So, I had a little get together this weekend and one of our good friends came over. She is a fitness instructor and is a very dedicated, determined lady. When she shows up, she is wearing a tank top that says, “No Days Off.” Being the 5and2Guy, I got a good chuckle out of it but didn’t say anything. About a half hour later, my buddy (her husband) asks me if I saw her shirt? I laughed and said I did. He told me she wore it purposely to “mess with the 5and2Guy.” That made me laugh even harder. Good one!!! But let’s talk for real, which is better?
“No Days Off”
My friend is a dedicated lady and hits the gym 7 days a week, most often running classes and working out herself. I have to admit I admire her dedication. We are often out, as couples, late some nights, but she is still up the next morning around 5am ready to hit the gym. I guess she is stronger than me in that sense, but no days off…that can be tough. It takes a special kind of determination, a very strong Why, to take no days off and hit the gym every day. I am not saying it is a bad thing, but I can definitely say it is not an easy thing.
The 5and2Guy Way
With the 5and2Guy, we believe in 5 days of doing your best and 2 days of rest and taking a break. By taking a break, I am talking about not worrying about hitting the gym or sticking to a strict diet. Our approach is to work hard 5 days a week and then live a little on the weekends. For me, the 5and2Guy, this works well. It allows me to improve in all areas of my life, while maintaining a healthy balance between work, family, and fun. This works well for me and has had a huge impact on my overall finances, health, relationships, and family life. Like my sister once said, “It doesn’t matter what you do those 2 days a week, it matters what you do the other 5!!!”
Which Is Better???
For this, I guess I am biased. I personally believe that we need a couple days a week off to let our bodies rebuild…to give it a break. I also believe that the body can get better by giving it a taste of some of the things in life that it shouldn’t have, like that pizza or big bowl of ice cream. I believe this brings a healthier balance to life and is more sustainable in the long run.
It also depends on where you are in your life. If you are just starting to get into a work out routine, it may be overwhelming to think that you can have no days off. Who wants to sign up for that? If you are just starting out changing your life, no days off can be a bit intimidating. With the 5and2Guy way, you get a few days break. You know you can push through a few days of discipline to get to a day off. And if 5 days seems like too much to start, do your best on Monday and Tuesday and take a break on Wednesday from your routine. Then get back to it Thursday and Friday before your weekend break. This approach, over time, is sustainable and can yield great results.
Final Thoughts
“No days off” is a more advanced approach and something that you have to work up to if you really want to go that route. I say, “To each his own.” Whatever works for you, work it!!! But this approach, in my opinion may be intimidating and not sustainable over the long haul as you have to balance all the other aspects of your life. My friend seems to manage her life very well, always there for her family and friends and kicking butt in the gym, so maybe she is on to something. But for the 5and2Guy, I believe in that break. I believe the body needs it and it makes balancing your life out easier. And guess what, once you master the 5and2Guy way, your diet and fitness tends to bleed over into the weekends, so you are changing your life which affects you 7 days a week…kind of a “No days off” result!!!
In the end, you have to do whatever works for you. As a side note, I can’t say that “No days off” is a better approach at overall life balance, but it does appear to give her an edge at playing cornhole!!!