New Years Resolutions - The cyclical nature of weight loss

Over the last few days I've quite frequently found that my clients and I are the only people training at the studio. So, while Aegis is still busy, the freelance trainers who use the space seem to have dropped off. I expect this is the case in many gyms, where the Christmas parties and gradual wind down to the holidays has resulted in a lot of empty squat racks.

This, combined with the imminent onslaught new year resolutioners, has got me thinking about the cyclical nature of weight loss, and wether it is a good or a bad thing

It would be nice if we were constantly 100% focused on our training goals, but most of us have the inconvenient thing sandwiched between training sessions called "life". In case you don;t have one, this is where you work to earn money, socialise with your friends, spend time with your loved ones and engage in pursuits other than getting ripped abs or an ass that makes Pippa Middleton weep into her salad.

To excell at one area of life, it tends to be at the temporary expense of others. That does not mean we totally neglect those other things, but they do get put on the back burner.

So if it's time to focus on a work project, perhaps we focus less on training.

Conversely, if rapid body transformation is our number one priority, we need to forego boozy social occasions.

It is a balancing act.

When I became single and entered a couple of months of what I fondly refer to as my wilderness period, training took a back seat to gallivanting around London's cocktail bars and the less salubrious locales of Western Europe. Training most definitely took a back seat!

Now, I had a few things in my favour. I don't take drugs, my eating "crap" is a hell of a lot better than most people's "trying to eat well" and at worst I still don;t drink as frequently or heavily as many people (many Irish people anyway, some stereotypes are true, though Brits aren't far behind)

Also, I didn't stop training, this is the key. I didn't sack the gym off, and trained at least 4 days a week. Many of these were what I call "punch the clock" sessions, lacking the intensity and progression that comes when focusing on a particular training goal. But I did "show up"!

The flip side to this is of course, is there will be times when it is all about training. January is of course traditionally a time when folks chose to make a difference to their health and waistline, and the large commercial gyms fill with confused new members in brand new trainers (then in February, they realise they can't do it on their own and come and train with us). Thankfully, we tend to hold on to our annual batch of resolutioners. That's what getting actual results does for you I guess.

The point is I do not thinkyou can or should be all about training your ass off year round. However, that doesn't mean you let training and diet fall off a cliff. You still show up, you still make better food choices, it's just not as all consuming. And if January is the time of year you feel most motivated to get off you ass and start a training program, then do it!

I believe the sporadic periods of intense training and diet are more than quick fixes, I believe the re-set our concept of moderation, so that each time we return to "normal" it's a better, healthier normal than before.

So, as Bob Dylan probably never said, there's a time to reap and a time to sow, a time to get ripped and a time to limit damage, a time for greens drinks and a time for hectic weekends in Prague or wherever.

Training, work, social life, these things are like levels on a stereo, you might turn the bass up or the treble down, but if you turn anything off completely, the whole thing sounds shit.

So, smash it in January.... but when January is over, for God's Sake, keep going!

PS - If you are looking to transform your body in January, are female and willing to work hard, we have about 6 spaces left for the January intake of the Brand new online Skinny Bitch Program. Contact zack@aegistraining.co.uk for details.