FITNESS & WORKOUTS
If You Have ‘Workout ADHD’ And Tweak Things Constantly, Try This
No, I’m not gonna tell you to just ‘be more disciplined’
Let’s face it, if you keep on working out and getting nowhere then the clock is ticking on you eventually giving up, right?
I mean, why would you keep slogging away in the gym, giving up your precious spare time and energy for no pay off?
Your commitment to exercising can’t be faulted — you’re doing the hard bit by consistently training. It’s probaly your Workout ADHD that’s killing your progress.
So let’s fix that before you throw in the towel, eh?
How We Sabotage Our Progress In The Gym
At the time it seems like just a little tweak to your training plan.
But when you do this in each workout, then after a couple of weeks your program bears no resemblance to the one you started with, that all your research told you would ‘work’.
Even though I train clients in person and online for a living, I still fell into the trap of doing this for years.
I’d do lots of reading around how to get stronger, build muscle or whatever the goal was, and smugly tell myself I had now created the perfect plan.
- I’d begin with 6 exercises, ABCDE & F for 3 workouts, 3 sets of each.
- In week 1 I’d change C for G (“I’m not feeling C”);
- The following week I’d decide I hated A, H was a better fit.
- Then I’d decide I was too busy for 3 workouts a week and I’d do 2 a week instead, but for 4 sets each.
- If you’re still following I’m now doing HBGDEF twice a week, when my research showed ABCDEF x 3 would work
- Unsurprisingly I’m getting nowhere…
- “This program sucks, time to take some time off and research again…”
Eventually I figured out I just found it impossible to NOT tweak any program, I missed certain exercises, I craved Wiggle Room.
How did I work around this, so I could get in better shape in my 40s than in my 20s?
‘Joker Workouts’
OK, What Is a Joker Workout?
This kind of workout keeps the impulsive, excitement-loving part of your brain happy. Your ‘Chimp’.
You know what I mean, it’s that voice that whispers to you constantly that there’s probably a better option than what your original idea or plan was. The part that feels deprived, and shouts about it, if it doesn’t get to do what it wants in the moment.
If that sounds like a voice you’re having to contend with too, here’s how to work WITH it to keep it happy, instead of trying to ignore it (which is practically impossible):
Commit to Turning Up each week and working out for at least 2 hours, and doing a mix of all the types of exercise we need as we get older for health, longevity and looking good :-), so:
- Weights/Resistance Training
- Some core and mobility work
- A few minutes of short ‘sprint’ type training, higher intensity cardio
OK What Now?
Let’s split up those 120 minutes-ish of exercise into 3 workouts of 40 minutes.
Now two of those workouts need to be planned out (an app or an old-school notepad), with the same exercises each time. We can’t do any of our tweaking or swapping with these OK?
- track your weights, reps, rest periods and progress each time;
- aim to beat your previous High Score each time in that workout
- understand that this Dull Work will result in amazing progress
Great, that’s 2 of our 3 workouts covered. Now we come to our third workout…
Each time that voice in your head starts whispering (or shouting!):
“Ah FFS, do we have to do THIS stupid workout again? Don’t we need to switch things up? Don’t we need to keep the muscles guessing? We need to CHANGE things..?”,
you can tell yourself:
“We just need to wait for our Joker Workout”.
Because that third weekly workout is our Joker Workout.
Like a weekend splurge after sticking to your sensible, healthy diet all week, the Joker Workout lets you satisfy all those workout urges. You can give into your exercise cravings now.
- You wanted to try that fancy exercise that Youtuber was doing? Knock yourself out (not literally, be careful).
- Summer coming and you want to work on your arms and legs so you look good in t-shirts and shorts — do some extra work on those then.
- Been feeling tighter and achier recently? Focus on mobility work and stretching and bodyweight exercises a little.
- Curious about that new machine in the gym? Use that in your Joker Workout.
Don’t Get Me Wrong Though…
This Joker Workout isn’t a free pass to just faff about in the gym and half-ass things.
You’ll still be pushing yourself in each exercise you choose, aiming just shy of failure as your form breaks down and the target muscle (or your lungs) start screaming.
But you’ll get to challenge yourself in the Winging-It, unstructured way your antsy brain has been craving all week.
And by using this Joker Workout, you’ll be able to stick to your 3 workouts a week program for much longer and make the progress you want.
The other two workouts will see you continually adding reps and weight to your resistance exercises, and speed and mobility in your cardio and self-care exercises too. While the Joker workout will add that variety your inner Needy Child demands.
Ultimately this is what it’s all about
To get and stay in shape as we get older we need consistency — we have enough information about what to do in workouts, we struggle with the implementation.
We can’t stick to the plan for long enough to make the progress we want with body shape improvements, fat loss and building strength, fitness and muscle.
And part of that is just sheer boredom, and that feeling that what we’re doing may be ‘wrong’.
So include 1 Joker Workout to quieten that voice, so you can thrive in your 40s, 50s and beyond by looking and feeling awesome.
Over 40, fed up and out of shape — get free access to my Programs Vault (40+ friendly programs for diet, workouts and healthy lifestyle) and you’ll be subscribed to my weekly newsletter too!
