Hola from Black Rifle Coffee in Oklahoma!

I'm currently refueling my caffeine addiction as I continue the annual Fall migration south to South Padre Island.

Today's destination? Weatherford, Texas, to hang out with my buddy and coach Adam Glass.

If you're not familiar with Adam, he's an absolute freak when it comes to grip strength and lifting ridiculously heavy objects.

Which is precisely why I'm going to see him…

..because one of my lifting goals involves finding increasingly heavy objects that refuse to leave the floor.

More on that in a minute.

First, after approximately 900 miles of driving over the past two days, my hip flexors are pissed; and I am typing this standing up.

My training schedule?

Not ideal but only 1 day entirely “off” which was yesterday.

My normal meals?

Replaced with protein bars, coffee, and whatever I can find that doesn't require a fork and a microwave.

Am I worried about losing all of my gainZ? Not even a little bit.

Here's where people "out there" roaming the purple hallZ of PF get their fitness undies in a bunch.

They have a perfectly organized training program.

Monday: Upper body.

Tuesday: Cardio.

Wednesday: Lower body.

Thursday: More cardio cuz Zone 2= life, bawhaha

Then life shows up with a baseball bat.

Travel. Work. Kids. Deadlines. A surprise visit from your in-laws.

Suddenly you miss two training sessions and start acting like your mitochondria have packed their tiny suitcases and fled the country.

Relax.

Your fitness doesn't evaporate because you missed a few sessions.

Maintaining strength and muscle generally requires much less training volume than building them in the first place.

And aerobic fitness doesn't instantly vanish because you spent a couple of days impersonating a truck driver.

Yes, prolonged inactivity will eventually cost you adaptations for sure, however a few days of modified training?

That's a speed bump, not a physiological apocalypse.

Which brings me back to Adam Glass.

Adam is exceptionally good at figuring out how to get stronger at very specific tasks so I am stoked to train with him in person today.

Which reminds me of the lesson here - you get results from applying the right stimulus, recovering from it, and doing it again.

I'm currently working toward lifting a 175-pound Thomas Inch dumbbell with one hand.

For reference, that beast has a massive handle designed by Satan's engineering department.

Right now, it doesn't even budge off the floor.

Not one millimeter.

The dumbbell has won every argument we've had so far.

But the solution isn't necessarily doing 700 random grip exercises until my forearms resemble overcooked bratwursts.

It's getting better at the specific qualities that will transfer to that lift.

More isn't automatically better.

Better is better.

Same principle applies when life gets crazy.

If your schedule explodes, don't automatically abandon training because you can't complete your usual 75-minute masterpiece.

Do 15 minutes.

Hit a few hard sets.

Get theeee a$$ on the rower and do one hard 1K or 2K

Or take the day off and get back after it tomorrow.

I did this on Wed before I left and did a 2K at an RPE of 9/10, and it sucked massive moose ballZ and hit a brand new max HR; but I know I am better for doing it than not doing it.

The goal isn't to win every Tuesday battle. It’s to keep moving forward, bit by bit.

Do what you can today then repeat it tomorrow.

Continue with violent consistency.

You got this!

Ok, I'm off to Weatherford to see what kind of grip-strength torture devices Adam has assembled.

If I end up having to steer my Lexus with my elbows tomorrow, you'll know why.

Got questions? Hit reply.

Much love from the caffeinated highways of America,

Dr. Mike

P.S. Yesterday I talked about making nutrition easier with David Protein bars. Today it's training. Same underlying principle: Build a plan that survives contact with real life, not one that only works when the planets align and your calendar is empty.

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Mike T Nelson CISSN, CSCS, MSME, PhD
Associate Professor, Carrick Institute
Owner, Extreme Human Performance, LLC
Editorial Board Member, STRONG Fitness Mag

Mike T Nelson is a PhD and not a physician or registered dietitian. The contents of this email should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem - nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health.

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