This might seem like a little click bait, but it's true and there's a point to be learned here. I'm not quitting training or dieting. I'm dropping the 5/3/1 Boring But Big Three Month Challenge I began about five weeks ago.

Over the years I have accomplished a lot and none of that ever came from quitting. I'm actually pretty much of a hard gainer. I am not genetically gifted by any means. However, I am gifted with tremendous resolve. When I decide to do something, you can consider it done.

On to the Challenge. If you are not familiar with it, it's based on Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 programming. It is very demanding in that you have to perform your main lift of the squat, deadlift, bench press and overhead press for their prescribed reps and then you have to do five sets of ten of the same movement. The first month will be 50% of your training max, the second is 60%, and the third is 70%.

I really loved the first few weeks of the challenge. It was difficult, but simple in its approach. I am a big fan of the KISS method (Keep It Simple Stupid). I definitely felt the increase of volume in a positive way. Now with the challenge, Jim is adamant that you keep assistance and conditioning to a minimum in order to be recovered for the rigors of the program. This is what started to pose a problem for me.

With my age and time under the bar, my body has been put through the wringer. During the present challenge, I have learned my body needs a certain amount of preventative maintenance. A lot of my preventative maintenance came in the form of assistance work, unilateral work in particular. Some staples of my program have been rear elevated split squats, lunges, single arm dumbbell rows, and suitcase carries to mention a few. Without them I have noticed a lot of old dings rearing their ugly heads in my body.

Another thing was the conditioning. If you have read my blog over the years, you'd know my conditioning has increased tremendously. Jess has always been athletic. Over the summer she even marveled that for the first time in our 27 years together, that I was in better condition than she was.

The other day we both went skiing. With the great winter we are having back east there was a good amount of powder. It's great to ski in, but on flat terrain it causes skating on yours skis from one place to another to be really difficult. Well, when we were trekking over the flats, I was feeling out of breath. As someone who was VERY heavy and a lifelong asthmatic, I lived a long time struggling to breath. It's a terrible feeling. Now it wasn't nearly as bad as it used to be, but I hated being out of breath even a little.

So I'm quitting the challenge. This blog probably seems pretty melodramatic to some of you. I get it. For me though, it runs deep. I have been laboring over this for the past two weeks. I just never want quitting something difficult to become easy in my life.

I do want to review the program a bit. I think it's great! If you are not all dinged up and don't need the variation in movement, I highly recommend it. The first week when doing the five sets of ten with the 50% training max, I wondered how in the hell would I get through the 60% the following month, and then couldn't imagine the last month. I was getting really sore which was welcomed. My muscles had not felt like that in a while. By the end of the second week though, my body adapted. I was able to handle the volume better.

I'm really glad I finished the first week of the second month before calling it quits. I got through the volume fine in just the first week. My body had kept adapting. The last and heaviest month would have been difficult, but I know I could have completed it.

If you are looking for a good solid program that keeps things simple, I highly recommend Wendler's Boring But Big Three Month Challenge. The volume is a sure fire way to pack some mass on.

Jim also has a regular Boring But Big option. The percentages are not dictated like in the challenge. I very well may implement that program down the road along with the necessary assistance. That's the great thing about 5/3/1, there are so many programs and adaptations. Just find the one that's right for you.

In conclusion, maybe sometimes it's ok to quit on a program. If you know it's not meeting your needs, make the change. Just don't change because it's difficult. That's when quitting might become too easy.