intense – (in-tens)
adjective
5. strenuous, or earnest, as activity, exertion, diligence, or thought
I know that today’s title may come as a shock to some of you; indeed it’s still slightly surprising to me but I think it’s best to be honest about these things 
Now, where was I? Ah yes, reviewing Overall a very productive process and one I highly recommend, though as regular readers you’ll already know this
For any latecomers I’d best do a quick catch up. I’ve been reviewing things. As it’s me and I’m very intense I’ve reviewed my entire life but you don’t have to go that far You could stick closer to home, remember that I’m a personal trainer and just review your workouts In last week’s post I reviewed this very blog and closed with the following –
“there’s something slightly unsatisfying for me about this post. I can’t help but think it would have been far more interesting if some changes had been needed With this in mind for next week’s post I’m going to look at an area in which changes were/are most certainly needed – that of rest and relaxation ”
So, as promised, this week we are going to look at an area in which I most certainly ‘could do better’; that of rest and relaxation
relax- (ri-laks)
verb (used with object)
3. to slacken or abate, as effort, attention etc.
5. to release or bring relief from the effects of tension, anxiety, etc
verb (used without object)
8. to reduce or stop work, effort, application, etc., especially for the sake of rest or recreation
I’ve been aware of this for years. I’ve actually already improved dramatically, though given my recent review that’s hard to believe If you check my recent post on ‘How To Get Exactly What You Want In 2012 – Making A Plan’ you’ll see that I’m aware of the need for improvement in the area of quality rest, relaxation and sleep.
Only a few weeks – 8 to be precise – it was at the start of my ‘priming’ block and I have the record sheets at home; you’ll notice the intensity there – I started to keep a close eye on exactly how much sleep I was getting, to plan my days more carefully and to be aware of the need to relax and rest. You’ll notice my natural inclination to intensity underlying the whole process there
If you read my post on ‘How To Get Exactly What You Want In 2012’ you’ll see I suggest that you ‘ get some help. Ask a friend or enlist the services of a professional ‘. I don’t just write this for fun, though it is fun I really do all this, I walk the walk As part of my recent review I was checking in with Mike Pratt. He’s one of my oldest friends and also an expert strength and conditioning coach; he’s worked with top professional athletes in a variety of sports. We’ve known each other for 25 years, trained together, worked together and are currently working on a new project – ‘Physique and Performance’ for 2012. But I digress
Mike keeps his expert eye on my training for me and as we went over my current training block my tendency to lose sight of what really matters amidst a sea of intense scrutiny and over- analysis was highlighted yet again Mike reminded me, again , that the most important single factor is to have fun and enjoy your training I don’t remember his exact words (well I do, but I’m not going to share the expletives here ;o) ) but they ran along the lines of ‘Just relax and have some fun with it.’ Sounds so simple and indeed it is, but for me, it’s definitely not easy
I’m very intense. I’m focused. I’m driven. All the time And that’s not ultimately a good thing. Recharging my batteries by relaxing and resting will increase my overall productivity and raise the quality of my work too. I know this and I try my best to relax and rest, but I even do that intensely I have a sleep log so I can intensely monitor I’m getting enough sleep. I intensely plan what time I’m going to bed I wake up frequently in the night with my head buzzing with the next day’s activities For me chilling out is really quite challenging
I’ve digested his wise words and come up with some adjustments. It’s not so much what I do, but how I do it that needs tweaking. Monitoring my sleep is fine but I’m certain I would sleep better if I just relaxed about the whole thing Taking a book to bed and unwinding is more likely lead to a good nights sleep than working until my ‘Go To Bed’ alarm sounds Yes I really do have one Would you believe that my GTB alarm was quite innovative at the time and a major step forward from not going to bed until I dropped off exhausted at the laptop a couple of times
calm – (kahm)
adjective
3. free from excitement; tranquil; serene (I’ve had to resist not over intensely giving you the definitions of tranquil and serene here )
With this in mind I’m going to adjust my entire mental overview (still not managing to do things by halves exactly you’ll notice ) and strive to become calmer and more relaxed.
fun – (fuhn)
2. enjoyment or playfulness (I just mistyped ‘purposefulness here, which says it all really )
I’m going to remember to have fun; all the time I’m also going to remember the wise words of Delores Del Ruby – ‘‘Playfulness ceases to have a serious purpose when it takes itself too seriously”
Initial progress is good and in the week since I spoke with Mike I’ve had 3 really fun workouts and I’m away to have another this afternoon. I’ll admit that Legs isn’t fun in the traditional ‘go to pub or buy a pizza and a DVD’ sense but trust me, it is fun
I’m managing to adopt a more relaxed attitude overall and have already put this to the test during a couple of my ‘wake up bright as a button after only 2 hours sleep’ nights. Instead of either getting up and working or laying in bed and being grumpy I’ve relaxed and actually managed to … wait for it … go back to sleep!
At the end of the day I’m naturally inclined towards intensity and it’s something I’ll have to always be aware of this but with consistent calm and relaxed effort I’m confident I’ll make further progress. Needless to say regular reviews will be part of what’s undoubtedly going to be a life-long work in progress
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