Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Inner Peace + Template



1:31 AM Ground: I think that you are having one of two issues:
  You are discouraged on deadlift, and thus feel that you should be doing more squatting so that you feel more fulfilled
1:32 AM Or, you are tired of deadlifting and want to be doing more squatting
 me: no no
  I keep skipping squats
  because something comes up
  like
  in the last 6 months
  my squatting has dropped from a frequency of once a week to once every 15 days or say
  *so
1:33 AM Ground: I don't see how the template fixes that
1:34 AM or rather, I don't see how it helps to put squats the day after deadlifts
  how that fixes any issues resulting from not doing squat every time
 me: okay so scratch my entire method of thinking
 Ground: i mean, my point is
  after deadlifts and then squats
1:35 AM even if you can perform well on squats
  the rest of the week would tend to be shot
 me: yes
  completely
  thats why earlier I had said:
 Ground: I think it is still, as always, an issue of priorities
 me: DL then back work then DL after an off and then squats then 2 days off then repeat
 Ground: if you are skipping squats a lot
  then are you skipping other things?
1:36 AM me: no
  pressing and squats
 Ground: or should you be skipping those things INSTEAD of squats
 me: i don't have an issue with the skipping because it's not intentional
  i thought you would have an issue lol
1:37 AM Ground: well, I'm more concerned that you get the most out of the training that you DO
  rather than to make a schedule that bastardizes everything
  the false compromise
 me: oh then that is happening...I'm DL'ing and doing all back work just fine
  squatting is also okay but hasn't been regular because of other issues
1:38 AM Ground: wut is the current schedule, losely?
 me: hmm
  Day 1 = DL
  Day 2 = Back work
  Day 3 = DL + whatever I feel like because it's loose
  Day 4 = Squats + pressing + pull-ups or whatever if there is time
1:39 AM Ground: yeah, why don't you just have squats on day three
 me: we did originally
  Day 3 was DL variation + SQ variation
  and I liked that
  but I somehow messed up and moved it
  I dunno why I did that
 Ground: maybe I did
 me: no no
 Ground: I don't remember doing that
 me: this is all my doing
1:40 AM oh
  yeah
  the original template by you was
  Day 1 = DL
  Day 2 = Rowing and Pull-ups
  Day 3 = DL variation + SQ variation
  Day 4 = Left Over day
 Ground: yes
 me: should I go back to that?
  coz I like DL'ing twice a week :D
 Ground: whey don't you go back to that but reverse the squat and dl variation
  put the squats up front on that day
1:41 AM me: yes okay
  perfect
 Ground: i can see how squats would get skipped a lot after all that and squats being on the last day
 me: yes
  invariably something happens
  or I go in late on Day 3 and then I can't do what i had to do
 Ground: i mean, things come up but there is also a bit more motivation to allow them to cancel a workout
1:42 AM me: yes haha
  I'm always okay with giving squats up
  and once I go down that path
 Ground: right, lol
 me: suddenly I find myself 3 weeks later having not done squats for a whole month
 Ground: things don't "come up" on deadlift day
 me: never
  i squash them
 Ground: it is perfectly okay not to want to do squats that much
1:43 AM there are plently of guys who are the opposite
  all they want to do is squat
  and they never want to deadlift
 me: there are way too many of those
 Ground: yet they are heros
 me: i think this makes it more difficult for me
 Ground: heroes
1:44 AM me: coz I get dragged into "be the exact opposite of them you are not like them!"
  way of thinking
  I'll do the squat variaiton first
 Ground: the only reason is that it is more fun to squat heavier
1:45 AM and you'll feel more motivated to squat if it is first
 me: yes
 Ground: which might make you feel a bit better and more 'balanced'
 me: yes
  okay
  and for the DL variation
  even if I do just 1 set it's okay, right?
  coz so far
  volume wise
 Ground: i don't think it is that important
 me: and intensity wise you've left all this up to me
1:46 AM okay
  thank you
  for helping me
  :)
  oh wait
  one more question
1:47 AM tomorrow is DL day for me because i had to skip Sunday
  I'm gonna just do DL tomorrow and then next week onwards (sunday) I will incorporate this new training template
  I just wanted to ask:
  what is the plan for Deadlifts?
  am I just free balling it for a few more weeks
  and then i go back to the volume work?
  as per plan?
1:48 AM Ground: eh..let's go with that for now
  I'm not sure about the volume work
  as far as how much longer you should do it
 me: okay
  I've been doing it since january this year
  till like a month ago
 Ground: yeah
 me: non stop
 Ground: damn
  I think it's time for a change then
 me: okay
1:49 AM Ground: I'm thinking you should maybe do triples, heavy
  then doubles
  then singles
  and then a consolidation cycle
 me: okay
 Ground: on the triples go pretty heavy
  to test out your shoulder
1:50 AM me: but this is after those 2 weeks, right?
 Ground: yes
 me: Eric, the deadlifts don't affect my shoulder at all, sir
 Ground: and on the doubles and singles go balls to the wall
 me: okay
 Ground: "knock on wood"
 me: yes
  knock on wood
  what is the rough volume here
  for triples, doubles and singles?
  and how many weeks of this?
