Buzz
I lift a lot. My routine typically includes six days at the gym weekly, and I find a reason to compete every couple of months. While it’s totally fine (and might even be healthier) to treat exercise casually, committing to a serious athletic goal often demands some life adjustments to train effectively each day, every week, and throughout the year. Here are a few of my personal tips.
Establish a Routine
My workout routine runs on autopilot. Over the years, I've shifted between lunch break, morning, and evening workouts, but ultimately, I need to choose one and stick with it. Currently, I’m part of the morning group, waking up at 5 AM to lift at 6 every weekday.
Something magical happens when you stick to a routine. The workouts you once dreaded become just part of the process—you simply wake up and get them done. I don’t think, “ugh, I better finish this in 30 minutes to get back to that deadline,” because I’ve set aside the time fully. If I finish early, there’s no reward, and honestly, I’d be a bit lost on what to do next. Lifting time is dedicated to lifting time. There’s no uncertainty about when it will happen.
Once my routine became automatic, it was much easier to focus on taking care of myself. If I found myself not looking forward to a workout, I knew it wasn’t about a lack of willpower—it was a sign there was something off with either the workout or my energy levels.
Have a Uniform
Much like my workout schedule, my preparation for each day’s training is fully automated. I don’t have a closet bursting with diverse athleisure options. Instead, I’ve got a uniform I can grab from a drawer in the dark at 5 AM.
This changes with the seasons, and occasionally, pieces move in and out of rotation, but right now it looks like this:
3 matching sports bras
3 matching pairs of spandex shorts (Senita Rio 7" with pockets)
a collection of black ribbed men’s undershirts, sold in 4-packs
a stack of socks that can be mixed and matched
in winter, a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants to layer over everything
There’s a laundry routine that comes with this, too. After the gym, I throw the bra and shorts into the shower, as they’re made of synthetic fabrics and need to be rinsed immediately or they’ll start to smell. The warmups go on their hook, and everything else gets tossed in the laundry.
I rinse the synthetic pieces and hang them to dry on the second rod in my shower. They typically dry in about 24 hours, so alternating between two outfits works, with the third as a bonus. Once a week, I collect everything for a full wash using sports detergent.
Tie every action to a bigger objective
I’ve never been the type to work out “for health” or “for fun.” Fun can be found in a variety of activities, and as for health...skipping a workout won’t make me drop dead.
I find motivation when I see how each day’s workout contributes to my larger life goals. When I was preparing for a marathon, the only thing that got me out of bed for a 12-mile run with my training group was the thought that if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be ready for the following week’s 15-mile run. Now that lifting is my main focus, I like to schedule a competition and ensure my program will get me ready for it. I need today’s workout to lay the foundation for next week, and the week after that, and the week after that.
Incorporate rest opportunities into your routine
When you commit to spending significant time in the gym (or on the road, at the studio, or wherever your sport takes you), it’s equally important to allow your body to recover. Sleep and nutrition play key roles, but so does making sure you don’t push yourself to do more than you’re capable of.
If you’re too rigid about sticking to your schedule, you might end up feeling guilty when you miss a workout. The goal isn’t to push yourself to the limit every time; it’s to stay consistent with a routine that is sustainable.
Here are a few strategies I use to manage this:
I always set aside one full rest day each week (typically Sunday).
The most crucial workouts of my week are scheduled earlier on.
I make one workout optional. If I begin to feel fatigued midweek, I’ll skip that session and rearrange the rest to ensure I get an extra rest day.
I also make sure not to drastically change my workload from week to week. If I want to increase intensity, I add one workout. The next week, I might consider adding another. There was a time last year when I did two workouts per day, but I eased into that gradually.
Periodize and prioritize
It’s rare for someone to stick to the same workouts with the same intensity all year long. It’s healthy to have a competitive season and an off-season or to set varying goals for different periods of the year. I know I’ll burn out if I focus on just one thing.
Occasionally, I run a race. For instance, if it’s the Pittsburgh marathon in early May, I’ll be training from January through April, with strength training as a supplementary activity rather than the main focus. After that, I’ll choose a new goal—perhaps another race, or something different.
When it comes to lifting, it's common to split your training into different phases, some focused on preparing for competitions and others on maximizing muscle growth (these are known as hypertrophy blocks).
It’s important to understand the difference between randomly trying many things and intentionally structuring your training into distinct periods with specific goals. I have many goals, but I don’t chase them all simultaneously. For instance, right now I’m concentrating on Olympic weightlifting. Although I’m preparing for a strongman competition soon, it’s mainly for fun, and I’m still sticking to my weightlifting routine before and after. In the future, I may prioritize one over the other, but I know I can only focus on one major goal at a time.
You don’t necessarily need competitions to structure your training, but I find they help clarify my objectives and force me to set clear priorities. You can also set personal goals that are meaningful for various reasons, like getting in shape for a mountain hike during a vacation or reaching a health benchmark suggested by your doctor.
