You ever feel like you were finally getting into a good groove with your workouts, only to have life knock you sideways?
Good. That’s how it works.
No, seriously.
In Nerd Fitness Coaching, I tell every new client:
“I don’t know exactly WHEN it will happen, but within the first 3 months, something will knock you off your routine.”
Maybe you get sick. Or slammed with work. Or your kid wakes you up three nights in a row. Maybe your motivation just fades.
Whatever it is, I expect it. And here’s why that’s a good thing:
Consistency is never 100%
Life is unpredictable. Things change.
The sooner we can accept that there is no normal, the sooner we can start practicing two very important skills:
- How to shorten the disruption (so we bounce back faster)
- How to adjust the dial (so we can still do something)
If you normally workout for 2 weeks, then take 4 weeks off, then try again, progress may look like shortening that time off to 1 or 2 weeks. Over the course of a year, this change results in a massive difference in the number of workouts you do!
If you normally stop working out entirely during a particularly hectic season in life, progress may look like treading water with some shorter workouts. You are able to maintain all the progress you’ve previously built without backsliding, and your fitness will continue to improve as a result.
Let’s talk about how to put these practices into action.
🧠 Recognize the Pattern
Last week, I received an email from a reader saying how they struggle to stay consistent.
“I can keep things going for 1 or 2 weeks consistently, but then I fall off track and it takes me a while to get started again.”
So I asked them:
When you have tried making changes in the past, what is the most likely thing to “knock you off the wagon”? Does life get really busy, or maybe you get frustrated from a lack of results? Do you notice internal dialogue like “I’ve been killing it, it’s OK if I relax for today”, etc. The more we can learn from your previous attempts, the better we can game plan for next time!
If you look back over the last few months, I bet you’ll notice some repeating challenges:
- Busy work weeks
- Travel
- Family stuff
- A dip in motivation
- Starting too strong and burning out
Once you know your patterns, we can start recognizing them AS they are happening, and practice adjusting your habits in the moment.
⏱️Shrink Your Workouts
I mentioned this in a previous email, but did you know you can maintain your strength with ⅓ of your normal training volume?
That means if you normally do 3 sets of each exercise, 1 set is enough to hold steady.
Here are a few common ways I help clients reorganize their workouts when everything feels like it’s on fire:
- Reduce the number of rounds. If you normally do 3 or 4 rounds, try 1 or 2.
- Do a timed, bodyweight circuit instead. With a timed circuit, you know the EXACT amount of time you are committing to, and with bodyweight movements, you can do it anywhere.
- Break it up throughout the day/week. Take little breaks to do a couple of minutes of movement at a time. A few countertop pushups. Some squats after you brush your teeth. It all adds up!
One of my clients, Sean, had a massive work trip coming up and was going to be gone for 2-weeks. In the past, he would put his workouts on hold until he was in a better place to focus on them.
Instead, we planned ahead for 10-minute bodyweight workouts he could do in his hotel room. On a few days, he just did 2 minutes. And it kept his momentum going. He felt noticeably better coming back from his trip, and was able to jump back into workouts without getting overly sore or worn out. #winning
🌯 Create some go-to, low prep meals
What about nutrition?
One of the most useful strategies I’ve found is creating some emergency backup meals for when you’re in a pinch that don’t take a lot of extra effort. Try to prioritize protein, fruits and veggies, and hydration. Then, scan local restaurant menus as well as the closest grocery store for some quick grab and go options that fit your eating preferences.
This could look like:
- Mexican – grilled chicken/steak (if you eat meat), rice, beans, fajita veggies and all the salsa your heart could desire!
- American – grilled chicken/steak/fish is often a good bet here. Add a small fry on the side, a fruit cup (if they have one) and a zero calorie beverage of choice
- Grocery store – greek yogurt with some fresh berries and nuts for crunch
- Grocery store – rotisserie chicken, a premade salad bag, and a potato you can microwave for a low prep option.
- Grocery store – keeping some frozen options (Trader Joe’s Tikka Masala is one of my family’s personal favorites) in the freezer that you can just microwave when needed
I put together an entire resource on these low/no-prep meals you can slap together on the fly for some of my coaching clients, but I haven’t shared it with anyone else. If you’d like to take a look, shoot me an email and I’ll send it your way. 👍
🔁 Schedule a reset check-in
Now that we’ve found ways to lower the barrier to entry and get back on track with some quick workouts and low-prep meal ideas, here’s one more key strategy: Schedule a quick “reset” check-in for right after a known disruption. This could look like doing a self-check in. I.e. writing in a journal or even scheduling some time for yourself on your work calendar to pause, assess, and make a plan.
Or it could be a friend or accountability buddy you hop on a quick call with to check-in. This is actually something I do regularly for my Nerd Fitness Coaching Clients! If they are coming back from a vacation or just finishing “crunch” week at work, we hop on a quick call to reset and get back on track the very next week. It helps shorten that feeling of being “in limbo” and get reoriented and reorganized quickly. Here are some helpful questions to ask:
- What went well? Maybe you were able to complete several short workouts, or prioritize protein at meals, etc.
- What was a challenge? Maybe you felt so scattered at the end of the day, that you didn’t have the energy for even low-prep meals!
- What, if anything, would you do differently next time? Sometimes, there are no major adjustments to make. We just need more practice.
💬 Final Thought
Falling off track isn’t failure. It’s feedback.
And when you start expecting it, you can actually plan for it.
The next time life throws a wrench in your plans? You’ll already know what to do:
✅ Look for your repeat patterns
✅ Shorten your workout
✅ Fall back on your go-to, low-prep meal ideas
✅ Schedule a “reset” check-in for yourself
Progress isn’t about perfection. It’s about shortening disruptions, and adjusting the dial as you go.
And if you need help building your bounce-back plan, just hit reply. I’d love to help.
– Coach Matt
