Achieving balance in life...let's talk about it!

Occam said:

I work 4am-12, so getting up at 3 sucks. But the advantage is I get to spend a lot of time with my daughter.

On top of my FT job I do email/telephone fitness coaching. I really don't have a lot of time for the gym, so as polarizing as High Intensity Training is, properly applied it can be a very effective training system. On a quick side note, if you're a mental stud you should be able to make just about any training program work, provided you have sufficient intensity and a decent diet.

I lost 80lbs following a Mile Mentzer approach to diet (60% carb, 25% protein, 15% fat) and training while getting stronger than I ever was when I trained Max-OT with a 50/40/10 (protein/carb/fat) bodybuilder diet.

I know a lot of people will call BS on that, but it's true.

It's a funny question to me because there really is no work/life balance... There's just life. We're responsible for the life we create. If we hate it, it's our fault. We should be working on creating whatever our idea of a great life is.

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Cruefan89 said:

I workout at 4am 2 weeks a month and 1pm the other two weeks due to work schedule. I could workout after work instead of early mornings but that's were balance comes in. Family comes first so I get up before work and go into my gym and zone out. Plus I get to listen to music I like. So on some days I will post music listened in my log to that might more gender neutral because my wife is working out at the same time. Doesn't change my focus though.

My wife is supportive and works out also during the day which takes away any guilt and fit shaming some go thru when it's only one partner that does it. She does all my meals except the grilling. That's my job

Sleep on average 6 hours

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Juice69 said:

It's funny you asked this. I've been thinking about this alot lately. I feel like I have no balance going on and its really stressing me out. Like right now. I just got back from the gym and I need to eat and it's 930 at night. I find myself on this website10 times a day because you guys are the only ones I can relate to. Anyway I will post more later. This should be interesting.

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Occam said:

I work 4am-12, so getting up at 3 sucks. But the advantage is I get to spend a lot of time with my daughter.

On top of my FT job I do email/telephone fitness coaching. I really don't have a lot of time for the gym, so as polarizing as High Intensity Training is, properly applied it can be a very effective training system. On a quick side note, if you're a mental stud you should be able to make just about any training program work, provided you have sufficient intensity and a decent diet.

I lost 80lbs following a Mile Mentzer approach to diet (60% carb, 25% protein, 15% fat) and training while getting stronger than I ever was when I trained Max-OT with a 50/40/10 (protein/carb/fat) bodybuilder diet.

I know a lot of people will call BS on that, but it's true.

It's a funny question to me because there really is no work/life balance... There's just life. We're responsible for the life we create. If we hate it, it's our fault. We should be working on creating whatever our idea of a great life is.

Click to expand...

gear church said:

That was so perfectly stated. We have to own our own life. There isn't any perfect formula for anything and balance is overrated in my opinion lol. It's all about doing what works for you and your family. I personally don't really have much balance as it's all go go go with very little rest which is perfect for me but not so much for most other people. I don't do well with a lot of downtime whereas others absolutely need that.
I sleep very little and then with family, work and other things there's really no stopping for me but that works.

I tend to work out very early in the morning with my wife who is a personal trainer/nutrionist before the kids wake up and we have to deal with that (actually gonna hit the gym with her in a few minutes as we have a full commercial gym in the house).

Also, always with the kids and their sports programs and me coaching my kids etc.

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Augustine5I said:

There are 168 hours in a week.

Gym 10 to 12 hours (includes travel time).
Work 60 hours.
Sleep 56 hours. (average 8 hours a night).

That's 128 hours.

Only leaves 40 hours left over. Divide by 7 days and you average about 6 hours left over for each day. That isn't many for family time, going out to eat, general stuff around the house...etc.

So you wonder why ppl are depressed, anxious, stressed or whatever.

Ppl can't wait to retire, go on disability, get laid off...collect unemployment. We are spokes on a wheel. Only ppl enjoying themselves are the fucking rich who don't work real jobs. They get back another 60 hours a week in their lives.

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Cruefan89 said:

I workout at 4am 2 weeks a month and 1pm the other two weeks due to work schedule. I could workout after work instead of early mornings but that's were balance comes in. Family comes first so I get up before work and go into my gym and zone out. Plus I get to listen to music I like. So on some days I will post music listened in my log to that might more gender neutral because my wife is working out at the same time. Doesn't change my focus though.

