Workout: Benchmark
We’re doing something different this week. This workout is a snapshot of where we are, a strength benchmark. Our goal is to do the exercises to our single-rep maximum, which is exactly what it sounds like: the weight is heavy enough that we can only complete one beautiful rep. Take notes and keep this in a drawer somewhere so we can compare in the future to see how we are doing.
squats deadlifts bench press fly rows kickback pushups to fail pretty princesses brains
Three Things
Many of us are tired. We would love to have more energy. Absent a magic wand, we have to create that energy for ourselves. Here are some ways:
1. Get enough sleep. Duh. Except we don’t. We stay up too late playing video games or watching cop shows or even doing useful things like laundry and work. Just go to bed. Mom says.
2. Exercise. Even though we are tired, we need to do it. Paradoxically, it will give us more energy. Cardio is especially effective for this, so even if all we do is drag ourselves around the block (or get a dog to help…), we will feel more energetic afterwards. Bonus points: it helps us focus afterwards, so we’ll feel smarter, too.
3. Watch out for the sugar. Yes, it will get us through that dreadfully boring meeting without falling asleep, but the crash afterwards will be worse. We need to try to have protein in our emergency snacks for good energy management. Worst case: if you do not have an allergy, at least choose a candy bar with nuts in it.
Science in Action
When we face the task of changing our behavior toward more healthy actions, we have to figure out how to motivate ourselves. We want to do more of some things (like exercise) and less of other things (like eating too much cake).
Pretty much we can choose between carrots and sticks as motivation. Imagine we are donkeys. We will move toward yummy carrots (I admit, I would have to be a donkey to find carrots motivational!) and away from sticks that might whack us on the behind. The research suggests that, in general, adults respond better to rewards than punishments. This was also true of my children, at least, but they are hardly a representative sample.
Rewards come in two flavors, and neither of them is carrot. We can give ourselves something we want or we can get ourselves out of something we want to avoid. In practice, this might mean that we get a long massage for losing that first five pounds or that we might get out of doing burpees at a workout for remembering to log our food intake every day.
Because we are all individuals, we will need to experiment to find out which rewards actually get us to make the changes we want. We can experience science in action!