Wow, I have actually gotten three entire workouts in over one week's time. It's a miracle. I was texting with my homie Rhodes last night about how I'm going to try and not f@ck it up. As always, he had some sage advice for me.
I think my biggest problem is that I'm just too strong for my own damn good. That's probably the case for a lot of us with any appreciable amount of time under the bar. We simply come back too fast.
With all the setbacks I have had over the last year and a half, I need to set some ground rules. Too often I think I'm giving myself the time I need to get back on track, but it usually ends up something like me taking a leisurely walk and after a few steps, busting into a full out sprint.
Here are my rules:
1. Use Deload Numbers FOR MORE THAN ONE WEEK!
I used to push months before a deload, but now between injuries, age, and time under the bar I need to force myself to slow down.
2. If It Hurts Don't Do It
I am the king of thinking if I can push through something that doesn't feel quite right. I have never come out on the other side feeling better than before and it's usually quite the contrary. There's no good reason for it other than being stubborn.
3. Don't Get Greedy
This one was from Rhodes and it really resonated with me. Once I start feeling the least bit better I want to step on the gas pedal. With what life has thrown at me lately, I should just be happy to be training at all.
4. Consistency Over Intensity
I need to treat my training like my weight loss transformation. It took me ten years and the results were well worth it. I didn't try to lose all my weight in one year. I need to take that longer vision with my lifting and conditioning. It's not one session, week, month, or probably even months to get me where I want to be. Not screwing myself up and building a body of work through consistency is what will get me home.
5. Feed Your Body
This one comes from Wendler, you can't serve two masters. With all the setbacks I have had, I know I have lost some muscle. Meanwhile, my default has been trying to get leaner for the last 10 years. Right now I need to focus on getting well. At the very least I need to be running maintenance calories or even a little surplus.
6. Journal The Journey
Since I have stopped competing on a high level, I have not journaled my training like I used to. I think this could be a contributing factor to some of my setbacks. I used to follow my training programs to the letter. Now with my haphazard approach, I end up going off book with exercises and weights. I need to have my plan written for the week before I even begin training. Then at the end of the week sit down and assess as I plan for the following microcycle.
There you have it, some rules to recovery. Thanks for reading.