It is 7:07 p.m., and the game is about to start. The commentary continues to roll along. The heat and the dog days of summer are over, and now it’s already the middle of September. In the big leagues, The Blue Jays are getting ready for a playoff push, and in a league or gym of your own with nervous excitement, or varying degrees of uncertainty, perhaps you are on deck and planning to get back to the gym.

At tonight’s game, advice for the players from the talking heads in the grandstands include, “play within yourself”. Not wanting to throw another curve ball your way, but rather intending to pitch you a little exercise gem — this week and going forward, as you take your swings and make your presses, train within yourself.

Seek exercise experiences that help you to become familiar with both your strengths and limitations. Then, learn to perform at a level where you are always in control rather than overextending.

Establish a foundation for growth and the development of a skill and increase capacity over multiple sessions. Once you have mastered training within yourself, you can gradually push the boundary towards more complex lifts and combinations of sets in a controlled way.

Last month, we took the train to Toronto and enjoyed cheering on the Blue Jays. We got there for the warm-ups (one of my favourite parts of going to a sports event) and stayed the whole game to see them win against the Chicago Cubs. I think Ted’s favourite part of the day was the train ride home — he couldn’t stop talking about his wonderful day in the city. #letsgobluejays

How to Train within Yourself

Before the Session — Day by day, match your sets and reps to your energy. Did you sleep well? Are you recovering from an illness? Recalibrating your daily training goals are as important as celebrating your personal bests and maximum lifts. Check-in with your physical and mental capacity before the lifting session. Then scale up or dial it down accordingly.

During your Sets + Reps — Leave 1-3 repetitions in the tank. Avoiding failure in the set or session helps to build confidence and the self trust to stay composed in the challenge. What if you had to do the session again tomorrow? Could you do it safely? Seek out challenges in your exercise session, but avoid training at an intensity where you feel desperate to finish.

After the Lift — At the end of the session, do you feel worked, or wrecked? For fun, sustainability and safety, aim to walk out of your sessions with energy rather than feeling depleted and exhausted. This helps to support progressive overload of the body and a sustainable approach to reaching your goals without burning up or striking out.

Because it is a risky strategy, most of the time, baseball players aren’t trying to hit a home run. Instead, they swing at a pitch they like, and seek hard contact with the ball within their rehearsed swing path. Simplifying their approach at the plate increases the likelihood for success and the home run is a result of consistent strategies when they are up to bat.

If it works at the plate, then its worth trying in the press, plié or pull-up at the gym. Simplify your stretch and strength strategy, and avoid trying to do too much. When you train within yourself sometimes the circumstances align and you may just get lucky and hit the home run in the realm of health and wellness — longevity and enjoyment of the pursuit.

Take care,

Ian and Lauryn