My wife is supportive and works out also during the day which takes away any guilt and fit shaming some go thru when it's only one partner that does it. She does all my meals except the grilling. That's my job

Sleep on average 6 hours

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gear church said:

What are your favorite workout bands right now?
Mine are the obvious ones mostly:
Megadeth
Metallica (pre black album)
Motley Crue (pre dr feelgood)
All hardcore punk
Exploited as an example (let's start a war)
then
Earth Crisis
H20
Five Finger Death Punch
Agnostic Front
Just a small sampling of my faves for gym time.

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ldog said:

Lifestyles of the rich and famous!!!



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Lots of truth in this post bro.



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6 hours huh? I think that's about average for most folks who live our lifestyle.



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Where is Iron Maiden in this mix?

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Augustine5I said:

There are 168 hours in a week.

Gym 10 to 12 hours (includes travel time).
Work 60 hours.
Sleep 56 hours. (average 8 hours a night).

That's 128 hours.

Only leaves 40 hours left over. Divide by 7 days and you average about 6 hours left over for each day. That isn't many for family time, going out to eat, general stuff around the house...etc.

So you wonder why ppl are depressed, anxious, stressed or whatever.

Ppl can't wait to retire, go on disability, get laid off...collect unemployment. We are spokes on a wheel. Only ppl enjoying themselves are the fucking rich who don't work real jobs. They get back another 60 hours a week in their lives.

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ldog said:

Brothers,

I'm curious as to how members of the GC community balance their life between the gym,wife,kids,work,etc??

How do you make it work?

Do you work out early am or late PM?

Is your family supportive of your lifestyle?

How much sleep do you get every night and still function at a high level?

Let's discuss

L

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Skip Foursome said:

Balance? What balance!

No such thing, unless you are single with no kids and focus on yourself only, otherwise you have to put everybody else last. Wife, kids, work.............

Relationships with any of these people in your life requires more work than any gym.

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Skip Foursome said:

Balance? What balance!

No such thing, unless you are single with no kids and focus on yourself only, otherwise you have to put everybody else last. Wife, kids, work.............

Relationships with any of these people in your life requires more work than any gym.

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iceman1977 said:

This right here. Sleep usually takes a hit. I get maybe 5 hrs, which is not enough and slowly killing me.

Trying to improve on that.

But family is #1. Nobody regrets not spending more time at work or in the gym on their deathbed. Only regret is not spending enough time with the family or mending frivolous differences.

In the big picture, we are only here for a blink of an eye.

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Skip Foursome said:

Balance? What balance!

No such thing, unless you are single with no kids and focus on yourself only, otherwise you have to put everybody else last. Wife, kids, work.............

Relationships with any of these people in your life requires more work than any gym.

Click to expand...

Augustine5I said:

There are 168 hours in a week.

Gym 10 to 12 hours (includes travel time).
Work 60 hours.
Sleep 56 hours. (average 8 hours a night).

That's 128 hours.

Only leaves 40 hours left over. Divide by 7 days and you average about 6 hours left over for each day. That isn't many for family time, going out to eat, general stuff around the house...etc.

So you wonder why ppl are depressed, anxious, stressed or whatever.

Ppl can't wait to retire, go on disability, get laid off...collect unemployment. We are spokes on a wheel. Only ppl enjoying themselves are the fucking rich who don't work real jobs. They get back another 60 hours a week in their lives.

Click to expand...

jerseydevil said:

9 years ago I had a very stressful job that I hated, worked long hours, and weekends, had to blow off many workout sessions. Didn't have enough time in the mornings, so I wouldn't get to the gym many evenings until 6:30 PM or later. Which was ok but it also meant I missed family dinner with the wife and step kids. which in turn put a strain on the marriage. I am divorced now, mainly due to other reasons but my commitment to training over family time certainly didn't help. This wasn't everyday mind you, but occurred a couple times a week. The ex also was not supportive of steroid use, so I quit to appease her which did not make me happy. So basically I failed at balancing things.

I am in a WAY better place now in my life now. I have an awesome, very supportive girlfriend, who loves to train as well. I now have a job I love, strictly 7:00 am - 3:30 pm, and it is located 6 miles from my condo. Then my gym is only 2 miles from the condo and is right on the way home from work. So I hit the gym by 4 pm before the after 5 crowd hits. I couldn't have asked for a better set up.

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ldog said:

wise words from those who endured the great depression.

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Skip Foursome said:

omg!!!

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