How to Juggle Your Fitness with a Busy Schedule

Wooooow-weeeeee!

Gosh you know what…

I’ve been having this impending mini dread in the back of my brain because I know I’m way over due to write posts for both my main RoxStar Fitness Blog AND my Inner Circle blog.

And not a dread in a bad way, just in a way that for the last few weeks I’ve been SOO busy, and so I’ve been putting off completing a blog post that I already have been working on (I kind of map out my content for each month and week ahead of time). Honestly, I’m just not in the mood for completing a run of the mill fitness post, and wanted to just speak from the heart!

I wanted to just reveal my truth!

And share with you what REALLY is happening in my world – and how that can relate to you as well when it comes to your life, your schedule, and how to fit your fitness into that equation.

I think sometimes folks think that somehow fitness professionals have it the easy way.

This training, and nutrition stuff… We love it, and we just do it all the time, and moreso than you or the average person. But you know what’s interesting…

The other day, while doing cardio, I caught Jillian Michaels on the Meredith Viera show. And you know, honestly, I’ve never been much of a Jillian Michaels fan, but I recently got into watching her show “Just Jillian” on the E Network.

And during her interview with Meredith, it was brought up the fact that Jillian does NOT like to workout. She loves the results of training, and as a professional she loves helping others and that rush of seeing clients succeed, but to ACTUALLY workout… Nah, she’s not really into it herself.

And I thought to myself… How perfect! Because in some ways I can relate.

Sometimes, I ask myself if there is something WRONG with me, lol… Like I’ll be mid set, and starting to feel that excruciating burn of lactic acid, and I just want to die! And I’m like, “oooh Rox keep pushing it girl!”, trying to will myself to be just like my fitness friends, my fellow pro competitors, and the folks I think in my mind can’t possibly think the way I do right now!

Alas, I always get through, and I always beast it out, and it always feels amazing when done… So I rush back into the next set, rinse and repeat.

I guess what I’m trying to say, is that this IS normal. Because you can’t be ON 100% of the time. THAT’S not realistic.

But what I also loved most about what Jillian said was just the candor in it all. And as fitness professionals, I think that it’s important to show that you ARE human too. Because then people can relate! And seeing that you are just like them only inspires those who look up to you to work even harder. If you can do it… So can they!

Another case in point, for about the last month and a half, I’ve been working TIRELESSLY…

Like, literally 22 to 23 hour days trying to update my websites, blogs, create content, post on social media, and just be SUPER AWESOME for all my clients, readers and followers.

And honestly… My fitness at times had to take a backseat to the work I had to do because I simply had to get it DONE. But that’s the thing about life and how it relates to your goals…

There are always going to be times where things are just out of your control and you have to “handle it”, and at those times getting to the gym is hard, and staying on track and focused can be even harder.

But here’s what I do… A little piece of my playbook that I want to share with you, that I know will help.

 

Instead of Trying to Set a Schedule – Just Set the REALISTIC Frequency Goal… Then Accomplish It

When life is out of your control, let’s be honest. Sometimes it’s hard to say “I’ll be at the gym on Wednesday”, and then actually stick to it.

And what I find MOST people do, is guilt themselves when they don’t. So that Wednesday comes, they can’t or don’t go, then they have the case of the “f*ck its”, and end up throwing their whole week away from the training to the eating. And thus repeats the vicious cycle of falling off the wagon yet again… And you hating yourself for it.

Well let me tell you this… STOP IT.

Here’s a better way to deal with this. Don’t think about setting SPECIFIC dates when it comes to the gym during busy times, instead set a numerical goal and STICK TO IT.

So, say to yourself, “Ok, my goal is to hit the gym 3 times this week. I know that’s what I can REALISTICALLY DO, and I will do all in my power to make that happen”. Once, you have that number in mind, then take a look at  your schedule at where you can REALISTICALLY fit it in.

That might mean you don’t hit the gym at your typical days or times, and the workouts may not even be as long as you are used to, but the fact that you made the commitment and followed through IS STILL a positive step towards your goals.

And here’s one other thing.

Be open to maybe even stepping outside of your norm if you have to – just to get it done. If the gym is a NO GO that week because you simply cannot make it, why just resort to saying you can’t workout at all?

You know what you do… Buy a few dumbbells, a few kettlebells, a stability ball, a jump rope, and some bands. I would even say that if you have the space, pick up an Olympic Barbell (I actually DO have one in my Los Angeles apartment lol), maybe even a few rubber plates, and stash those babies in a closet or corner for storage.

Here are a few of my FAVORITE items that I have in my “at home fitness” stash. They come in handy for when you need to make the living room your personal training studio!

You can get these on Amazon.com!

Kinzi Speed Jump Rope

Power Blocks Compact Selectorized Dumbbells

Power Blocks Compact Adjustable Kettlebell

45 Pound Standard Olympic Barbell

Rubber Bumper Plates

Fit Force “Gym in a Bag” Complete Exercise Band Set

Now, you have EVERYTHING you need to get a great workout going. And with the perfect plan, you can simply go on autopilot which leads me to my next point…

 

Have Your Workouts Laid Out and Pre-Designed So You Don’t Have to Think

The last thing you want to do when you are heeeellllaaaa busy is worry about WHAT TO DO once you get to the gym, or even before training at home. And really with today’s technology, you don’t have to.

