Should Exercise Be Fun?
Work hard, sweat even harder, laugh and smile the hardest!
One of our brand values at Innerfight is FUN. Life is about having fun and creating enjoyment. Human performance skyrockets when fun is involved.
I really believe this, though recently I was asked how is pain and struggle fun?
For me, that is the fun part. Even so, it got me thinking how the word “fun” varies from person to person and how the global exercise community exists along a spectrum ranging from "absolutely no fun" to "all the fun and none of the pain."
Having fun in the gym is different for everyone
Now everyone's idea of fun with regards to exercise is completely different. Some bury themselves in the processes, find absolute pleasure in the grit and the struggle, and feel that fun has no place in a training session.
There are your dedicated crossfitters, marathon runners, or triathletes that find their fun in discomfort and revel in the glory of doing what so many others will not. Fun to them is eagerly tying their laces at 5:58 am before Track Tuesday, clipping into their bike to ride down the same old road, or even going nowhere at all riding in their living room.
Some want all of the fun and none of the pain. They want to move, socialise with friends and enjoy post-exercise coffee.
Then some find fun in six beers and a pizza, those that workout as a means of survival meant to keep them from tipping into obesity and losing all sense of health and well-being.
I am not suggesting that anything is right or wrong with any of these, fun is a relative term, and our differences make the world go around. However, prescribing health & fitness and pushing the world to be a healthier, better place, how much fun is too much? And most importantly, can we see progress and have fun at the same time?
Does having fun when exercising limit progress?
While we must find something that we enjoy, there is a fine balance if we have a specific goal in mind. Those who seek only to enjoy individual workouts often end up doing too much of the stuff that we enjoy and not enough of the things we need to do.
We all know if you want something, you have to work hard for it. I am a huge believer in hard work, consistency, and grit. Just because a workout is fun does not automatically mean it’s not challenging or helping you towards your goals. At InnerFight, we still ensure progressive overload, skill work, aerobic capacity, muscle gain, and fat loss while making it fun for our clients, the results of which speak for themselves.
Yes, exercise should be challenging, but it should be inviting enough to make everyone want to join in, fun enough to make them stay, and hard enough to reward their efforts.
What are the benefits of having fun when working out?
If you think about something in your life that’s fun, chances are you do it often – because you enjoy how it makes you feel.
At this point, we all know that being physically active comes with a lot of different benefits. Once you add having fun into the mix then you become a lot more likely to stick with your exercise program!
Doing the same thing over and over can be a grind, so occasionally mixing things up can add a bit of spice to your regular workout routine and make it easier to keep showing up and putting in the hard work.
3 ways to make exercise fun
#1 Compete against others… but don’t compare yourself to them
Healthy competition is a great motivator. Like I said earlier, everyone is different – so don’t get caught up stressing over someone being better than you. Use that to fuel your fire during the workout Bring a friend along and push each other to your limits!
#2 Make an excellent playlist
Music can be a powerful tool for motivation. Studies have shown that fast-paced music can boost your mood and your energy during a workout!
#3 Play to your strengths… but avoid repetition
Once we find a workout that we love and are good at, it’s tempting (because it’s fun) to keep going back to it. The problem with that is you can quickly get fed up with it! Even something as simple as doing your strongest exercises in a different format – like switching your normal rep scheme for a circuit – can make exercise a lot more fun.
My final thoughts
As a coach, it is my job to continuously encourage my clients to make themselves strong and push past where they were before. I prescribe just the right stimulus to move the proverbial needle. Then it's about throwing some fun into the mix and letting the person be free.
It allows the mind to relax and the body to work underneath the calm. Maybe someone hates going heavy, but they love the feeling they get when they are out of breath, or vice versa. My job is to give them what they need, but it doesn't mean I can't give them a little of what they want.
No matter how seriously you take your exercise or your sport, I encourage you to find a great environment and epic people, such as what we have at InnerFight, to keep you motivated, accountable and enjoying your fitness.
Life is short, and exercise should not be a core. It shouldn't make you miserable to do well for yourself. The pursuit of better health and wellness is essential but shouldn't be one that comes at the cost of your happiness, your well-being, and your emotional state.
I promise that if you nail the hard work and fun balance, you will get epic results and love the process.
