After having a bad couple gym sessions, and then hurting myself saturday, I've been feeling not only physically tired, but mentally burnt out and frustrated. I've been making great progress lately, and because of that, I have come to expect PR's and progress on all my assistance work every single workout - and in reality, this is just unrealistic. One can only make that sort of progress for a little while, before you either slow down or burn out mentally. I have been pushing myself really hard in the gym lately, and that hard work has definitely paid off - but I can't keep pushing myself to my limits every single workout. It's starting to take it's toll. My body is tired and achey, and my desire to go workout is starting to lack a little too.
Basically, I have a great program, but it's linear nature requires me to work harder and harder every workout, week after week, cycle after cycle, and I'm starting to hit the point where I can't handle that anymore.
FUCK LINES!
SO what is the solution? To fuckin chill out that's what. I need to not worry so much about following the programming religiously. Instead, I need to focus on the one or two important movements/weights of the day, and then base my assistance work/intensity of my workout on how I'm feeling day by day.
For example: Monday, I have my 5/3/1 sets for squats, speed deadlifts, and 5 x 10 squats. So on a good day, I should push my last set of heavy squats to a max, and do the 5 x 10 with a max set on the final set of squats. HOWEVER, say I'm not feeling my best (aka, what tomorrow's workout is going to be like). Maybe I will just hit the prescribed reps on the final heavy set of squats, and just do the 5 x 10 with no extra reps. Or, if it's a really rough day, skip the 5 x 10 all together? Take friday as another example: Chaos and pain Benching, and 5/3/1 overhead pressing are most important, so I should work hard on those. But if I'm feeling off that day, what's wrong with going lighter on my assistance work, or skipping some of it all together? AND, the inverse it true too - why not push myself EXTRA hard on days when I'm feeling awesome, rather than limiting myself by sticking exactly to my programming?
Lugo understands and agrees. And adds that I should consume more baby flesh as well.
As I've talked about in earlier posts, it's a fine line to walk - I can't let myself make excuses, and be lazy, or I won't be progressing nearly as well as I should. HOWEVER, I also have to remember to focus on the big things, not the small things. What's most important is that I'm in the gym every day, moving heavy weight. Some days, I'll be moving that heavy weight for max reps, and then do assistance work until my whole body is near failure before I go home. Others, I'll move the heavy weight for a few reps, and decide that it's time to call it a day right then and there. But either way, just the fact that hitting the weight at all is going to mean I'm going to get stronger - and focusing on THAT, rather than on every rep of every assistance movement, is what's most important.
It's going to be a rough transition, and probably will take a lot of time to change my current attitude towards my work in the gym. However, due to my back pain and exhaustion, I'll be sort of FORCED to take it easy the next few days, so maybe that will help. But anyways, the take away message is this: no matter how good your programming might be, not matter how hard you're willing to work, you can never entirely account for how you're going to feel on a day to day basis. In the end, I need to focus on the Big movements, the Big weights, and the Big picture, rather than focusing on the little details or on pushing myself to my absolute max every single training session. If do that, I will be able to stay physically and mentally healthy, while ALWAYS making progress.
Jim Wendler agrees. As do most of the greats. It's just easier said than done.
SO, here's to tomorrow: It's a new day. Lets hope the back will hold up through a workout - and lets get started on changing the way I approach my training. and most importantly, LETS GET STRONGER.
ALSO, my blog posts have been lacking lately, due to my shitty attitude and body pain, SO, here's some inspiring and awesome shit to get us all going again.
HUGE
HUGEEEE
HYOOOOOOOOOOOOOGEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Happy lifting powerland.
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