 Ground: like for triples you could do maybe three
  just three weeks
1:51 AM one, two, three done
 me: oh like week 1 is triples, week 2 is doubles and then week 3 is singles?
 Ground: yep
 me: 3 heavy triples
 Ground: the reason is you are slowly going to be increasing rest periods
 me: 4 heavy doubles
  7 heavy singles?
 Ground: so you take advantage of some of this volume work
 me: I keep rest periods at 10 minutes
1:52 AM Ground: something like that, yes
  well, maybe but the density decreases
 me: yes
  a lot
  okay
  this is exciting
  let me write this down in my book
1:53 AM Ground: so, in effect, all that is really happening is you're doing a similar number of reps with more and more rest being added...while you go heavier
  kinda funny that nobody ever thinks of it that way
  when you decrease reps
  but maintain volume, pretty much
1:54 AM you are adding rest
  when you increase reps, but maintain volume
  you are decreasing rest
 me: yes
 Ground: that's kind of all their is to it
1:55 AM me: this is going to be damn difficult
  I'm so not used to the heavy work
1:56 AM Ground: well, you only go as heavy as you can go
  at the start, on the triples, it will be more difficult
  but that is part of the reason for doing it this way
  to get used to going heavy slowly
1:57 AM and to sort of shift your body
 me: yes
  I'll get used to it
  in time
  I'm sure
  it's one week of each
  and i'll bring my micro-loading plates with me
 Ground: you're going t obe doing LESS work, not more!
 me: so I can add a little at a time
  I can do 475 x 3 x 3
  I know
1:58 AM I'm probably gonan do that tomorrow
  coz I wrote it down as a mental planearlier today
  either 475 x 3 x 3 or go to 515 and just stop
  depending on how I feel
  coz I'm fine now
 Ground: 535 soon
 me: but I'm facing all the issues I've developed over time like at the start I feel uneasy on each rep - unsure and unconfident...I will get over all of this
1:59 AM 535 would be nice
  :D
  It depends on the day
  I need to stop feeling the way I do
  it's hard to explain
2:00 AM like I am all worked up the day before deadlifts, i sleep right...everything... visualization, etc. all perfect. but then i show up to train and i'm faced with a totally different situation where the whole lift feels weird
  I'm underprepared
 Ground: hmmm
2:01 AM I think that you are not in flow, grasshopper
 me: I am not
  I've totally fallen off that
 Ground: it's an inappropriate state of arousal
  the question is what happens in between that gets you out of flow
 me: I look at my old videos from last year where i was doing so much relatively heavier work and MY GOD I was in flow
 Ground: i think that it is all the negative bullshit
  that has gone down
 me: I think so too
2:02 AM Ground: I think it is the environment
 me: I always sit between sets and worry...oh if I fail am I going to look like a fool...what if it is too heavy
  it's a lot of negative thoughts
 Ground: no wonder
 me: thats why I have shifted DL days to Sunday
  gym is totally empty
  I am more at peace
2:03 AM Eric...right after I got back from my shoulder injury: did you see my workout? it was INSANE compared to normal
  but there is a lot of negative energy in me
  it really messes me up
 Ground: well, if you can't change the external environment you have to change the internal one
 me: yes
2:04 AM I need to
 Ground: try doing some breathing
  and relaxing
  and then getting yourself back up to the appropriate and right kind of arousal
  which for you is quietness and calmness
  really
  fucosed calmness
  and NEVER think about failing
  or the outcome
2:05 AM you know that is the kiss of death
  think about what your are going to do right
  i think all this is inside you
  you arlready know how to do it
  you've let outside stuff get you out of the habit
2:06 AM and the mindset
  but you can find it again
 me: yes
  I need to find it
  coz this negativity was always there
  it's not "new"
  but I've forgotten how to handle it right
 Ground: people are always feeling like they've forgotten something about lifting
 me: use it positively
 Ground: but no, they've simply added something to their head that wasn't their before
2:07 AM usually what you think is an "off" feeling is some mental artifact
  that does not need to be there
2:08 AM me: yes
  fuck me
  I'm so glad I speak to you about this
  I will work on this
  I'm writing this all down
 Ground: don't "work"
2:09 AM me: yes master yoda
  :)
  I will just do
 Ground: your mind working is what fucks you up to begin with
 me: yes I have too many voices in my head, Eric...I swear I'm as much of a Gemini as Genimis can ever be...I have like hundreds of voices telling me what to expect and do
  and then I fuck up
 Ground: and why the fuck do people think everything i say sounds like yoda?
  lol
2:10 AM me: :)
  I just know from experience
  I am your padawan
  so.... :D
 Ground: I think of myself more like Gandalf
  which would make you like Bilbo
  or Frodo
  hahahahahahaha
2:11 AM i better go
  have fun storming the castle
2:12 AM me: thanks sir
  I'll let you know how tomorrow goes, sir
  :)
2:13 AM I might do some heavy singles instead now
  just to see
  :)
 Ground: okay
 me: 2 weeks of free balling
  byebye sir
  and thank you again!
  so much
 Ground: bye
 me: byebye sir