ENGINE
Working on holding our MIKKOS score calories for longer blocks of time.
GYMNASTICS
This week, we will focus on rope climbing, doubleunders, and handstand push-ups in gymnastics. We will focus on the skill elements to help you with these movements! Whether you have these movements down or not, this class will help you improve in all these movements so you're ready to attack classes!
HYROX
We start to put together the pieces and do a mini HYROX
MOBILITY
We will go over full-body flow routines focusing on flexibility for full-body alignment.
PURE STRENGTH
In Pure Strength, we start the week with some percentage work on the close grip bench press, followed by heavy rows and a shoulder pump to finish. Wednesday, we worked up to a heavy single on the deadlift, with some tough drop sets followed by some heavy single leg work.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Snatch Focus this week, and we get into over-head squats before working into some Snatch High Pulls and Hang Snatch and then finish with some heavy Snatch singles!
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Track Tuesday
Week two of our over/unders block, this week we move to 1km efforts.
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Wednesday Ride
Wednesday ride* 5.59am BOTS. << use links/details from a few months back
4 X 8min at your best effort, what have you got?
Start time: 05:59am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: BOTS - https://goo.gl/maps/6AwtJXW8nA45Cy9H8
The Coffee Run
Our classic builders set this week, 5min builds based on effort! A great tempo run.
Start time: 05:59 am
Session length: 1 hour
Location: Common Grounds, Jumeirah Beach Track
Saturday Ride
Back to a long ride today, 105km in the group with some structured intervals to follow.
Start time: 05:59am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: BOTS - https://goo.gl/maps/6AwtJXW8nA45Cy9H8
Sunday long run
Team IFE on Tour are 3 weeks out from the marathon in Munich, so they need to run long. Why not come along and support with some miles to? Message sh@innerfight.com to find out more.
Start time: 05:29am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: From InnerFight
.jpg)
Monday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Tempo
Today we will hold tempo for 2 long blocks and one shorter block. Keep asking yourself if you are running a 7/10 effort during this session.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Sports City
Session: Track Tuesday
This week our over/unders have increased from 800m to 1000m. Paces are the same as last week. This is your chance to run fast with the wider InnerFight Endurance Community and Coaches.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Intervals
We will be running our intervals around the Olivia apartments this week for 1 loop and then in the park for a shorter loop. Try and pick up the pace on the shorter park loops.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Kite Beach
Session: The Coffee Run
This week our efforts will build from 4/10 to 7/10 over 3 blocks of builders. You therefore have 3 attempts to hit that 7/10 feeling. We recommend that you do not start off too fast on this one.
Sunday
Time: 5:29am
Location: InnerFight
Session: Long Run
We will be running from InnerFight this Sunday. There are various options from 15km to 35km depending on which races you have coming up. If you would rather run for time, that is also fine! Routes will be shared in WhatsApp and on TrainingPeaks.
.jpg)
We will kick the week off on Monday with heavy single-leg work and move on to a fast interval workout. Tuesday is about the sandbags with a tough set of EMOMs followed by a partner workout. Wednesday, we have more focus on our strict pull-ups and then a gymnastics and running-based workout. Thursday, we will hit some technical work on a clean complex and follow it up with some heavy clean singles, followed by a tough and fast-paced workout with rowing cleans and wall balls. Friday, we finish the week with some heavy Jerks in the skill and then a gruelling chipper.
Monday:
Strength:
Walking Dumbell Lunges
Conditioning:
In a 2 min window
25 KB Sumo deadlift (2x24/16)
Amrap DU
rest 2 mins
In a 2 min window
16 Weighted Box Step Ups 1 x KB 24/16
AMRAP Cals Bike
rest 2 mins
x3
Tuesday:
Strength:
Building Weight Sandbag To Shoulder
Conditioning:
In Pairs
100 sandbags to shoulder (80/50)
Every 4 mins
1 car park lap farmers carry 2 x 32/24
Wednesday:
Strength:
A) Strict Pull Ups
B) KB Push Press + Pull Ups + Side Plank
Conditioning:
16 min amrap
Pool Run
10 burpee pull-ups
3 wall walks
Thursday:
Strength:
A) Clean Pull + Hang Squat Clean + Front Squat
B) Squat Clean
Conditioning:
For time:
500/400m row
30 squat clean (60/40)
50 WallBalls
Friday:
Strength:
A) Push Jerk
Conditioning:
It's an awesome triplet to end the week! Therapyyyyy!
