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At-home workouts and dietary changes
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Posted on Mar 30 2020
To say that these are strange times would be an understatement. As the world pretty much comes to a jarring halt, we are all being asked to deviate from the things we normally do. Hilariously, hunkering down and staying home instead of going to work or school is making some of us feel a bit out of sorts. But seriously, this whole situation (an unfortunate one at that) has forced us into living differently.
During this period of turmoil, each and everyone of us are making noteworthy adjustments. If you’re like me, creating a new beat to march to is tough. After all, we are creatures of habit. Having a set routine keeps us centered. For instance, when all the gyms closed down I couldn’t help but think, “Well, crap…what am I going to do?”
To the layperson, they’re quick to brush it off as if I were a 5-year-old kid who was told he couldn’t have McDonald’s. Strength training has very little to do with vanity or a bid for attention. It’s beyond superficial needs. It’s an outlet. It’s a way to blow off steam.
Q: I was on a roll with my training. Now with all the gyms closed down, I feel like I’m going to lose momentum. Any suggestions on what I can do?
A: You can get a pretty decent training effect, and to some extent, build appreciable muscle with minimal equipment, but I’d be lying if I said at-home workouts are equally efficient (and cathartic) as training in a fully equipped gym. However, given the circumstances, we all have to find other ways to stay productive. There’s no shortage of free home workouts. The way I see it, this is perhaps a time to double down on your dietary and lifestyle habits and other elements. To that end, do what you can to stay active because this could take a while.
Q: What dietary changes should we be making during this period?
A: Let’s make one thing clear: now is not the time to be on a calorie deficit. We’re under a lot of stress, and we don’t want to compound that. My general rule of thumb has always been to dial back on carbohydrates and to bump up the protein to accommodate the drop in training intensity.
