Before jumping into this week’s blog (which is all about balance with your training), just a couple of quick gym updates:

• We are ‘LIVE’ with our Christmas hours now – the best source to see when the gym is open/what classes are running is via the FitBox app.  In short though, over the ‘break’ (December 25th – Sunday January 5th) we will be CLOSED on the public holidays and outside of that only open from 7am-10am Mon-Sat and 8am-10am Sundays.  The week that follows (Jan 6th) ‘normal’ schedules will resume from 5am but we will continue to close each evening at 7pm until the following week (Jan 13th).  Again, FitBox is the best ‘source’ for all this info.
• I am getting a few questions about whether we are running the ‘regular’ 28-Days-Later challenge…in short, YES – we will be running a challenge in February and it will be running for 28-Days.  We have a new concept challenge for 2025 though (February Fight Camp) which we will be sharing with everyone ‘soon’.

As Christmas approaches, many of us look forward to some well-earned downtime. The holiday season often comes with its own challenges—endless food, disrupted routines, and that nagging thought in the back of your mind: Am I undoing all my hard work?

Let me reassure you: rest and recovery aren’t just okay—they’re essential. A strong and healthy fitness mindset isn’t about judging every day by how many calories you burned or how hard you pushed. It’s about understanding the bigger picture and knowing how to manage the natural cycles of fitness and life.

Fitness Is a Year-Round Mindset, Not a Daily Grind

Success in fitness doesn’t come from grinding yourself into the ground every single day. It’s about balance. Over the course of a week, your routine might look like this:

• 2–3 Big Days: These are your high-intensity workouts where you push hard, aim for personal bests, or tackle something new and challenging.
• 2–3 Medium Days: These could be steady-state cardio, lighter resistance training, or active recovery sessions.
• 1–2 Low Days: Think walking, yoga, stretching, or simply giving your body the chance to rest.

Zoom out, and across the year, you’ll also experience cycles:

• Building Phases: When you ramp up training for a big event, like a gym challenge, a competition, or just a personal goal you’ve set for yourself.
• Maintenance Phases: When you stick to a balanced routine that fits comfortably into your life.
• Recovery Phases: Whether it’s a planned deload week, a holiday, or life simply getting in the way, these periods of reduced intensity are just as valuable as the others.

The Holiday Season: A Natural Recovery Period

Christmas offers the perfect opportunity to embrace recovery. Work slows down, gyms close for a few days, and family and social events take center stage. It’s easy to see this time as a “setback,” but it’s really an essential part of your fitness year.

Use this time to:

• Replenish your body: Good food, laughter, and sleep are all forms of recovery.
• Reflect on your progress: Celebrate what you’ve achieved this year and consider what you want to focus on next.
• Recharge your mindset: Step back and remind yourself that fitness is a long-term journey.

Coming Back After Rest: Don’t Go All-Out on Day 1

After a break, it’s tempting to hit the ground running and make up for “lost time.” Resist the urge. Your first few sessions back should ease you into movement. Focus on form, lower intensity, and consistency rather than trying to crush your personal bests right away.

Think of it this way: just like you wouldn’t sprint the first kilometer of a marathon, you don’t need to tackle your first week back as if it’s make-or-break. Trust the process, and your strength and fitness will return—and then some.

Balancing Peaks and Valleys

Just as you may plan for a few big days of training each week, your year has natural peaks and valleys:

• Peaks: Events like challenges, races, or competitions where you push a little harder and test your limits.
• Valleys: Times when life or travel means lighter training—or even none at all.

These ups and downs are not only normal but necessary. They help prevent burnout, reduce injury risk, and keep you excited about coming back to the gym.

The key is to approach your fitness journey with a cycle mindset. After a peak, allow for some recovery. After a valley, ease back in and rebuild gradually. It’s all part of one big, healthy picture.

Rest and Recovery: The Secret to Long-Term Success

So this Christmas, don’t stress about a few days of missed workouts or extra food. Use this time to reflect, recharge, and enjoy the company of loved ones. Then, as the New Year begins, step back into your routine with renewed focus and energy.

Remember: fitness is a 365-day journey. It’s not about being perfect every day but about managing the natural cycles of work and recovery to keep moving forward.

Let’s finish 2024 strong—and set ourselves up for an even better 2025.

See you in the gym,

Michael