Why Training from Home Might be the Best Thing to Have Happened to You?

Okay, so let's be blunt: the CO-VID19 lockdown has had all the appeal of a flaming turd. Who wouldn't much rather be training in a well ventilated, fully equipped gym with some barbells instead of trying to outbid 'jezebel989' for a 6kg Kettlebell going for £79.99 on eBay over breakfast. Damn you 'jezebel989'.

But, as a coach who's had to transition the majority of his clients to training online, as well as downgrade the equipment available to train with, it's come with some surprising positives.

1. Everyone's creative juices have gone into overdrive: the amount of ingenious exercise hacks the industry has managed to put out has meant that no one should have an excuse not to train hard. Not to mention that alternatives for exercises when the kit you're after is being hogged at the gym should readily now come to mind if they didn't before.

2. There's been a massive shift towards improving one's aerobic fitness (yours truly too) with an increase in trainees taking to the road for running, sprinting and cycling. If poor aerobic fitness was the limiting factor in your recovery (meatheads I'm looking at you), then the additional training you've been doing on that front is going to pay some serious dividends when resuming strength training.

3. Related to the previous point, this has been a great opportunity to address neglected aspects of your training (mobility, recovery, injuries), and potentially rekindle a love for a style of training that you've stopped for one reason or another.

4. It's given some people a kick in the ass who have been taking for granted training and being able to go to a gym. The health kick for many has been significant, as have the steps that have been taken towards setting some positive habits for the future.

5. If you're somebody who squats, deadlifts and benches heavy, your joints are probably thanking you right now. Remember that niggly knee that you've been ignoring every time you squat? Well, it's gone now. I wonder if not having 120kg on your back without warm-ups every week had something to do with it...?

Enough with the positives, can we go back into the gym now?