One of our brand values at Innerfight is FUN. Life is about having fun and creating enjoyment. Human performance skyrockets when fun is involved.
I really believe this, though recently I was asked how is pain and struggle fun?
For me, that is the fun part. Even so, it got me thinking how the word “fun” varies from person to person and how the global exercise community exists along a spectrum ranging from "absolutely no fun" to "all the fun and none of the pain."
Having fun in the gym is different for everyone
Now everyone's idea of fun with regards to exercise is completely different. Some bury themselves in the processes, find absolute pleasure in the grit and the struggle, and feel that fun has no place in a training session.
There are your dedicated crossfitters, marathon runners, or triathletes that find their fun in discomfort and revel in the glory of doing what so many others will not. Fun to them is eagerly tying their laces at 5:58 am before Track Tuesday, clipping into their bike to ride down the same old road, or even going nowhere at all riding in their living room.
Some want all of the fun and none of the pain. They want to move, socialise with friends and enjoy post-exercise coffee.
Then some find fun in six beers and a pizza, those that workout as a means of survival meant to keep them from tipping into obesity and losing all sense of health and well-being.
I am not suggesting that anything is right or wrong with any of these, fun is a relative term, and our differences make the world go around. However, prescribing health & fitness and pushing the world to be a healthier, better place, how much fun is too much? And most importantly, can we see progress and have fun at the same time?
Does having fun when exercising limit progress?
While we must find something that we enjoy, there is a fine balance if we have a specific goal in mind. Those who seek only to enjoy individual workouts often end up doing too much of the stuff that we enjoy and not enough of the things we need to do.
We all know if you want something, you have to work hard for it. I am a huge believer in hard work, consistency, and grit. Just because a workout is fun does not automatically mean it’s not challenging or helping you towards your goals. At InnerFight, we still ensure progressive overload, skill work, aerobic capacity, muscle gain, and fat loss while making it fun for our clients, the results of which speak for themselves.
Yes, exercise should be challenging, but it should be inviting enough to make everyone want to join in, fun enough to make them stay, and hard enough to reward their efforts.
What are the benefits of having fun when working out?
If you think about something in your life that’s fun, chances are you do it often – because you enjoy how it makes you feel.
At this point, we all know that being physically active comes with a lot of different benefits. Once you add having fun into the mix then you become a lot more likely to stick with your exercise program!
Doing the same thing over and over can be a grind, so occasionally mixing things up can add a bit of spice to your regular workout routine and make it easier to keep showing up and putting in the hard work.
3 ways to make exercise fun
#1 Compete against others… but don’t compare yourself to them
Healthy competition is a great motivator. Like I said earlier, everyone is different – so don’t get caught up stressing over someone being better than you. Use that to fuel your fire during the workout Bring a friend along and push each other to your limits!
#2 Make an excellent playlist
Music can be a powerful tool for motivation. Studies have shown that fast-paced music can boost your mood and your energy during a workout!
#3 Play to your strengths… but avoid repetition
Once we find a workout that we love and are good at, it’s tempting (because it’s fun) to keep going back to it. The problem with that is you can quickly get fed up with it! Even something as simple as doing your strongest exercises in a different format – like switching your normal rep scheme for a circuit – can make exercise a lot more fun.
My final thoughts
As a coach, it is my job to continuously encourage my clients to make themselves strong and push past where they were before. I prescribe just the right stimulus to move the proverbial needle. Then it's about throwing some fun into the mix and letting the person be free.
It allows the mind to relax and the body to work underneath the calm. Maybe someone hates going heavy, but they love the feeling they get when they are out of breath, or vice versa. My job is to give them what they need, but it doesn't mean I can't give them a little of what they want.
No matter how seriously you take your exercise or your sport, I encourage you to find a great environment and epic people, such as what we have at InnerFight, to keep you motivated, accountable and enjoying your fitness.
Life is short, and exercise should not be a core. It shouldn't make you miserable to do well for yourself. The pursuit of better health and wellness is essential but shouldn't be one that comes at the cost of your happiness, your well-being, and your emotional state.
I promise that if you nail the hard work and fun balance, you will get epic results and love the process.
