The One Simple Change That Has Helped Me PR Every Lift

Over the past 5 weeks, I’ve been impacted by the ADHD medication shortage.

For the first time in 20 years, I’ve been off my typical dose of medication for an extended period of time.

Focus and attention are more scattered. Brain fog is a new constant. My energy can drain without warning. Mornings are a particular challenge, in part because my sleep has been erratic.

One thing keeping me afloat is my daily Fitness First ritual.

A good, moderate intensity workout generally gives me a boost of energy and focus and helps puts the fuel in my tank to start my day.

Even on my best days, I can be a slow starter in the morning. In my current state, I’ve been extra attentive to the state of my nervous system to avoid overdoing it.

On any given day, I’ve sought to meet myself where I am: to do what I could do without creating a dopamine spike that will lead to a crash. Although I head to the gym with a plan, my larger intention each day is to get my body moving, to keep up with my strength training as best as I can, and to focus on technique.

If I can’t hit all the numbers on the plan, so be it.

This is a season where something is better than nothing.

The outcomes have shocked me.

Somehow, over the last 3 weeks, I’ve hit new PRs (Personal Records) in every major lift. Some of these milestones are goals I’ve been working toward and failing for months. Now, suddenly, my PRs are falling like a house of cards in a windstorm. Sometimes I’m hitting multiple PRs in the same session.

This isn’t just about my weightlifting.

Success leaves clues. When we can see the patterns in one area we can apply them to other areas.

So, what’s contributing to my sudden windfall of success in my weightlifting?

Success or failure are never attributable to only one factor. I’ve made many small changes — from cutting down on metcons to dialing in my nutrition better — but by far the biggest factor seems to be timing and embracing my rhythm.

The Art of Timing

In life, timing is everything. The trick is to find yours.

I’ve been a fixture in the 5:30 am CrossFit class for the past couple of years.

I love waking up early and getting my workout in before most people have woken up.

But even when I’d hit new PRs in class, I knew that 5:30 am wasn’t my ideal time for heavy lifting — literally or metaphorically.

Recently, in a concession to the reality of the moment, I started set my alarm for a later time.

My catchphrase has been 7 am is my new 5:30.

I start my workouts later and I also give myself more time to warm up. This has helped me embrace my natural rhythms. By starting slowly, I avoid a dopamine crash that can come from doing too much too soon.

The Power of Embracing Your Rhythms

There’s often a lot of virtue-signaling around the benefits of waking up at the crack of dawn; the lure of the “5 to 9 before the 9 to 5.”

But that timing doesn’t work for everyone.

On the micro and macro scale, we must find and embrace our ideal timing and rhythm.

Knowing what season you’re in.

Knowing your personal rhythms.

Knowing what time is best for you to do certain activities.

By embracing my rhythm and finding my ideal timing for right now, I’ve seen massive leaps in results in a moment when I least expected them.

Many people with ADHD have rhythms that go against the traditional cultural ideas of “right timing.”

It’s not easy to go against the grain to embrace your own rhythms, but when we do, we can unlock success that has been elusive.