Hey everyone! I hope you’re all staying safe and healthy during these strange times. I miss seeing you all and I’m looking forward to all of us being able to get back to our normal routines again (hopefully) soon. Until then, here’s a little update on what I’ve been doing during this time away from the gym.
First things first, I’d like to thank everyone who has donated directly to Joey and I. Your support means more than you know and I am so grateful to be part of such a close knit gym community. I know finances are tight for a lot of people right now so the fact that many of you have donated to help us stay employed through this tough time truly means a lot and I can’t thank you enough! Now on to what I’ve been up to.
During the first week being stuck at home, Dan, Joey, and I worked full days building our exercise library and our new spreadsheets. This is something we have been working on for awhile, but the quarantine allowed us to kick it into high gear. We now have nearly 200 exercises added to our library with videos and descriptions for each, and we have some snazzy looking workout sheets that will be useful for future use in the gym as well as online. In addition to working on the exercise library and corresponding with my online clients, I am still training one of my clients 4 days per week at a few different outdoor locations. It’s good to get outside and still train someone face to face (while following social distancing guidelines of course).
I’m taking this time to really focus in on my own training and nutrition as well. I typically eat pretty well, but in the past when I’ve gotten busy I have had a tendency to eat out and snack on not-so-healthy things more than I should. Now that I’m home all day, I have plenty of time to make myself healthy meals and I have made it a point to stock up on healthy snacks like fruits and veggies. I took one of my barbells, a set of squat stands, and some weight plates home from the gym so that I’d still be able to lift at home. I also bought a sandbag which has been a fun addition to my training. Along with lifting 3-4 days per week, I’m going to the field to practice throwing for about 45 minutes to an hour just about every day (weather permitting). Unfortunately most of the competitions I was planning on doing the next several months have been cancelled or postponed, but I still enjoy being able to get out in the sun and practice my sport even with no competitions on the horizon. It’s good exercise but it’s also good for my sanity.
Aside from working online and working out, I have had lots of time to listen to podcasts, watch Netflix, and FaceTime Brooke as well as some of my good friends in NM and NC. I binge watched the Netflix series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness and I’ve been watching some of my favorite comedy movies such as Step Brothers and The Hangover as well as several stand-up comedy specials. Some of my favorite podcasts that I’ve been binge-listening to include The Joe Rogan Experience, Stronger by Science, You Are Not So Smart, and The Refined Savage. I’ve also caught up with a few friends who I haven’t talked to in awhile.
While this situation is definitely very stressful, I’m trying to make the most of it by focusing on the things that are within my control and trying not to worry about the things that are not. This dark cloud will pass soon and we’ll all be back to our normal lives. I hope you all are doing the same, and I can’t wait to see you back at the gym!
See you again soon, Become Better Fam!
Coach Nik