Track Tuesday
Week two of our over/unders block, this week we move to 1km efforts.
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Wednesday Ride
Wednesday ride* 5.59am BOTS. << use links/details from a few months back
4 X 8min at your best effort, what have you got?
Start time: 05:59am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: BOTS - https://goo.gl/maps/6AwtJXW8nA45Cy9H8
The Coffee Run
Our classic builders set this week, 5min builds based on effort! A great tempo run.
Start time: 05:59 am
Session length: 1 hour
Location: Common Grounds, Jumeirah Beach Track
Saturday Ride
Back to a long ride today, 105km in the group with some structured intervals to follow.
Start time: 05:59am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: BOTS - https://goo.gl/maps/6AwtJXW8nA45Cy9H8
Sunday long run
Team IFE on Tour are 3 weeks out from the marathon in Munich, so they need to run long. Why not come along and support with some miles to? Message sh@innerfight.com to find out more.
Start time: 05:29am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: From InnerFight
Monday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Tempo
Today we will hold tempo for 2 long blocks and one shorter block. Keep asking yourself if you are running a 7/10 effort during this session.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Sports City
Session: Track Tuesday
This week our over/unders have increased from 800m to 1000m. Paces are the same as last week. This is your chance to run fast with the wider InnerFight Endurance Community and Coaches.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Intervals
We will be running our intervals around the Olivia apartments this week for 1 loop and then in the park for a shorter loop. Try and pick up the pace on the shorter park loops.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Kite Beach
Session: The Coffee Run
This week our efforts will build from 4/10 to 7/10 over 3 blocks of builders. You therefore have 3 attempts to hit that 7/10 feeling. We recommend that you do not start off too fast on this one.
Sunday
Time: 5:29am
Location: InnerFight
Session: Long Run
We will be running from InnerFight this Sunday. There are various options from 15km to 35km depending on which races you have coming up. If you would rather run for time, that is also fine! Routes will be shared in WhatsApp and on TrainingPeaks.
We will kick the week off on Monday with heavy single-leg work and move on to a fast interval workout. Tuesday is about the sandbags with a tough set of EMOMs followed by a partner workout. Wednesday, we have more focus on our strict pull-ups and then a gymnastics and running-based workout. Thursday, we will hit some technical work on a clean complex and follow it up with some heavy clean singles, followed by a tough and fast-paced workout with rowing cleans and wall balls. Friday, we finish the week with some heavy Jerks in the skill and then a gruelling chipper.
Monday:
Strength:
Walking Dumbell Lunges
Conditioning:
In a 2 min window
25 KB Sumo deadlift (2x24/16)
Amrap DU
rest 2 mins
In a 2 min window
16 Weighted Box Step Ups 1 x KB 24/16
AMRAP Cals Bike
rest 2 mins
x3
Tuesday:
Strength:
Building Weight Sandbag To Shoulder
Conditioning:
In Pairs
100 sandbags to shoulder (80/50)
Every 4 mins
1 car park lap farmers carry 2 x 32/24
Wednesday:
Strength:
A) Strict Pull Ups
B) KB Push Press + Pull Ups + Side Plank
Conditioning:
16 min amrap
Pool Run
10 burpee pull-ups
3 wall walks
Thursday:
Strength:
A) Clean Pull + Hang Squat Clean + Front Squat
B) Squat Clean
Conditioning:
For time:
500/400m row
30 squat clean (60/40)
50 WallBalls
Friday:
Strength:
A) Push Jerk
Conditioning:
It's an awesome triplet to end the week! Therapyyyyy!
ENGINE
Working on holding our MIKKOS score calories for longer blocks of time.
GYMNASTICS
This week, we will focus on rope climbing, doubleunders, and handstand push-ups in gymnastics. We will focus on the skill elements to help you with these movements! Whether you have these movements down or not, this class will help you improve in all these movements so you're ready to attack classes!
HYROX
We start to put together the pieces and do a mini HYROX
MOBILITY
We will go over full-body flow routines focusing on flexibility for full-body alignment.
PURE STRENGTH
In Pure Strength, we start the week with some percentage work on the close grip bench press, followed by heavy rows and a shoulder pump to finish. Wednesday, we worked up to a heavy single on the deadlift, with some tough drop sets followed by some heavy single leg work.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Snatch Focus this week, and we get into over-head squats before working into some Snatch High Pulls and Hang Snatch and then finish with some heavy Snatch singles!