When things get busy, you NEED efficiency! Efficiency  WILL make you thrive.

So know exactly what you’re going to do before you do it. If it’s arm day, or leg day,  or even if it’s just a cardio day – plan it out, spell it out, as that’s the key to making the workout happen.

It’s very easy to find programs online these days, so that if you happen to be on the inept side of what the best type of workout to do in little time is… You don’t have to worry because you can download one to follow that’s arleady “done for you”.

The only problem is the source… Because let’s face it, some of the stuff out there is really ridiculous. But there IS a bright side, and it’s someone whom you are already familiar with…

I recently released a line of standalone training programs that you can download, right from my Inner Circle, that are FULLY DESIGNED training programs – for any body part.

(Click any of the images below to be taken to the actual workouts.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The beauty of technology today is that you can literally tap into the minds and expertise of those YOU TRUST. The professionals you already follow, and get real TRUE advice without even fully hiring them. And in this case, it’s the perfect time to take advantage of that. And in my case you know you’re ALWAYS ALWAYS getting top quality.

Here’s an example of how the training programs are set up.

 

 

So you can literally print it out, and simply follow it at the gym OR at home. No thinking, no fuss, no confusion – and feeling totally confident it’s something you can trust that works in getting you to your goal!

But change cannot come without the diet being in check so, here’s what you need to do next…

 

Prepare Your Meals Ahead of Time – OR Grab and Go with Intelligence

It goes without saying that your diet is always the driving factor behind your progress and change. And that couldn’t ring more true than at the times where you are super busy with life.

If ALL ELSE fails, and you can’t train, can’t get that jamming workout or run in, then your diet WILL BE the driving factor behind any progress you might see. And this despite not working out.

A popular 2010 study actually took a look at this theory, and others have come along since that insist upon the importance of diet in the role of fat loss. But honestly, you don’t need anyone to TELL you this, because you can see this in real life!

Think about it…

You know when you’re doing EVERYTHING humanly possible in the gym to see progress and change, yet things aren’t budging, and you KNOW that it’s because you haven’t been CONSISTENT with your eating.

You can never ever outtrain your diet. Not gonna happen! (Whomp Whomp)

But with a busy schedule, you CAN still get it together, keep it together, and KEEP the fat off – if not, even still lose some in the process. What you have to do though is be prepared.

Here’s what I do.

I will cook up a bunch of rice in the rice cooker for the week, then dump that baby into a giant gallon zip lock bag. I’ll buy frozen veggies, this way I can easily throw them into any dish I may be cooking on the fly, or nuke those babies then throw some seasoning on them, pair them up with a meal, and go!

I’ll bake up some chicken in a big ole pan, OR I even simply cook up a bunch of it in my crock pot. Great way to set it, forget it, come home and it’s DONE! Same with beef, as well. I nice tri tip or loin is great this way.

Individual cups of greek yogurt can be paired with some fruit, honey, and nuts for a very quick and satisfying snack. Individual packs of oats make it easy for you to throw a few in your bag to add water to later, let it seep, and you have a great fibrous meal for breakfast.

Making “egg muffins” or even just hard boiling a dozen or two ahead of time, and simply storing them in the fridge, is another grab and go favorite of mine.

These are all things you can do that are EASY, and help you to keep your meal planning in check – even when life is bouncing off the wall.

But I get it, sometimes you don’t have time for even any of that, and you HAVE TO just eat out and grab what you can. Here are a few things I want  you to keep in mind when and if that’s the case.

First off, there are NO rules that say you HAVE TO eat 50-11 meals a day. Trying to hit your basic squares and a snack is FINE.

So in that respect, you can easily have some instant oats in a secret stash in your bag or at work, you can EASILY pick up hard boiled eggs pre made at any deli or grocery store now, you can EASILY grab a yogurt and fruit to have as snacks during the day without a fuss. But YOU have to make the conscious decision to make them your “go to”.

Next, when eating out, look at the menu and figure out what would be the best alternative to enjoy what you’re about to eat, and not let it ravish your sense of dietary accomplishment in the process.

So let’s say you go out for Chinese, there is no reason why you can’t request steamed dishes with the sauce on the side. That’s actually my favorite way to eat Chinese when I’m watching my waistline.

Or if you go to another restaurant, see if they have a grilled fish, chicken, or beef dish. Ask to hold the oil, stay away from the butter creamy sauces, and just make a smart choice as to what YOU decide ends up in front of you. Because let’s face it, eating out IS a part of life – and something we all enjoy.

And there’s no reason why you can’t do so intelligently.

In fact, I would even say that if you know the restaurant you’ll be heading to, look at the menu ahead of time, and decide what you’re going to get before you even step through the doors.

Again, it is PREPAREDNESS in these situations that will see you through. And there is absolutely no reason why you can’t allow your current situation to work WITH you, instead of throwing it all away simply because you haven’t explored reasons why you CAN still make it all fall into place.

 

So what are YOUR thoughts? How do you handle your fitness life through times that are so busy you can’t even see straight? Post your comments below to add to the discussion.

 

And if you are looking for a great program to be able to go on auto pilot, with a fully written diet AND training program, plus everything you need to know to apply “real world”, results driven knowledge, and proven methods to your fat loss program…

Then check out my fully designed, and life changing fat loss program 12 Weeks to Lean.