How do you feel about this - if I'm unable to do a serious workout during the day and the only free time is between 10-11pm - what would you do? Is it a good idea to do a hard metcon workout that late or not really? maybe it's better to do something easier so it doesn't mess up my sleep?

For those of you who have young kids and are struggling to balance being PRESENT parents while still being a good custodian to your fitness goals, here’s two things you can do that've really helped me out and I’m sure will help you too… (1) Give yourself grace and accept that sometimes you just have to perform an abbreviated version of whatever you had planned. As I constantly tell all of you, remember to focus on progress over perfection! …and (2) Put a single (or set) of weights in clear view of where you typically sit to watch tv, and allow them to taunt you into doing little micro workouts. This is a simple but effective psychological tool that when you have a list of say 5-10 little micro-sessions you can quickly deploy will yield big results in the long term. Idea here is that when kids give you small 5 minute windows to train in (say when they’re eating or playing by themselves within eye and ear shot), you can sneak in some work… These little micro-sessions may not yield the BIG wins that you were accustomed to before kids arrived into the equation, but they DO offer progress. Just remember, they may not seem like much, but SOMETHING is always better than NOTHING!!! Hands Up…KEEP FIGHTING!!! P.S. Thanks for bearing with me while I navigate my way through some family concerns. Things are going MUCH better of late and I promise once a few more hurdles are cleared, I’ll be back to daily contributions here..

Still struggling with some cramps in my right thigh after I ran a mountain marathon a month ago (42km). Also still unable to do long runs as well as I get dead tired after only 5-6km. But working with what I’ve got; Thur; 5km run Sat; 6km run Sun; Double 24kg bells - 25 clean and press, 25 bent over rows Mon; 112 pushups and 5km run Wed; Double 20kg bells - 28 cleans, 14 strict press, 42 front squats. Diet is a complete mess, gaining weight.

I turned 77 on 6/25/2027. So I decided to 7 sets of 7 reps for each chest exercise. Incline bp at 95, 115, 135, 145 , 155, 115 and 105. Did max rep with 175. Pec dec 65, 75, 85, 95, 105, 115 and 105. Cable flyer with 20 pounds for 3 sets and 25 pounds for 4 sets. Finished with 30 Kbs for flat bench flyes. Ate some cake.😀

As much as many of you think I may be ALL about kettlebells, the truth is I’m actually all about what works…And when it comes to implements that offer a big bang for your buck, sandbags fit the bill just as much as kettlebells do. Let’s check the stats… They boost size, strength (REAL strength!), explosiveness, and overall conditioning, and they do so without costing you an arm and a leg. Bottom line, they check all the boxes that every single one of us is looking to check! Now, out of curiosity, would any of y’all like for me to weave in more sandbag work to my existing kettlebell content? If so, let me know. Also…The owner of the company that makes the sandbags I use has set up a sweet little discount for all of us here. So if you wanna stock up on them, then head to their website (https://freedomstrength.us/) and type in code “CoachMandler” for 10% off… Hands Up…KEEP FIGHTING!!!