One of our brand values at Innerfight is FUN. Life is about having fun and creating enjoyment. Human performance skyrockets when fun is involved.
I really believe this, though recently I was asked how is pain and struggle fun?
For me, that is the fun part. Even so, it got me thinking how the word “fun” varies from person to person and how the global exercise community exists along a spectrum ranging from "absolutely no fun" to "all the fun and none of the pain."
Having fun in the gym is different for everyone
Now everyone's idea of fun with regards to exercise is completely different. Some bury themselves in the processes, find absolute pleasure in the grit and the struggle, and feel that fun has no place in a training session.
There are your dedicated crossfitters, marathon runners, or triathletes that find their fun in discomfort and revel in the glory of doing what so many others will not. Fun to them is eagerly tying their laces at 5:58 am before Track Tuesday, clipping into their bike to ride down the same old road, or even going nowhere at all riding in their living room.
Some want all of the fun and none of the pain. They want to move, socialise with friends and enjoy post-exercise coffee.
Then some find fun in six beers and a pizza, those that workout as a means of survival meant to keep them from tipping into obesity and losing all sense of health and well-being.
I am not suggesting that anything is right or wrong with any of these, fun is a relative term, and our differences make the world go around. However, prescribing health & fitness and pushing the world to be a healthier, better place, how much fun is too much? And most importantly, can we see progress and have fun at the same time?
Does having fun when exercising limit progress?
While we must find something that we enjoy, there is a fine balance if we have a specific goal in mind. Those who seek only to enjoy individual workouts often end up doing too much of the stuff that we enjoy and not enough of the things we need to do.
We all know if you want something, you have to work hard for it. I am a huge believer in hard work, consistency, and grit. Just because a workout is fun does not automatically mean it’s not challenging or helping you towards your goals. At InnerFight, we still ensure progressive overload, skill work, aerobic capacity, muscle gain, and fat loss while making it fun for our clients, the results of which speak for themselves.
Yes, exercise should be challenging, but it should be inviting enough to make everyone want to join in, fun enough to make them stay, and hard enough to reward their efforts.
What are the benefits of having fun when working out?
If you think about something in your life that’s fun, chances are you do it often – because you enjoy how it makes you feel.
At this point, we all know that being physically active comes with a lot of different benefits. Once you add having fun into the mix then you become a lot more likely to stick with your exercise program!
Doing the same thing over and over can be a grind, so occasionally mixing things up can add a bit of spice to your regular workout routine and make it easier to keep showing up and putting in the hard work.
3 ways to make exercise fun
#1 Compete against others… but don’t compare yourself to them
Healthy competition is a great motivator. Like I said earlier, everyone is different – so don’t get caught up stressing over someone being better than you. Use that to fuel your fire during the workout Bring a friend along and push each other to your limits!
#2 Make an excellent playlist
Music can be a powerful tool for motivation. Studies have shown that fast-paced music can boost your mood and your energy during a workout!
#3 Play to your strengths… but avoid repetition
Once we find a workout that we love and are good at, it’s tempting (because it’s fun) to keep going back to it. The problem with that is you can quickly get fed up with it! Even something as simple as doing your strongest exercises in a different format – like switching your normal rep scheme for a circuit – can make exercise a lot more fun.
My final thoughts
As a coach, it is my job to continuously encourage my clients to make themselves strong and push past where they were before. I prescribe just the right stimulus to move the proverbial needle. Then it's about throwing some fun into the mix and letting the person be free.
It allows the mind to relax and the body to work underneath the calm. Maybe someone hates going heavy, but they love the feeling they get when they are out of breath, or vice versa. My job is to give them what they need, but it doesn't mean I can't give them a little of what they want.
No matter how seriously you take your exercise or your sport, I encourage you to find a great environment and epic people, such as what we have at InnerFight, to keep you motivated, accountable and enjoying your fitness.
Life is short, and exercise should not be a core. It shouldn't make you miserable to do well for yourself. The pursuit of better health and wellness is essential but shouldn't be one that comes at the cost of your happiness, your well-being, and your emotional state.
