Activity and the Feast

You are what you eat

I’ve frequently seen not to increase overall workout volume by more than 10% a week. What happens when you start at zero? You’re not actually inactive right now. It just feels like it.

The other end of the situation is when you get hooked on the endorphin rush and want to go all in. Ultra running is supposed to take about 2 years to build up to a 100 mile race. I couldn’t wait that long and refused to accept it couldn’t be done faster. Recovery is the most important aspect of workout volume.

If your body isn’t rested and healed, it’s like peeling off a scab too early. You’ll end up with a scar and not healthy tissue. Scarred muscle is different but the analogy works if you realize it’s going to take more effort to overcome this damage.

My personal journey led me to focus on diet. Which isn’t to say I cut calories and only ate what ever the current fad consisted. I focused on eating clean foods and as healthy as possible based on what my body needed to recover the best. Studies are now starting to prove the food you are consuming becomes a critical part of your body in mere hours.

If you want a quicker healthier body the diet you consume is effectively building the body you will have in about 2-3 months from now. Eating clean today pays dividends later. No ones going to notice this though. Not even you. You’ll feel the effects in a few weeks, but the show and tell really happens when the body is almost entirely new material produced from this healthier diet.

To maximize my recovery I turn to raw vegetables, mostly in the form of a salad with protein mixed in. I’m able to eat the same meal over and over without getting exhausted of the taste so this might not be as easy for you. It did however catapult me to success in ramping up to twice a day workouts, 7 days a week. I’m not entirely sure I pushed hard enough in those workouts, but I improved my endurance and overall strength to levels I’ve never hit before.

It’s a new year and a great time to set some guidelines on what you consume. Is the thing you’re about to eat going to be what you want to define your body in 3 months from now? Are you really committed to making your goals happen? What you eat is the only building blocks your body has to form new cells. Give it the fuel and nutrients you want it to use and don’t cheat this early in the process. You want the foundations strong and stable. Cheat days don’t exist at this stage in your journey. You’ll get there. Today is a better day because of your efforts yesterday. So let’s see how you set yourself up for success tomorrow.