2020 training goals

I am going back to training again after 7-8 months off. It's not a new years resolution, but something I need to feel good. I have already started by doing the first couple of training sessions to chock the system and get the first training ache going and out of the way. Then in 2020 it's back to the gym again and we'll see how that goes.

I am going to do a few things different in 2020 and I have set up a few goals for myself. As with my writing the biggest focus will be on consistency. Even a bad workout is better than no workout after all. I also have a few focus areas that will always be part of my training:

1. Core strength
2. Grip Strength
3. Cardio
4. Flexibility

Core strength is there because my midsection is probably my weakest point. With the extra fat and a funnel chest my stomach look like a bowling ball. So I will strengthen the core and reduce body fat. I will also work on some mobility, even if it's a bit tricky as my lower spine is stiff due to my lower part being grown together. While this comes naturally with training I will add abs and lower back exercises in every training session. I am also considering adding thaiboxing / MMA training to the mix a few days a week for flexibility and core strength.

Grip strength might seem a bit strange, but I want to ensure I do not end up with a weak grip forcing me to use straps to train my back. I also need to increase my endurance for grip pressure as it currently hurt hanging from a bar. As I aim to work quite a bit on my back I need to be able to do pull ups and for that I need good grip strength as well as grip pressure endurance. For this I am hanging from a bar before each training session. This let me not only slowly make my body used to the pressure in my hands, but it also stretches my chest and shoulders, helping with posture a bit. I will add leg raises later to add some core strength in there as well.

Cardio has always been a weak point for me. As I grow older it becomes harder to do running so I will not focus on that as the chance of failure is high. Power walks however is a great option and I will walk back and forth to the gym, which is 6km. I also have a nice route just for walking that is 5km that I aim to take every day I am not going to the gym. I am going to try out battle ropes and some other exercises to get that pump going.

Flexibility is starting to be very important as I am getting old and with issues in my lower back and with a situation where I sit most of my time I need to do some stretching. I will end all workout sessions with stretching where a big focus will be on the hips and legs. One goal is to be able to put both palms to the ground in 2020 and to do a full split in 2023. The first one I am sure I can do and the second one I am not as sure of. Still going to push for both however. I will also focus on chest mobility as it seems to have good effect of SHR symptoms.

Right now I am planning on going to Friskis & Svettis here where I live. It's a decent gym, not to far away and I can go there with my son when he feel like working out. I can walk in about 40 minutes or I can take the bus, which makes it accessible which I feel is most important right now. The downside of this choice is that the gym does not open until 06.30 in the morning so early morning training is pretty much out of the question when on assignment. This is because I have around 1 hour commute and my work start at 8 most days.

If I decide to start doing thaiboxing / MMA then I will probably go for Combat Academy as it's pretty close and I pass it on my way home from work. This one is a bit trickier as it has a fixed time and it's not always so easy to keep that with work. My wife also start a new job next week, which means she will do some late shifts so i will be doing the cooking on those days. Still, I can opt for 4 days of workout with both thaiboxing and MMA so that should make it possible to get at least one or two sessions each week. Still undecided on this, but I'll go there to check it out just the same.

Planning is one thing, but execution is another. So I have already started and it feels great. It hurts a lot right now of course as I shock the system, but the me time doing power walks in the dark feel amazing. I will train with my son a few times a week is the plan, but I need to add a few sessions in just for me as well.

I need to buy new shoes as my running shoes are pretty worn out. I also plan on buying new headphones with noise cancelling as my AirPods was snatched by my son and my old trusted sony wh-1000xm2 are way to bulky for the gym. I'll probably go for Sony WF-1000XM3 or AirPods Pro which also have noice cancelling.

In January I will start with high reps training doing 3 sets of 12-15 reps. This so I slowly get the body used to the motions again and to avoid injuries. Focus will be on quality reps rather than strength. Last week I will do 5 sets of 8-10 reps and then in February I will go for 6-10 sets with 3-6 reps for pure strength.

In March and June I will continue the 6-10 sets with  3-6 reps, but will mix in high reps for variation. In July and August I will go for midrange of 5 sets of 8-10 reps with a lot of super sets. September and October will be a mix of high reps and low reps trying to combine strength with blasting the muscles with blood.

November and December will be all about strength as by the end of 2020 I aim to do:

• 100kg Bench press
• 100kg Squat
• 100kg Dead lift
• 3x10 pull ups

For squats and dead lift this will probably be adjusted since 100kg there is not that much for me. I could probably do that today if I tried, so we will see how high this goal will be adjusted. I am tempted to double them, but that would be to much I think. Maybe 150-160 is a reasonable goal, but I have to start first and see how much is a reasonable goal.

So, the goals are set. Now it's time to execute!