I promise that if you nail the hard work and fun balance, you will get epic results and love the process.
Monday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Tempo
Today we will hold tempo for 2 long blocks and one shorter block. Keep asking yourself if you are running a 7/10 effort during this session.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Sports City
Session: Track Tuesday
This week our over/unders have increased from 800m to 1000m. Paces are the same as last week. This is your chance to run fast with the wider InnerFight Endurance Community and Coaches.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: Ladies Only Intervals
We will be running our intervals around the Olivia apartments this week for 1 loop and then in the park for a shorter loop. Try and pick up the pace on the shorter park loops.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Kite Beach
Session: The Coffee Run
This week our efforts will build from 4/10 to 7/10 over 3 blocks of builders. You therefore have 3 attempts to hit that 7/10 feeling. We recommend that you do not start off too fast on this one.
Sunday
Time: 5:29am
Location: InnerFight
Session: Long Run
We will be running from InnerFight this Sunday. There are various options from 15km to 35km depending on which races you have coming up. If you would rather run for time, that is also fine! Routes will be shared in WhatsApp and on TrainingPeaks.
We will kick the week off on Monday with heavy single-leg work and move on to a fast interval workout. Tuesday is about the sandbags with a tough set of EMOMs followed by a partner workout. Wednesday, we have more focus on our strict pull-ups and then a gymnastics and running-based workout. Thursday, we will hit some technical work on a clean complex and follow it up with some heavy clean singles, followed by a tough and fast-paced workout with rowing cleans and wall balls. Friday, we finish the week with some heavy Jerks in the skill and then a gruelling chipper.
Monday:
Strength:
Walking Dumbell Lunges
Conditioning:
In a 2 min window
25 KB Sumo deadlift (2x24/16)
Amrap DU
rest 2 mins
In a 2 min window
16 Weighted Box Step Ups 1 x KB 24/16
AMRAP Cals Bike
rest 2 mins
x3
Tuesday:
Strength:
Building Weight Sandbag To Shoulder
Conditioning:
In Pairs
100 sandbags to shoulder (80/50)
Every 4 mins
1 car park lap farmers carry 2 x 32/24
Wednesday:
Strength:
A) Strict Pull Ups
B) KB Push Press + Pull Ups + Side Plank
Conditioning:
16 min amrap
Pool Run
10 burpee pull-ups
3 wall walks
Thursday:
Strength:
A) Clean Pull + Hang Squat Clean + Front Squat
B) Squat Clean
Conditioning:
For time:
500/400m row
30 squat clean (60/40)
50 WallBalls
Friday:
Strength:
A) Push Jerk
Conditioning:
It's an awesome triplet to end the week! Therapyyyyy!
ENGINE
Working on holding our MIKKOS score calories for longer blocks of time.
GYMNASTICS
This week, we will focus on rope climbing, doubleunders, and handstand push-ups in gymnastics. We will focus on the skill elements to help you with these movements! Whether you have these movements down or not, this class will help you improve in all these movements so you're ready to attack classes!
HYROX
We start to put together the pieces and do a mini HYROX
MOBILITY
We will go over full-body flow routines focusing on flexibility for full-body alignment.
PURE STRENGTH
In Pure Strength, we start the week with some percentage work on the close grip bench press, followed by heavy rows and a shoulder pump to finish. Wednesday, we worked up to a heavy single on the deadlift, with some tough drop sets followed by some heavy single leg work.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Snatch Focus this week, and we get into over-head squats before working into some Snatch High Pulls and Hang Snatch and then finish with some heavy Snatch singles!
Track Tuesday
Week two of our over/unders block, this week we move to 1km efforts.
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Wednesday Ride
Wednesday ride* 5.59am BOTS. << use links/details from a few months back
4 X 8min at your best effort, what have you got?
Start time: 05:59am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: BOTS - https://goo.gl/maps/6AwtJXW8nA45Cy9H8
The Coffee Run
Our classic builders set this week, 5min builds based on effort! A great tempo run.
Start time: 05:59 am
Session length: 1 hour
Location: Common Grounds, Jumeirah Beach Track
Saturday Ride
Back to a long ride today, 105km in the group with some structured intervals to follow.
