Jared_G_85
Level 3 Valued Member
I have found after having kids you have to get in what you can, when you can. I would never start past 6:30pm, but I often go after things settle down, 8pm, 9pm, whatever. My wife understands and 3 days a week is a good comprehensive for us. I set a 90min max time for myself, but try to keep it at 60min.
Not having the recovery time is the biggest challenge for me. I don't have time to eat, Stretch, SMR, light band and stick work, etc like I used to. My flexibility and functionality is definitely slipping.
EXACTLY!!!! I definitely understand EVERYTHING you just posted!
When my first child was born I would either go for a long run or do my dumbbell circuits as soon as I got home from work around 6:30. Once he started wanting to go to bed around 8:00 I knew I had to change something so I could spend more time with him. This was when I decided to join a gym about 5 minutes from where I work and lift on my lunch hour. I don't think I ever posted this but I change clothes, stretch and do the S&S Warm Up in my office with my 55 pound bell I keep under my desk. Once I finish the warm up, I drive to the gym. I usually have about 45 minutes total to lift which is why I don't get much assistance work done unless I do giant sets or super-sets. When I lift at the YMCA, it's about 10 minutes away so I have a bit less time when I decide to go there.
Now that I have my second child who has been battling allergies and ear infections since June, it's made me really re-structure things across the board when it comes to lifting / fitness. I used to load up the car and head to a track at a school near our house with a med ball, kb's and do lots of carries, throws and sprints on Saturdays before #2 was born. When he and my oldest nap on Saturdays, this is when I know I have 30 minutes to an hour to do S&S or go for a vest walk. I think the reason the bell crashed on my arm a week and a half ago was I knew I was starting to run out of time and tried to rush and get the last couple of reps with each arm on TGUs to complete my session. STUPID ME!
You certainly have to make fitness fit around your little ones and not make your little ones fit around your fitness schedule! I certainly want to be strong and athletic but not at the expense of missing time with my children!
YOU KNOW HOW IT IS!! HA!