Sometimes Less is More

I recently changed my approach towards my training by....ready? Cutting back! It's already the end of Feb., and at the 1st of the year my yoga Studio started their twice a year 60 day challenge. It's pretty self explanatory, 60 days of daily practice....60 consecutive classes if the ideal, but the Studio does let you attend a double class if you have to miss a day, or two, or three because of scheduleing conflicts (and that's the real challenge....finding the time to make it happen in our busy lives). I've done the challenge "officially" and "unofficially". In other words I already had a daily practice for a long time, so the challenge was no longer a challenge.....no, the real challenge for me was to NOT have a daily practice!

I over train. I don't mean "overtrain", I mean I work out too much. How do I know? Because I'm not getting better I'm getting worse to put it in plain English. the last 6-9 months my yoga practice has deteriorated, and I don't know how I ever did Spin more than 2 days a week as it seriously kicks my ass doing it a measley twice a week. My kettlebell training is always good because that's my priority, but I would never train bells everyday, why would I think practicing Bikram every day, sometimes, twice a day, in addition to a daily practice, is good?

So,this week I had to reschedule my kettlebell classes on Sat. for Sunday, which left me with an open schedule on Friday and Sat. My plan was to "party crash" the level 2 RKC in addition to practicing my yoga. I made it to my usual Friday double yoga (7:15 & 9:15am), meeting Mark at 2:00pm, after lunch, for the rest of the day to hear the teaching and lecturing on the "Pullup" and "Pistol" with Pavel. On Sat. morning I made it to an 8:00am yoga class, rushed back to SJSU for the Brett's "Jerk", ran back to a 12 noon yoga class and then back to RKC ll for Andrea's "Windmill", and then Jeff's "Bent Press". Double yoga classes on two consecutive days.....I was pushing it....

My new workout "rule" is no yoga on Kettlebell and Spin days, which is Tuesdays and Thursdays.....NO YOGA. And on Monday, Wed., and Fri. I get to practice twice, ususally back to back classes (7:15 & 9:15am ). Saturday is optional as I train KB with 3-4 classes....if I don't make it to 12 noon Bikram on Sat., then I make peace with it and go on.....afterall I've already practiced my minimum of 6 classes per week (3 double = 6 classes). Sunday is a complete day off. Nothing on Sunday.

So I have already snuck in a little bit of extra training this weekend.....and today, Sunday, I had plenty of time to fit in, yet another, Bikram yoga class, after KB's, because Level ll was testing their skills most of the day, nothing for me to "crash", lol! BUT, I didn't go to yoga! It simply wasn't allowed. I had to get over it. It's not beneficial anyway. But it's still hard for a complusive obsessive overexerciser to overcome.

Tomorrow my practice will be great! Why? Because sometimes less is more. Instead of yoga I caught some great question and answer time at the end of Level ll with all of the Masters, Senior, and of course Pavel. Much better than a silly, stinkin' Bikram yoga class, lol!

Top Picture: After I taught my classes in PA I met Mark at SJSU and Yoana Snideman took this picture of mark and me, and then Joh Ducane took this picture of Yoana and me......I look a mess, goodness I should've brushed me hair at least, but doesn't Yoana look great? Yoana and Franz are expecting a baby boy the first part of April and Yoana was training alot of the drills right along with some of the students as well as swinging "to warm up", lol (not me though!)