Training on a Dad's Schedule: Three Rules I Live By

I'll be honest with you: I don't have a perfect schedule. I work a full-time job. I have a wife and four kids, practices, pickups and a house that never stops needing something. If your plan only works when life is quiet, it doesn't work. Here are the three rules I actually train by.

1. Set a minimum week, not a perfect week

Most men plan the week they wish they had: six days, ninety minutes, everything dialed. Then Tuesday falls apart and they write off the whole week. Instead, decide on your minimum: three sessions that happen no matter what. Anything beyond that is a bonus, not a requirement. Three good sessions every week for a year will beat six sessions for three weeks and then nothing.

2. Train early or train short

The two times nobody else needs you are before the house wakes up and the gaps you'd normally scroll through. If you can get up early, own that hour. If you can't, keep the session tight: 45 minutes with a clear plan beats 90 minutes of wandering around the gym. Know your first lift before you walk in the door.

3. Write it down so you don't have to guess

When you're busy, your brain is the worst place to keep your training. Log what you lifted, what you ate and how you felt. Not because the numbers are sacred, but because they take the guesswork out of next week. You'll know when to push and when to back off, and you'll actually see the progress you're making.

The real goal

None of this is about training like you have nothing else going on. It's about being strong, healthy and present for the people who need you most. Build the plan around your family, not the other way around.