How to Train During a Holiday/Busy Season

If you asked me what my strengths are in an interview, I'd tell you one of them is that I love to workout.

A flaw of mine is that I like to workout…a little too much.

Yes, I've been that guy who was trying to figure out ways to get in workouts and eat perfectly during vacations. I know I know… Shame on me.

Unless you're a young adult, living on your own or with minimal responsibilities (high school, college), this isn't realistic. Life comes at all of us, and more so as we get older.

As of this writing, we're in the middle of the holiday season. Halloween just ended, Thanksgiving is coming (for my folks in the United States) and Christmas is next. Traveling, family, cooking and baking are all waiting for us. (Maybe some leftover candy too.)

There are certain types of people who will panic because their workouts will be compromised. That's actually half good because at least you have the desire to keep working out.

There are also other people who are legitimately busy, going beyond the holiday season. What I don't want you to do is completely give up, since that would lead into the habit of doing nothing.

The question is this: is there a way to maintain our gym consistency during these busy periods of our lives?

Of course, but you need to relax and just do what you can.

Your Health vs Others: Which is More Important?

I made an attempt at 75 Hard a few years back. If you don't know what that is, it's a workout (more like mental) challenge where you do 2 workouts per day, at least 45 minutes (one being outdoors), follow a diet (with no cheat meals allowed), drink a gallon of water, read 10 pages of a book, and consume no alcohol. I joined the sub-Reddit to see how people were doing on it. I came across one post along these lines:

Someone was concerned as to how to get in their workouts when a family member (I think it was a child) was in the hospital.

Let me repeat that.

Someone was concerned as to how to get in their workouts when a family member (I think it was a child) was in the hospital.

This is part of my beef with following challenges that have a streak component with them. If you mess up you have to start all over. But did you really fail if you made it 74 days and messed up? What are we doing here? Finishing workouts instead of paying attention to people around us who need our help?

Yes your health is important. It's important to work on it so that you can stay healthy for your family and be strong and alive as long as you can for them. But they are still important.

A "busy season" of your life is probably connected to your survival on some front. A busy season at work is connected to you making money. A busy time with a newborn is making sure your bloodline continues. Holidays means spending time with family that you might not see year round (we are social creatures after all).

This means something more important than the gym is happening. Honor that. You have to do what you can when you can fit it in, but you shouldn't be going crazy when things have to change either.

This article is both for the people who are hooked on working out and the people who say they're "too busy to do anything."

My question to you is this:

What are you doing the rest of the year?

If you've been crushing it from January to Mid October (New Years until the looming Halloween candy), then you're doing pretty good.

If you have a newborn but you were crushing it before that, also good.

A better question is what have you been doing when you had more free time? An abundance of free time is often poisonous if we don't give ourselves something to do. The bigger problem is when people don't develop the habit on their own first, then get busy, and then state that they don't have the time.

The time is there, you just need to find it.

Is the "Winter Arc" Necessary?

There's a neat, hero-of-the-story-montage term called a "Winter Arc." This means that during the cold seasons of the year, usually October to the end of January, you lock in, become a ghost and work hard on yourself with super discipline.

If you're reading this, you probably need a "Winter Relaxed Season."

I'm talking to adults here, not college kids.

You have kids, jobs, houses, responsibilities, presents and family gatherings to think about. Beyond the holidays, there are stressful work periods, taking care of loved ones, work trips, family trips, etc etc.

We need to think longer term. If you're doing well the rest of the year, then all these hiccups should be just bumps in the road and not total crashes. You need to think of them as rest periods in your training or "de-loads" and not "de-rails."

Cut back on the intensity, volume and your own expectations. As long as you keep moving you're in a good spot.

The Holiday or Crazy Schedule Workout Plan

You can apply this to the holidays or when life gets crazy.

The Just Getting Started/Busy Person:

• Ideally you're of the mindset that taking care of your health is important, so we'll start from that baseline. Otherwise, you can fall into the trap of sitting on the couch too long because you're so tired from the day. I know times are tough, but you owe it to yourself to keep taking care of yourself.

• Cut off the entertainment and scrolling at night at a decent hour, then wake up early to find more time for it. It's not pleasant, but sometimes that's the only way to keep it in.

• This way your willpower is at the highest it will ever be in the day. You have no idea what will happen as the day goes on. Win the day before anything happens.

What About My Training Plan?

• You may have to delay it or relax it.

• You may have to de-load and start it over after the busy time is over.

If you still have access to a gym

• Strike while the iron is hot

• If time is short, reduce the frequency (how many times you go), intensity (how heavy you go) or volume (how many reps and sets you do).

Newbie or No Gym

• Your training is now just maintaining your body.

• Keep up the general movement and mobility.

• Do pushups, stretch, or even take your family with you on a walk after Thanksgiving dinner. That way you can justify falling asleep on the couch while watching football.

What about eating?

• Eat to the best of your knowledge when you're able to. Get extra protein instead of extra pie.

• Speaking of dessert, if your grandmother offers you some and you decline because "you don't want to go over on your macros," you have some self reflection to do. Eat the cookie.

You shouldn't be falling off the wagon completely no matter which situation you're in. You're a responsible adult, so it's time to prove it to yourself.

Remember the Reason for the Season

You should be grateful for the body you have.

You should be grateful that you want to workout during the holidays or a busy season of your life. It just shows you that you know how important it is to you. You're a rare breed.

But remember, this time is for something more important. You can always get back into training, but you can't get time back with your family once it's gone.

What you really need to worry about is what you're doing when you have a ton of free time. That will really reveal what's important to you.

Thanks for reading! This was a little off the path of content I had planned, but due to the time of year and a conversation with a friend, I thought it was appropriate.

As always if you have questions or comments feel free to do so responding to this newsletter or fill out this questionnaire.

Now go forth and do something.