Start time: 05:59am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: BOTS - https://goo.gl/maps/6AwtJXW8nA45Cy9H8
Sunday long run
Team IFE on Tour are 3 weeks out from the marathon in Munich, so they need to run long. Why not come along and support with some miles to? Message sh@innerfight.com to find out more.
Start time: 05:29am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: From InnerFight
One of our brand values at Innerfight is FUN. Life is about having fun and creating enjoyment. Human performance skyrockets when fun is involved.
I really believe this, though recently I was asked how is pain and struggle fun?
For me, that is the fun part. Even so, it got me thinking how the word “fun” varies from person to person and how the global exercise community exists along a spectrum ranging from "absolutely no fun" to "all the fun and none of the pain."
Having fun in the gym is different for everyone
Now everyone's idea of fun with regards to exercise is completely different. Some bury themselves in the processes, find absolute pleasure in the grit and the struggle, and feel that fun has no place in a training session.
There are your dedicated crossfitters, marathon runners, or triathletes that find their fun in discomfort and revel in the glory of doing what so many others will not. Fun to them is eagerly tying their laces at 5:58 am before Track Tuesday, clipping into their bike to ride down the same old road, or even going nowhere at all riding in their living room.
Some want all of the fun and none of the pain. They want to move, socialise with friends and enjoy post-exercise coffee.
Then some find fun in six beers and a pizza, those that workout as a means of survival meant to keep them from tipping into obesity and losing all sense of health and well-being.
I am not suggesting that anything is right or wrong with any of these, fun is a relative term, and our differences make the world go around. However, prescribing health & fitness and pushing the world to be a healthier, better place, how much fun is too much? And most importantly, can we see progress and have fun at the same time?
Does having fun when exercising limit progress?
While we must find something that we enjoy, there is a fine balance if we have a specific goal in mind. Those who seek only to enjoy individual workouts often end up doing too much of the stuff that we enjoy and not enough of the things we need to do.
We all know if you want something, you have to work hard for it. I am a huge believer in hard work, consistency, and grit. Just because a workout is fun does not automatically mean it’s not challenging or helping you towards your goals. At InnerFight, we still ensure progressive overload, skill work, aerobic capacity, muscle gain, and fat loss while making it fun for our clients, the results of which speak for themselves.
Yes, exercise should be challenging, but it should be inviting enough to make everyone want to join in, fun enough to make them stay, and hard enough to reward their efforts.
What are the benefits of having fun when working out?
If you think about something in your life that’s fun, chances are you do it often – because you enjoy how it makes you feel.
At this point, we all know that being physically active comes with a lot of different benefits. Once you add having fun into the mix then you become a lot more likely to stick with your exercise program!
Doing the same thing over and over can be a grind, so occasionally mixing things up can add a bit of spice to your regular workout routine and make it easier to keep showing up and putting in the hard work.
3 ways to make exercise fun
#1 Compete against others… but don’t compare yourself to them
Healthy competition is a great motivator. Like I said earlier, everyone is different – so don’t get caught up stressing over someone being better than you. Use that to fuel your fire during the workout Bring a friend along and push each other to your limits!
#2 Make an excellent playlist
Music can be a powerful tool for motivation. Studies have shown that fast-paced music can boost your mood and your energy during a workout!
#3 Play to your strengths… but avoid repetition
Once we find a workout that we love and are good at, it’s tempting (because it’s fun) to keep going back to it. The problem with that is you can quickly get fed up with it! Even something as simple as doing your strongest exercises in a different format – like switching your normal rep scheme for a circuit – can make exercise a lot more fun.
My final thoughts
As a coach, it is my job to continuously encourage my clients to make themselves strong and push past where they were before. I prescribe just the right stimulus to move the proverbial needle. Then it's about throwing some fun into the mix and letting the person be free.
It allows the mind to relax and the body to work underneath the calm. Maybe someone hates going heavy, but they love the feeling they get when they are out of breath, or vice versa. My job is to give them what they need, but it doesn't mean I can't give them a little of what they want.
No matter how seriously you take your exercise or your sport, I encourage you to find a great environment and epic people, such as what we have at InnerFight, to keep you motivated, accountable and enjoying your fitness.
Life is short, and exercise should not be a core. It shouldn't make you miserable to do well for yourself. The pursuit of better health and wellness is essential but shouldn't be one that comes at the cost of your happiness, your well-being, and your emotional state.
