Do this when you don't have time to exercise
The Art of the Checkdown
I want to end the week with a real practical lesson on some of the bigger themes I’ve hit in my other articles.
The idea of ‘what’s truly necessary’, ‘the internal locus of control’, and ‘the pivot’ are great, but how can you begin to live them out in your life?
The first place to aim is in fitness. The physical is the foundation of truth, and when we take seriously how we move our bodies with intent, the lessons pour forth and beg to be applied to other areas of life.
Too often we let the ‘perfect be the enemy of the good’ and when it all doesn’t go according to a perfectly crafted plan the only other option is to pack up and head home.
When it comes to fitness, first recognize what’s necessary instead of ideal.
If the goal is to remain consistent and progress towards a goal, one session that isn’t ideal isn’t going to get in the way.
What does? Putting up zeros.
That’s how you begin to make excuses, to substitute what you want instead of what you need, giving away your power to control the situation to an external adversary, and refusing to pivot to another option.
The ones who find long term success in any activity are the ones who can find a successful checkdown when the ideal isn’t realistic.
In fitness, that’s the person who takes a 20 minute workout when a 60 minute one isn’t available anymore.
But here’s the thing, how do you start ‘checking down’ when you haven’t even gotten started yet?
I got you!
Below I’m sharing my favorite ‘got no time, got no equipment, got no excuses workout’ so no matter where you find yourself, no matter the situation, no matter the adversity, you have an effective check down to keep yourself consistent and aimed towards your goals.
The 15 minute foundation workout
I’ve gone to this so many times and it’s never failed me. Heck, I did this routine on Saturday morning after reading and before my family woke up, and it left me sore for a day or two because it’s so effective.
You don’t need any equipment, you just need an honest effort.
Routine: Repeat 3 Times (feel free to adjust the reps to your fitness level)
Air Squats (30)
Pushups (25)
Front Lunges (15 per side)
Pushups (25)
Reverse Lunges (15 per side)
That’s it. Simple.
I’ve done this in hotel room hallways in the dark.
I’ve done this in between moving boxes piled sky high to the ceiling.
I’ve done this with both kids running around playing while I dodge the carnage.
Is it the perfect workout?
Yes.
And not because of the way it targets muscle growth or cardio gains.
But because it can be done anywhere and keeps me from ever putting up a ZERO.
The Takeaway
Having habits, routines, and practices to check down to helps establish your confidence in the utility of the ‘check down’ in the first place.
Once you realize that by moving from a high to a low expectation due to external circumstances is 1000x times better than moving to no expectation, you begin to see how vital this skill is in other areas.
When my upper body still hurts from all the pushups, I gain clarity on my overall process. Checking down keeps me aimed properly at my goals, even if that one single session was suboptimal for a whole host of reasons.
It means that if I need to checkdown on creating content in order to deal with a sick child during the week, it’s part of my overall growth and not something that takes me backwards. In this example, I take the chance to be with my kids, experience something tangible with them, and incorporate what I learn into my content creation moving forward.
And now you have a foundational routine you can take with you anywhere and do anytime. I know that when you pull this out and complete the workout when you didn’t even think you could get one in, you’ll begin to see how you make things happen in the world, that you’re in control of the situation, and that perfect isn’t the proper aim anyways, it’s about harmony and consistency.
Especially playing the long game in the fitness world.
Happy Training Friends.
You are always a wealth of knowledge and help, sir!