add.

If you’re strength training a couple of times a week, taking short movement breaks during your day, or getting a few hours of general activity each week – you’re already doing so much good.

Everything else? Details.

And sure, it can be fun to get lost in the details, but not at the expense of celebrating what you’ve already built.

Every rep. Every walk break. Every small win.

It all counts.

-Matt

 

The post If you need to hear this… first appeared on Nerd Fitness.



from Nerd Fitness https://ift.tt/VnqvYWB

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Turn your goals into a gameplan:


Today, I want to share a simple framework we use inside Nerd Fitness Coaching to turn goals into plans you can actually follow.

By the end, you’ll be like Neo in The Matrix – able to see the pattern and build a resilient, flexible routine even when life gets chaotic.

Cool? Cool.

Step 1: Picture your 12-month win

The first step is to write down what your goals actually are!

Maybe it’s…

  • Lose 20 pounds to improve your bloodwork
  • Run a 5k to support your local charity
  • Get your first pull-up
  • Feel more confident in your body
  • Just feel better. Stronger, more energy, less aches and pains.

Anything goes.

If you’re feeling stuck, try this:

“12-months from now, if you’ve made awesome progress on your health and fitness goals…what does life look and feel like? Describe your average day to me.”

That can help get the ideas flowing and gives you a North Star to aim for.

Step 2: Identify the skills behind that goal

Here’s where most people get tripped up.

They go straight from “I want to lose 20 lbs” to “I need to follow this exact workout plan five days a week.” That skips over a crucial step: skills.

Ask yourself:

“What are the types of skills someone who achieves this goal develops?”

Here are some ideas to get you going:

Want to lose weight?

  • Controlling portion sizes
  • Planning and prepping meals
  • Getting enough sleep
  • Having non-food coping mechanisms for stress
  • Staying active throughout the week

Want to get stronger?

  • Carving out time to lift regularly
  • Recovering well (including sleep & rest days)
  • Eating enough protein
  • Learning how to work near failure in your workouts

You don’t have to list every skill. Just jot down a few that come to mind.

Step 3: Choose your practices

Now that you’ve identified a few skills, the next step is to figure out how to practice them.

This is the cool part, because there’s no one right answer, which is actually a good thing. Take my client Amanda, for example.

She wanted to lose weight to improve her overall health. So we identified “controlling portion sizes” as a key skill. But she didn’t want to count calories every day.

So here’s what we did:

  • Week 1: Built the habit of packing an afternoon snack at work. This helped prevent evening overeating.
  • Week 3: Used hand-portion guides to estimate meals. We started with breakfast, then moved to lunch and dinner over the course of a few weeks.
  • Week 10: Tried short-term calorie tracking. Which she actually enjoyed – something she never thought when we first started!

All different practices. All in service of the same skill.

We had room to adapt based on what felt realistic and useful at the time.

And if she ran into a tough day? She could pivot to a different practice while still building the underlying skill.

If you skip the skill-building step, you risk creating an inflexible plan, or chasing the wrong actions entirely.

That’s one reason so many diets fail: they don’t help you build sustainable skills. They just give you temporary rules.

Now I’d love to hear from you!

  • What’s one 12-month win you can think of?
  • What’s one skill that could help you get there?
  • What’s an easy practice you can work towards this week for that skill?

Hit reply and let me know. I’d love to cheer you on.

You got this 💪

-Matt

The post Turn your goals into a gameplan: first appeared on Nerd Fitness.



from Nerd Fitness https://ift.tt/rMZEWy3

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Feeling drained? Try this.


There’s a cycle I see people get caught in all the time – and it makes staying on track with workouts and nutrition super difficult.

Here’s how one of my clients, Josh, put it:

“Things get super challenging (work/home/etc.) > less time > don’t get self care (time alone, workouts, etc.) > lower mood > makes things even more challenging > makes self care even less likely to happen > even lower mood > and so on.”

I know I can relate! 🙋‍♂️

Here’s the thing, often, people in these situations say: “I just need more motivation”, when what they need is more bandwidth.

That’s where something we call the Nourishment Menu comes in.

What’s a Nourishment Menu?

A Nourishment Menu is a list of things that help you feel restored – even just a little bit – physically, mentally or emotionally.

Think of activities like: reading, listening to music, taking a walk outside, talking to a friend, decluttering your desk, preparing a meal, stretching, etc.

The goal is to pick one action item off of the menu each day to put a little bit of energy back in your battery.

When you’re stressed out and feeling drained, proactively practicing self-care helps build a bit of momentum, consistency and mental space.

I’ve seen it make a HUGE difference for the people I coach through the different challenging periods in life: becoming new parents, job transitions, relationship stress, you name it.

We clear the calendar for a few weeks and focus ONLY on completing a self-care item each day. They look at their menu and pick the one that works for them that day.

Then, as soon as they have their feet under them, we’re able to build more specific fitness routines that they can actually stick to without feeling like they’re drowning.

Obviously, a Nourishment Menu doesn’t immediately fix everything – but it does give you a bit of breathing room.

And without that bandwidth, it’s like you’re trying to build a house (your fitness habits) when the foundation is on fire.

Four mistakes people make with self-care

While you’re building your own Nourishment Menu, make sure to watch out for these common mistakes I see people make.

1) Having too narrow of a list. I think this graphic says it perfectly:

Consistency is dependent on flexibility. Having more options at your disposal is a good thing!

2) Relying on “once-in-a-while” tactics.

For example, a massage feels wonderful, but since it’s not something you have access to regularly, it serves as an awesome bonus rather than a main menu item.

