To quote Fight Club, “You’re not a beautiful and unique snowflake.”
Sorry. Not sorry.
Want in on a little secret?…
Either am I and certainly not my pain in the ass brother. Actually…
”All models are imperfect.”
(Not models “models” but models ya know?)
But Arianny is close…imo.
Drive495’s Physical Therapist, strength coach, and all around handsome sumabitch Connor Ryan uses that saying pretty much every day. [And the word – advantageous, but that’s for another time.]
As a coach, we are constantly altering our client’s programs in an endless quest to perfect the gainz recipe. Whether online or in-person coaching, effective changes are what good coaching is all about. Some times, the alterations are meticulously thought out like a new ingredient or method. Other times, we make them on the fly. A little salt here, a little pepper over there.
In person, we see it all the time…
[feature_box style=”9″ only_advanced=”There%20are%20no%20title%20options%20for%20the%20choosen%20style” alignment=”center”]A client drags themselves in hungover from their office’s holiday ragerrrr. Originally, you planned on teaching them the kettlebell swing for the first time. Because fat loss and glutes, yo. Loaded on Christmas cookies and egg nog, you might want to rethink that game plan.
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As the trainee or trainer, please put your ego aside and think outside the box. Why in the world would you want to potentially injure yourself or a client? Wait a day or two. Sure, we know you want to get in a sweat to perspire all those sweet “toxins”. Do it with exercises you know already. Particularly, ones that are less complicated or neurologically demanding. Bring the intensity with your volume and shortened rest periods.
Or how about this one…
[feature_box style=”9″ only_advanced=”There%20are%20no%20title%20options%20for%20the%20choosen%20style” alignment=”center”]An athlete comes in for max testing day. Nothing gets you amped like smashing PRs. But he or she looks hella beat up. A few simple questions reveals their coach drilled them for an extra hour after practice.
[/feature_box]Choose to continue forward and your gathered results are pretty much useless for the next phase. Not only does it look like all of the hard work that went into last block of training was wasted or ineffective, your athlete is even more discouraged from a poor showing.
Not good for team or individual morale.
Back to our main point: All models are imperfect.
THE TRUTH IS…
Most programs, methods, and strategies are only PERFECT IN A VACUUM. Meaning all the rep schemes, percentages prescribed, and macros calculated work perfectly without accounting for real life and all the extra baggage that comes with it.
All the x-factors that chip away at your recovery. The stress. The lack of sleep. The times of celebration and illness. The mindset or lack of motivation.
Even after knowing this, we will continue aiming for perfection. However, we will not blindly strive to achieve it nor beat ourselves to death because we failed to reach it.
No, because we also know you and I are NOT PERFECT.
Let’s just establish this now.
There will be mistakes. There will be “those days”. Life will get in the way of your perfectly calculated diet plan. You will not sleep a perfect 9 uninterrupted, blissful hours. Willpower will run low like your gas tank at points.
So, why keep aiming for perfection?
We’re going to the legendary Vince Lombardi for this one…
Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.
“Opportunities” will present themselves to break your ideal nutrition plan. [Yes, the inner foodie labeled this an opportunity.] Just like they did for me last week when I was invited to dinner at one of the best Italian restaurants New York City has to offer.
How could you pass up a meal at Carbone? You don’t.
As far as I know, we’ve only got one shot at this life. There’s no reason not to live it.
I train hard six days a week and monitor my eating eighty percent of the time. So when I am asked to enjoy myself and break my regimen, I will most certainly say yes.
By the way, it was fucking phenomenal and highly recommended.
More importantly, it’s what I didn’t do…
That one meal did not throw off my entire diet for the rest of the week since it was a Tuesday. I did NOT go into a feeding frenzy and gorge day after day until I was staring Sunday night in the face and saying I’ll restart again tomorrow.
Instead, I made the necessary adjustments the day of the meal (carb depleting workout combined with some intermittent fasting to open up my macros for later on) and enjoyed one delicious meal.
The next day I continued intermittent fasting, hit my normal training session and by the early afternoon I was back to normal.
Like nothing ever even happened. Except for the filet mignon still lingering in my daydreams.
So the next time you’re faced with dietary catastrophe, instead of turning a playground fight into World War III try these tips out instead:
1. Live.
No matter the reason why you train and eat a certain way, a part of healthy lifestyle includes balance. Pick and choose your battles but do not fear indulging every once in awhile.
2. Admit you cannot and will not be perfect all the time.
You will save yourself so much personally inflicted headaches. Replace the self bashing with some self love and a little dessert.
3. Plan ahead.
Work out. Get in an extra set of intervals. Fast. Alter your weekly macros to compensate.
Do whatever you need to plan ahead physically to give yourself relief mentally.
4. Get Back on Track – IMMEDIATELY.
Enjoy yourself in that moment with good food and great company. Then you have no excuse to get back to the task at hand the next day.
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