Plan. Prepare. cook.
The 3-Step System Changing the Way We Train and Eat
I recently listened to a podcast about nutrition where the speaker shared a simple but powerful concept for weekly meals: Plan, Prepare, and Cook. Planning your meals for the week takes all the guesswork out of it and eliminates that last-minute scramble to get food on the table. You prepare by getting your ingredients ready days in advance. And finally, you cook. As simple as it sounds, it got me thinking about how this concept applies to everything we do. What I liked most is that it gives you the power to trim the stuff that no longer serves you.
Plan: Set your training schedule for the next few weeks and lock it in. I recommend at least 1 to 2 strength days, 1 to 2 conditioning days, and a HYROX session on Saturdays if that applies to you. With summer right around the corner, now is the time to get dialed in and build on the progress you have already made. A little planning goes a long way.
Prepare: The separation is in the preparation. Fuel your body properly by prepping your food and nutrition in advance. A protein bar is not going to cut it. Think real, whole foods that keep you fueled and performing at your best throughout the week. Just as important is your sleep. There is no more critical component to performance and recovery than high quality rest. Aim for at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. One good night does not make up for three poor ones. Sleep accumulates across the week, and on the flip side, every night you shortchange your rest your energy reserves deplete a little more, making it harder to train, recover, and show up as your best self. So plan accordingly. I recommend shutting down electronics at least 30 minutes before bed, avoiding stressful TV shows or news, and allowing yourself to wind down with relaxing music. Keep the lights dim and spend some time doing light yoga or mobility work to signal to your body that it is time to recover.
Cook: If you planned your training schedule, protected your sleep, and prepared your meals and your body for recovery, then you are ready. Now it is all about being consistent week after week. You cannot show up once in a while and expect great outcomes. Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Flip that around and make consistency your standard. Now go show up for it.