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Other/Mixed Covid vs Programming

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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vegpedlr

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Lots of good discussion about what folks have done in the short term to keep training depending on individual circumstances. But what about longer term? Has covid altered your plans going forward for the next few weeks or months, or longer?

For myself, I like a seasonal periodization where summer is for the DMPM and MTB, culminating in a marathon MTB race. Winter is for barbell work, and spring and fall for Easy Strength. This year, all the races were cancelled or rescheduled. Regulations have meant trails were closed completely, or mostly. So, what about next season? Will there be one? Do I just keep on as I normally would, or find a different goal?

Here in the PNW of the US, I don’t see things improving in any significant way for a long time. It’s probably going to get worse, and stay that way for some time. This a diverse group, so there’s variety in circumstances.

Are you changing your goals or practices going forward?
 
For me, the answer is mostly no impact on my training. I have a home gym. Only differences:

- I now work from home (mostly). So I actually have a more flexible schedule now. One positive is I can breakup my day more to go outside and walk, get more movement.

- I used to go with the wife once per week to a gym, Planet Fitness. No longer. I am able to replace this "fluff and buff" workout at home.

- Right now, I would normally be focusing on a powerlifting meet. I've accepted I'm not going to compete in 2020. So no need to peak. Just continuing to buildup the base.
 
It’s a reasonable question @vegpedlr ...

Long term my training will not be impacted to any significant degree. I have almost always ‘trained at home’. What I train for however (similar to you in some instances) will undoubtedly be impacted. As far as bike and running events go I am not too bothered. If I want to do a century or double century ride, or run an ultra I certainly don’t need an organized event to do so. I’ll just lace up and go. Yeah, it’s not as fun as some organized stuff, but it’s doable.

Climbing on the other hand is a actually bit more problematic. I can climb locally, but most of my partners live in other states or other countries so meeting up may continue to be an issue due to air travel and quarantines. I do a fair bit of climbing internationally so that is an issue.

Who knows how this will all shake out, but I guess I’m not that worried or concerned...
 
I'm fortunate enough to have a good home gym setup that I was using before the outbreak, so it hasn't significantly changed my ability to train the way I want to.

Certainly the "why" I'm training has changed a little. No OCRs or road races to look forward to. I haven't been back to the karate dojo since even before the outbreak. Virtual TSCs, which just isn't the same. But, not having those near-term milestones to think about hasn't changed my motivation. I still want to be good at all those things. I suppose part of that is that for me, those competitions aren't really the end goals in themselves; they are just fun ways to measure myself periodically, see that I'm still improving in some way.

That's my real "goal", I guess - to always find ways to get better. And I can still do that at home.
 
Since Covid began I have not.touched a barbell and have pretty much made the switch to KB training only for resistance. After more reading on this site and elsewhere I have also taken up long slow distance running for the health benefits. I am soon to be the father of 3 so my goals right now are to stay strong, healthy, and "peak" for the winter.
 
Hello,

My boxing gym is closed. But I still religiously practice my shadow boxing every day. For the moment the woods are still open so...

No impact otherwise as I only train with bdw and kb at home.

I prefer considering these circumstances as a way to explore new things and to adapt.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
I started moving towards house calls and home gyms around 2009, so not overly impacted by gyms closures. It would be great if all the fitness centers resumed SOP, but I'm not very confident that will happen, or that something else similar to current situation won't come about again. For me plan A would entail being self-sufficient, plan B or C would be gyms and the like returning to normal.
 
After months of park bench training I decided to switch to Fabio's Simple Strength for Difficult Times. Having not focused on squats for a while it seemed like an opportunity to groove my squat pattern, which it did. Sadly, after week five my legs felt like I was constantly walking uphill into a stiff wind. Just a week before my legs felt additional "snap", I could bound up stairways effortlessly. A couple of times a year I like to do a challenge or more intense regimen for which I thought SS for DT would fit nicely. Simply too much squatting, my recovery was non-existent. Some could rightly point out that I was nearing the end of the program and that the volume would soon subside, they would be right.

That's where Covid comes in.

I suspect that the surges, second wave, etc are likely in the fall so I wanted to get one more challenge in before needing to tone it down. I scrubbed the mission because I was concerned about compromising my immune system. There has been a spike in this region of Ohio and I got spooked.
 
I returned to the gym and my usual programming the very minute it was re-opened. It was as if I had never left. And my home dumbbells, bought specifically for lockdown, have gathered dust ever since.
 
My long term plan went away. Due to Covid we had to close our business and have to sell our home. With it my power rack and barbells.
So now I’m just left with kettlebells for the foreseeable future.
Planning to achieve timeless simple and then go through rop which should take me the rest of the year at least
 
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