I promise that if you nail the hard work and fun balance, you will get epic results and love the process.
One of our brand values at Innerfight is FUN. Life is about having fun and creating enjoyment. Human performance skyrockets when fun is involved.
I really believe this, though recently I was asked how is pain and struggle fun?
For me, that is the fun part. Even so, it got me thinking how the word “fun” varies from person to person and how the global exercise community exists along a spectrum ranging from "absolutely no fun" to "all the fun and none of the pain."
Having fun in the gym is different for everyone
Now everyone's idea of fun with regards to exercise is completely different. Some bury themselves in the processes, find absolute pleasure in the grit and the struggle, and feel that fun has no place in a training session.
There are your dedicated crossfitters, marathon runners, or triathletes that find their fun in discomfort and revel in the glory of doing what so many others will not. Fun to them is eagerly tying their laces at 5:58 am before Track Tuesday, clipping into their bike to ride down the same old road, or even going nowhere at all riding in their living room.
Some want all of the fun and none of the pain. They want to move, socialise with friends and enjoy post-exercise coffee.
Then some find fun in six beers and a pizza, those that workout as a means of survival meant to keep them from tipping into obesity and losing all sense of health and well-being.
I am not suggesting that anything is right or wrong with any of these, fun is a relative term, and our differences make the world go around. However, prescribing health & fitness and pushing the world to be a healthier, better place, how much fun is too much? And most importantly, can we see progress and have fun at the same time?
Does having fun when exercising limit progress?
While we must find something that we enjoy, there is a fine balance if we have a specific goal in mind. Those who seek only to enjoy individual workouts often end up doing too much of the stuff that we enjoy and not enough of the things we need to do.
We all know if you want something, you have to work hard for it. I am a huge believer in hard work, consistency, and grit. Just because a workout is fun does not automatically mean it’s not challenging or helping you towards your goals. At InnerFight, we still ensure progressive overload, skill work, aerobic capacity, muscle gain, and fat loss while making it fun for our clients, the results of which speak for themselves.
Yes, exercise should be challenging, but it should be inviting enough to make everyone want to join in, fun enough to make them stay, and hard enough to reward their efforts.
What are the benefits of having fun when working out?
If you think about something in your life that’s fun, chances are you do it often – because you enjoy how it makes you feel.
At this point, we all know that being physically active comes with a lot of different benefits. Once you add having fun into the mix then you become a lot more likely to stick with your exercise program!
Doing the same thing over and over can be a grind, so occasionally mixing things up can add a bit of spice to your regular workout routine and make it easier to keep showing up and putting in the hard work.
3 ways to make exercise fun
#1 Compete against others… but don’t compare yourself to them
Healthy competition is a great motivator. Like I said earlier, everyone is different – so don’t get caught up stressing over someone being better than you. Use that to fuel your fire during the workout Bring a friend along and push each other to your limits!
#2 Make an excellent playlist
Music can be a powerful tool for motivation. Studies have shown that fast-paced music can boost your mood and your energy during a workout!
#3 Play to your strengths… but avoid repetition
Once we find a workout that we love and are good at, it’s tempting (because it’s fun) to keep going back to it. The problem with that is you can quickly get fed up with it! Even something as simple as doing your strongest exercises in a different format – like switching your normal rep scheme for a circuit – can make exercise a lot more fun.
My final thoughts
As a coach, it is my job to continuously encourage my clients to make themselves strong and push past where they were before. I prescribe just the right stimulus to move the proverbial needle. Then it's about throwing some fun into the mix and letting the person be free.
It allows the mind to relax and the body to work underneath the calm. Maybe someone hates going heavy, but they love the feeling they get when they are out of breath, or vice versa. My job is to give them what they need, but it doesn't mean I can't give them a little of what they want.
No matter how seriously you take your exercise or your sport, I encourage you to find a great environment and epic people, such as what we have at InnerFight, to keep you motivated, accountable and enjoying your fitness.
Life is short, and exercise should not be a core. It shouldn't make you miserable to do well for yourself. The pursuit of better health and wellness is essential but shouldn't be one that comes at the cost of your happiness, your well-being, and your emotional state.
I promise that if you nail the hard work and fun balance, you will get epic results and love the process.
One-Hour Workout: Revving Your Swim Engine
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