Ring-dip ladder
Rest 5 minutes
3/4 body-weight hang power clean ladder

For the ladder pattern, perform one rep the first minute, two reps the second minute, three reps the third minute, continuing as long as you are able. Use as many sets each minute as needed.

It’s a HoliDAY, not a HoliWEEK (or holiMONTH)

The holiday season has an incredible ability to derail all of the good stuff you’ve worked hard for over the past year.  Even if you indulge just a little bit, it’s still out of your norm.  Holiday parties (yes, we had one at Roots so we’re somewhat responsible), school celebrations, gifts of food, family gatherings, and the overall feelings of anticipation and excitement can send us into a downward spiral of missed workouts and consecutive evenings of overindulgence.

Sound familiar on this Monday morning right smack between Christmas and New Years?

I honestly think that in the case of holidays, food is an integral part of our celebration. The hard part is making the distinction between the food we really love and the insane amount of holiday crap that fills our worlds during the holiday span. The other hard part is getting back on your A game after the holiDAY. Notice I emphasized “day”, it’s not a holiWEEK.

While flying home on Saturday, Eric and I chatted about how to get back on track after a wonderful, but indulgent, three days home on in Virginia.  We decided that it started with one good meal – dinner, when we got home.  Instead of buying some easy takeout on the way home from the airport, we would stop at the grocery and make a perfectly solid Paleo dinner.  That night we sat down to tomato soup, chard, and chicken.  It was delicious but as much as I’d love to say it hit the spot, I was definitely craving all the food we’d had the past few nights.  That’s just a fact of getting back on the wagon, it’s not glamorous or exciting, and sometimes even a little bit of a let down.  Suck it up.

But really, sometimes that’s all it takes.  One good meal, one good night sleep, and one good workout the next day to flip the switch back to what you know makes you thrive and perform your best.

The big trick at this point on the calendar is to make the decision NOW.  Don’t give in to this week and make New Year’s a weeklong celebration.  

Here are some tips for a strong holiday reset.  No, this isn’t a cheesy list of lame recommendations.  We’re not Shape Magazine, after all:

1. Make your next meal perfect.  No exceptions.  Doesn’t matter if you eat in or out, make it something where there is zero question as if you made the absolute best possible decisions.
2. Get in your workouts.  Today is Monday.  Make the commitment to get in here four times between now and Sunday.
3. Clean out the house.  No, you don’t have to wait until New Year’s Day, or worse, the week after.  Hit the reset button now.  Get rid of the junk that has accumulated over the holidays.
4. Do some research.  Google Paleo and Zone and read through the search results.  Reading blogs and articles on the topics is motivating.
5. Tell a friend.  Call, text, email a friend at the shop and tell them your plan.  Hold each other accountable.

What’s your strategy to get back on track after the holidays?  Post to comments.