It's important to realize when we have opportunities to thrive, and when we need to survive. If you wake up having not slept, skip breakfast and have a crazy work day - that evening might not be the day to go for a PR back squat. You can push it a week, and instead go in, take 5% off the bar, tick the box and put yourself in a better position to succeed next week.
Let's apply that thinking on a macro scale. When it comes to situations that where perfect isn't an option, the third wave of a pandemic is right up there. So instead of losing sleep over the 1-2% we're missing out on, lets let's take some emotional weight off the bar. Worry less about being perfect or performing at 100% and make sure we're still ticking our boxes for the next month.
In times of uncertainty, staying in a holding pattern with your performance to give your brain some room to breath is totally fair. Below is a conversation I had with a client yesterday that I think sums it up. They live in an area that has just gone into a full lockdown.
"Honestly, lockdowns are a time to just keep moving, not an environment to thrive in. So losing some gains, maybe getting one or two sessions/week less in, don't let it get you down. Worry about using exercise to keep your brain sane > performance programming."
Sometimes, good enough is good enough.
Until next week!
Mylan Clairmont MSc, CSCS