3) Confusing self-care with letting yourself off the hook

Self care is NOT about letting yourself off the hook. It’s about taking care of yourself so you can stay in the game.

Sure, sometimes the right answer is to Netflix and chill.

But more often than not, self-care LOOKS like doing the hard thing: going to bed early, squeezing in that short workout, etc.

4) Discounting self care as too “woo woo”

If you’re struggling to take the idea of self-care seriously, try thinking of it as system maintenance instead. 🤖

I choose you, Pikachu!

The new Pokemon game (Pokemon Legends: Z to A) launches today. As a huge Pokemon fan myself, it just so happens that one of my favorite variations of the nourishment menu fits right in! My client Liz came up with the idea to theme her list after her favorite Pokemon. It made it feel fun, approachable, and a little less serious (which can be helpful when things are stressful!) For example, Snorlax represents getting more sleep, Leafeon is time outdoors, Machamp is lifting weights, etc. How cool is that? 😃

Click through to see some more examples!

Now I’d like to hear from you!

  • What are ways you can proactively practice self-care (system maintenance) this week?
  • What items are on your personal Nourishment Menu?

You’ve got this! 💪

-Matt

P.S. If you’re looking for a coach who takes you as a WHOLE person into account, then look no further! Now is a great time to see if Nerd Fitness Coaching is right for you while you can still lock in our legacy rates. 😃

 

The post Feeling drained? Try this. first appeared on Nerd Fitness.



from Nerd Fitness https://ift.tt/ufi7jKs

Thursday, October 9, 2025

My go-to travel workout ✈️


Here’s a common scenario that pops up all the time:

“I’m traveling for the next few days. What should I do for my workout?”

Great question!

Today, I want to share with you my go-to workout routine for when I travel.

I’ve used a variation of this workout for over a decade with clients who are traveling for work, a wedding, a long-overdue vacation, you name it.

Let’s break it down together so you know exactly what to do the next time you hit the road. 🙌

But first, I like to ask a really important question:

“What do you want this trip to look like?”

Because there’s no one “right” answer.

You might:

  • Stick closely to your current program and hunt for a hotel gym, etc. (important if staying consistent matters for your goal – or just if you enjoy it!)
  • Take a much needed rest week (which is totally fine – research suggests that one-week of full rest does not hinder strength or muscle building. 💪)
  • Or switch to a travel-friendly plan to maintain momentum (that’s what we’ll cover today!)

Whatever it is, we just want to know why we’re doing it so we can plan accordingly.

For anyone who wants to move, feel good, and return home without losing your rhythm, here’s my go-to Travel Bodyweight Workout Framework.

The 5-Movement Framework

When I’m traveling, I keep it simple with a full-body workout split that hits a bit of everything.

That way, I’m not “waiting” to work other parts of my body. I might not even get to that next workout, as travel can be unpredictable at best!

Exercise #1: Squat Pattern

Progressions:

Tip: If you struggle with squat mobility, try placing a rolled up towel under your heels to give yourself a bit of elevation. This takes ankle mobility out of the equation! Recommended for Assisted and Bodyweight squat variations. 👍

Exercise #2: Push Pattern

Progressions:

Tip: Initiate the push-up by imagining you are leaning forward slightly from the shoulders – it will make it harder!

Exercise #3: Hinge Pattern

Progressions:

Tip: The hinge is one of the harder things to train while on the road. If you can’t get a good workout with one of these, I like trying a Lateral Squat or Lunge as an alternative.

Exercise #4: Pull Pattern

Progressions:

Tip: The other challenging trait to train on the road. I particularly like the Corner Tuck but see what works for you! I’ve had some clients pack a Resistance Band so they can add things like Band Rows and Pullaparts without it taking up a ton of space.

Exercise #5: Auxiliary / Core / Conditioning

Options:

Tip: This is a “free-for-all” spot in the workout. I’ll typically do some sort of Core movement here, but this is a good place to throw conditioning or any other specific auxiliary work like Lateral Raises using a backpack, etc. if you’d prefer!

How to Use It

You might have noticed: “But Matt, there’s no sets and reps listed here?”

I can’t sneak anything past you. 😉 I typically run this one of two ways:

A. Time-Based Circuit:

Work 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds. Cycle through all 5 moves for 2–5 rounds.

You can level this up by switching to a 40 second work, 20 second rest timer instead.

B. Rep-Match Rounds:

Start your first round by doing as many reps as you can with good form (up to 30 reps. If you can do 30 reps, try a harder variation if you can!)

Then, do 1 or 2 more rounds where you MATCH the total number of reps you got in the first round, EVEN IF you have to take short 10 second breaks to get there.

Example: Round 1: 10 pushups

Round 2: 8 pushups – rest – 2 pushups

Round 3 (optional): 6 pushups – rest – 3 pushups – rest – 1 pushup

Depending on which option and how many rounds you choose, this workout will run you 10-25 minutes and leave you feeling accomplished and ready to tackle your day. 💪

Travel doesn’t have to be a setback. It’s just another environment to adapt to.

You get to decide whether this trip is a deload, a ‘maintain-the-momentum’ week, or a chance to test your creativity in order to stick with the plan as-is.

You’ve got this!

-Matt

P.S. In case you missed last week’s newsletter announcement, prices for our NF Coaching program are going up on November 1st. So now is a great time to check out our program if you’ve been on the fence to get in at our current rates. 😃 

The post My go-to travel workout ✈️ first appeared on Nerd Fitness.



from Nerd Fitness https://ift.tt/1pdPowU