Does anyone have any WFH recommendations? I spend most days on zoom all day, interval sessions take too much focus to be on a call at the same time. I am debating between doing the 5 day a week 30 min plan to get back in the habit (not when working) or trying traditional base during calls.
The last year and a half work and life have gotten in the way of consistent training trying to get back at it!
Thanks for any help!
Try using TrainNow. That way you can pick a workout that fits an open slot, and what you feel like doing on the day - if fresh do a VO2 or sweet spot, if it’s a rough work day do endurance. Plus this doesn’t add the stress of a plan on top of work stress.
The other thing I try and do - I’m also WFH - is stand during some calls or walk the dogs during calls. Gets me of my ass and not sitting for hours straight
Thanks, that’s a good call and I could do just east pedaling before or aferre and open slot to do some intervals, and could start with just doing 30 min workouts.
Walking the doggos is one of the best aspects of WFM! Or cooking a decent meal while in a meeting!
Cheers!
Any reason why you don’t train before or after your work day? I understand that isn’t the premise of your question but curious.
I sometimes find time during lunch or a lull to do an interval session. But I am more likely to do longer z2 workouts after hours since it is hard to find 2+ hours in between work stuff to train.
TrainNow, as @AlphaDogCycling suggested, is always a good bet.
When WFH I usually knock out a 45-60 minute interval workout, then eat lunch while back at my desk working (making up any lost time from showering, etc by starting earlier or working later). Made sure I got nutrition, gadgets, clothes etc all ready that morning or the night before to minimize lost time so I could jump on the hike right at 12. All depends on your individual work schedule and flexibility of course.
I WFH for years now. Initially I tried this riding during calls, too. Dropped it pretty quickly, did not work for me. Work is work, training is training. These days I usually do 2-a-days with a slot before lunch and one late afternoon or early evenining.
I’ve started WFH a few years before covid. I cannot pedal and work at same time: work is work and training is training. However in some (less intense) calls, I can prep for a workout e.g. filling bottles, get clothes, setting the bike, pump tires, etc while listening / talking.
My WFH often has long hours (11.5h today for example) and meetings with other timezones (Asia, Europe far away from me in PNW PST) , it can lead to having a swiss cheese schedule. i.e. ~8 hours of work but spread out between 7am to 9pm and no free block larger than 1hour.
But it also comes with flexibility and I use that to defragment my schedule and avoid the swiss cheese so i can fit a 2hours workout during the day. So I’m not shy to ask a colleague to try to move meetings around.
Also
Listen to your body: sometimes, the fatigue from work means a workout needs to be changed. I look at my weekly workouts as a to do list to be done this week and shuffle things around.
sometimes a workout will end , a meeting starts and the shower will be afterwards. Zoom, MSTeams doesn’t have olfactory mode and video feed can be left turned off.
I use TrainNow and Alternates extensively because oups there’s less/more time available. I would drive a conventional coach nuts with all the schedule changes i do.
I don’t do it personally as I don’t have to sit passively on meetings all day, if I did I would definitely be looking at doing some low Z2 rides while on calls for volume.
Take up 10hrs of ISM Z2 at your laptop.
I find it impossible to fully concentrate on work calls while riding - even at low intensity. Even the lowest of mental focus meetings are impossible
I use the time I save by not commuting to train before work as I find that the best way to start my day
If you want to train during the work day I’d recommend finding time between work to train. Logon 30 minutes early, extend your lunch to 90 minutes, and do a 60 minute ride during it, etc.
I’ve been WFH since 2010, and indoor training since 2019. I work 7:30-11:30am, then train, then work 3-7pm. Gives me three and a half hours, which is usually long enough to survive my sharply-honed procrastination skillset.
I think steady Z2 works well for long zoom calls. I also consume online training material at Z2, some of the videos are 2 hours long so I can match both types of training fairly well…
Ditto
When I WfH, I save my workouts for the evening using the period where I would have been commuting; there’s no way that I could focus on anything when on the turbore trainer. I have done a Z2 ride in my lunch hour, but I don’t really fancy doing anything more intense then, as I can guarantee a colleague would call 
When I WFH, I get up at the same time as I normally would and smash a workout. My partner gets kiddo ready and at 7:45 we leave home.
We have a bit of banter on the way to kindergarten and half of my goals for the day are 
.
Sun is shining and life is good the rest of the day!
This time of year when I cant get outside after work before sunset, I ride the trainer for 1hr Tuesday-Friday and then do a long ride of 3-4hr on Saturday. I work 730-4 so I get on immediately after work.
It’s more about the routine than the substance of the ride. But I tend to just ride endurance pace everyday except for a hard 10 minute interval in the middle of Tuesday’s ride. I also ride some tough intervals in Saturday’s long ride.
You might consider exercising before or after work like others suggested. It’s about routine/consistency. Working out here and there during the workday isn’t a recipe for consistency unless your schedule is the same everyday and/or you’re doing it during lunch
I’m sorry but what is ISM?
I can’t workout and “work” at the same time so no riding while on calls etc.
I work at home a couple times a week and despite my intention to take a 1 hour lunch break and do a trainer workout it never happens … But, I am pretty good about taking 15 minutes once or twice a day to swing a kettle bell. go for a quick walk, etc. For me, its way easier to fit in some productive strength work (in chunks if necessary) than a productive trainer ride so that’s what I try and focus on. I also can usually get several of those 5 minute household tasks out of the way during the day that tend to delay my evening workouts so all is not lost.
Brilliant Freudian slip or auto corrupt
Do a “commute” home to home both before and after your work day.