Do You Know What Today Is?

No, I’m not referring to April Fool’s (although it is April Fool’s Day).  April 1st is generally the unofficial first “Sleeves Day” – the first day warm enough to wear short-sleeved tops (although it’s 47 degrees and threatening to rain here in NYC).

Are you ready?  If not, why not?

Perhaps you haven’t been as diligent with your exercise as you should have been.  That’s ok – just get started now.  One neat-o way is to focus on one exercise (make it a great one, like the squat, row, press, etc.) and do just that one exercise every day.  At least for the next 30 days.

Does this run counter to the laws of sufficient recovery?  Yes – and no.  If you’re not currently exercising, your work capacity is low.  Consequently, you won’t be able to tire yourself as effectively as someone who is fitter than you.  So your body will recover faster than the oft-quoted 48-hour window of muscle recovery.  And at this stage of the game, it’s more important to instill the habit of exercising than to make sure your routine is perfect.  Besides, use this opportunity to perfect your technique on your chosen exercise.

Don’t do this with crunches, please.

Maybe proper nutrition has eluded you.  So here’s your 30-day homework:

Take the first 5 days to document your eating.  In other words, keep a food journal.

Day 6 – Go through your journal and identify the 5 biggest offenders (the foods/foodstuffs you know you shouldn’t be eating).  Over the course of the next 24 days, eliminate these 5 foods from your diet completely.  If one of these 3 foods is not on your list, add them: Grains (of all kinds), flour and flour products, calorie-containing beverages (except your post-workout shake, if you use them).

It (apocryphally, likely) takes 21 days to instill a habit.  Let’s overshoot and do it for 30 days.  And, just so you know, “Beach Day” just happens to be 30 days away.