Happy Monday to you!

And Happy belated Mother's Day to our moms and the moms in our community.  Yesterday / this weekend, I tried to give Vanessa space to breathe and feel light while leaving the option open for her to join us whenever she wanted.  I can't speak for her, but I can say that Vivi and I had a great weekend and I feel good about what we did for her.  So far as my mother goes, not seeing in person felt real weird especially because her birthday is right around now, so FaceTime and a gift will have to do this year.

This is the last week of Phase 5, the middle phase of our 2nd quarter.  I recommend you review what your personal bests were so far for each exercise and find a way to present a best case you to the workouts and go for as many PR's as you can.  

Now of course, if showing up is enough of a win, then show up and roll, stretch and go from there.  The checkbox from showing up and being here is the most important personal record there is.  You can't get PR's if you don't show up, so find a way, just to be here, and remember rolling and stretching is easy and feels good.  Plus you get to lay on the ground.  Anything after that is a bonus.

This week we'll aim to do the beach finisher at the end of every workout.  

Note:  doing this every workout will help you to build muscle and gain definition.  It can help you to become stronger & more durable and help to give you more confidence in your body as well as yourself.  Plus it makes it more fun to wear clothes and more fun to wear less clothes.  

Note #2:  hitting the rep ranges is only a starter.  you want to learn how to build muscle and that means lifting to failure (can't do anymore reps) or lifting to almost failure (can only do 1, maybe 2 more reps, but not 3).  

If you can do 23 reps of push ups, it's too easy.  Make it harder. 

If you can do 11 reps of biceps, it's too easy.  Make it harder.

If you can do 15 reps of kickbacks, lat raises and/or pull aparts,  it's too easy.  Make it harder.

If you can do 23 calf raises, it's too easy.  Make it harder.  

Bonus Tip:  If you can only get 20, 8, 12, 12, 12 or 20 reps total on your push ups, biceps, triceps, lat raise, pull aparts or calf raises respectively, and not 1 rep more, and you did it with great form, that's perfect.  Just make sure if I was standing next to you and I challenged you to do 1 more rep, you wouldn't be able to do 1 more rep, because you already emptied the tank and the only way you could get more is by sacrificing form and putting yourself at risk of injury.  Now if you could do 1 or more reps, then step it up if you want to get better.

Last Stretch & Sprint (#5 of 5):  5/16

Phase 6:  5/18 - 6/6

Guest Weeks:  5/18 - 5/29

Memorial Day Weekend (no classes):  5/22 - 5/25

Next Empowerment Week:  6/28 - 7/5

21min / workout

We don't know definitely when quarantine will be over and when we'll be back to training in person.  It's out of our control.

What is in our control (take your pick) is our attitude, mindset, philosophy, actions, thoughts, choices, behaviors and/or outlook. 

We're all sheltered in place.  Mine as well make the most of it, have a great time and get better.  Sure beats coming out of quarantine out of shape and with a lot of bad habits to break.  

Find a way to make that lemonade and find joy in the routines.  Make your routines an art form.  Make them beautiful.

We have to create, set and/or manufacture goals and reasons to put ourselves to bed, to get up and to give us the energetic drive to push forward all day and find ways to get stuff done with less than ideal situations and time slots.  

Screw it.  Do it.  Athletes and high performers do it all the time.  They make stuff up, to motivate theirselves to get stuff done.  Let's do it it.  Let's set goals that get our juices flowing.  Let's move targets so we can win.  

Let's make lemonade.

Coach Mike

p.s.  what'd you do for cardio minutes last week?

p.p.s.  when are you training this week?

p.p.p.s.  do you know someone who'd love what we do?  invite them & email introduce.