“Zombie Mode”

By: Brandon Conner

There are days, when before you even go into the gym, you just know you are gonna crush the workout. You can see it in your mind, and as the end of the workday approaches, you are only half-focused at your job. When you FINALLY make it to the gym, a seemingly simple WOD is posted on the board. You start the workout when BOOM, out of nowhere, it hits you like a ton of bricks. You were sure you were gonna crush the WOD, but instead the WOD crushed you!

The other side of the coin is what I would like to discuss here, though. The days where you are beat up, a little sore, a LOT sore, busy, etc. You just don’t feel like going to train. You have convinced yourself that even if you DID train, you would do SO horribly that it would not even be worth it.  These are the days when it can help to just go into what I like to call “Zombie Mode.” Just go through the motions. Get in your car, go to the gym, and COMPLETE warm-up (this is especially important on these days). After that, then what? Just train. Start light. Take extra warm-up sets on any strength work you are doing. Diligently warm-up any movements in the WOD, before 3-2-1 go. Most importantly, do not set any expectations for the day — good or bad. If the bar feels heavy and is not moving well, get some good reps in at a weight you can do while still maintaining a desirable technique. Trust me, you will be surprised.

More than once, I have had a day where I felt horrible and had almost talked myself out of training.  Once I entered “zombie mode,” showed up, then BOOM! I finished my training session with a new PR,  learned a new movement or had an unexpectedly good performance in a WOD. So, stop placing so much weight on how you feel. Approach each training session with a healthy amount of confidence, respect, and humility. Do the best that you can, and the rest will “magically” work out for the better.