I don't want to go down the list of things that sucked last year and complain about how crappy the year was; I've already done that a few times. I am focused on the POSITIVE things that are happening and the things I have to look forward to this year. Suffice it to say that even though it has only been a couple of weeks, it feels like it has been much longer than that—in a good way.
Though there are quite a few things that are different, I am focusing on the 3 main things that I am looking forward to this year:
New Training Partner(s)
I prefer to train by myself but will make an exception under rare circumstances. When I train by myself, it minimizes distractions and it is consistently just me, all of the time. I like consistency; I prefer the mundane—the predictable. I also prefer total control over my workouts. I do not enjoy making compromises or negotiating exercises, intensity techniques, etc. I have trained for almost 40 years; I know damn well what is best for you training, and I am quite clear on what exercises are more vulnerable than others (for me). To have a training partner, I need one who will simply come along for the ride, not battle me for control, and train hard AF.
My new training partner is the only person that I have wanted to train with for as long as I can remember. However, she has not trained, at all, for almost 4 years. Instead of looking to the past and explaining why (and complaining about it), I am just going to say that I am very excited that my wife is back in the gym and we are training together. Some of you might think that isn't hardcore or she can't train that hard, etc, but you are wrong. She trains her ass off, she lets me call the shots in the gym, and when she is locked in like she is now, I can depend on here being there and not canceling.
A bonus training partner has been coming along this last week, and she continues to be consistent: our 17-year-old daughter. All of our kids have trained with us at some point in their lives. Our daughter knows her way around a gym, has great form (what did you expect?), and though she doesn't train as hard as her mom, she still gets after it. Plus, it's time that I get to spend not just with my wife, but also with our daughter. She is the last of our kids at home, so I know all too well that these moments are fleeting.
For some people, training with their wife and daughter might be an obstacle, but it is quite the opposite for me. I could train with 3 toddlers and 4 cats, and I would still be able to focus on my training for optimal progress.
Injury Free
I am injury free. Now, I want to be clear and explain that as much as I am no longer dealing with knee pain, I am still building strength because it is very low due to not training quads for almost a year (10 months). It is actually longer than that because I tore my glute medius the year before, so in the last 2 years I have only been able to train legs for about 6 months.
I am to the point now where the strength in both legs is balanced from left to right, and I have started to slowly and cautiously push my strength up. I will go on record for the first time and say that it is entirely possible that I will not ever see the poundages for legs that I have seen in the past. That's hard to say out loud, but I am just being realistic with myself. However, I will not let this possibility hold me back and if I can push poundages to where they were in the past, bet your ass I will. Keep in mind that 2 of my 3 doctors told me I would never train legs again.
I am approaching my leg training differently than ever before, and it has been a test of my knowledge and experience to figure out how to rehab my knee. I will outline what I do for my leg training in my next coach log.
No Covid
I was fortunate enough to get covid over the holidays. I explained this, in depth, in my last coach log. Going into 2022, I am quite comfortable that I will not have to deal with covid for at least another 3-6 months due to immunity. I would go so far as to say that it is unlikely that I will deal with it for the entire year because when I finally contracted covid for the first time (made it almost 2 years without getting it), it was incredibly mild and I was asymptomatic. So, even if I do get it, it is not likely to be an extreme case.
All of the above being stated, I am excited about my training and progress for the first time in quite a while. I look forward to training right now. If that seems odd to you that I don't always enjoy training, train for almost 40 years and you will find that your motivation will ebb and flow. Though I rarely have times where I don't want to train or find it a chore, I am admitting that it happens, sometimes. Obviously, if your motivation is not very high to train, your progress is not likely to be very good.
I anticipate this year to be a good one. I can't possibly know what lies ahead, but at least right now everything is rolling and in a good place. I will take the year one day at a time, one meal at a time, and one workout at a time. Even after doing this as long as I have done it, I don't look too far down the pike. I enjoy what I'm doing more in the present because the future is unknown.
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