I Missed a Workout
The End Is Nigh!
Yeah, right. Yesterday was Friday. I had a full day of in-person coaching and an appointment with my active release massage therapy. (If you’re thinking quiet music and oils and candles, it is not that. I only wish it was that.) I had a window of maybe an hour to squeeze a workout in AFTER 5 hours of coaching a total of 9 clients. My gym has up to 3 people in a session all doing different things usually. And after my last session left the building, I got out my shorts and I sat on the couch. I had been up at 415 to get ready for work. It was a little after 1 pm. I was tired. I was hungry. I felt like I was making excuses, but at the same time, I just didn’t have it in me to do the workout.
So this means my journey ends, right? I’m done. It’s over. All my gains are deleted? Nah. And you know how silly this sounds. But how many times have you thought this on your journey. “I have to go or else it’s over.” And yes, I have definitely had workouts that were grinds and that I wasn’t motivated to do them and I was glad I did them, but this one wasn’t that. I just couldn’t fit it in even though I had planned for it. And that’s ok. I got caught up on a bunch of paper work I was letting slide, I finished a program, and I did some hip mobility work. So I was productive. I also could have just stayed seated on our couch until my massage appointment and played my slot machine game. That would have been fine, too.
It’s Fine To Skip It
It’s fine to skip a workout here and there. You won’t start from scratch the next day or two days after. Your body likes recovery, contrary to some Instafit influencers out there. The endless hustle and grind isn’t good for anyone. And for me there’s a difference between “I don’t want to do this” and doing it anyway, and “I’m not able to do this” and doing it anyway. I was going to be doing heavy legs day yesterday. I wasn’t focused. I didn’t get the greatest night’s sleep the night before and I didn’t really have a ton of food. I could have run the risk of injury in this less focused head space. I also didn’t feel guilty about skipping. I’ll be back on track next week. I’ve moved my recurring appointments to later in the day to give me the space after my last session to workout and not have to rush off.
And I fear my massage guy will work my legs on any given day I see him, and let me put it in perspective for you: I sit for 5-6 hours getting tattooed. Sometimes I say to myself “This hurts a little” but that’s about it. My MT touches me for half a second and I’m grunting, groaning, asking myself why am I paying for this. So to squeeze a heavy leg day in with the potential of the massage guy working them after is also a deterrent. He’s big like me. Gym Bear doesn’t need that in his life on a Friday.
You’ll see some folks post things like “I’m so glad I skipped that workout” said no one ever, and I will call bullshit on that. I was glad I skipped that one. I probably would have felt fine after, but I’ve been doing this long enough to listen to my body and just be ok with not doing it.