Since having a 10 day break from strength training while on a vacation I’ve struggled to get back into the positive groove I was in previously. Up until this point I felt this was just because my strength had regressed and it would take a bit of time to get back to where I was. But now I don’t think that’s the case.
My training seriously begun to suffer once I got back, considerably more than it should have after just 10 days absence, especially since most of those days were spent being active (walking, swimming, cycling etc). There’s no physical reason for the regression.
I’d fallen into a rut, but it was a misidentified rut. It was a mental rut.
I’d forgotten the joy of strength training. I’d forgotten that you don’t need to follow all the rules. As long as you’re lifting heavy things, eating enough food, and getting plenty of rest then you’re making progress. Layering your life with systems and concrete routines is simply not necessary.
Today my thoughts shifted though. The insane feats of strength video I posted before is still clear in my mind, and the question of “what if I were skinny for the rest of my life?” is still releasing me from the confines of rigid, lifestyle-killing goals. And you want to know what happened?
A few hours after my “official” training session (which unfortunately only amounted to a couple of sets of dumbbell squats) I felt the sudden urge to do some pull ups. Technically my training had been finished for the day, but I just wanted to do pull ups for the sake of doing pull ups.
And you know what?
I did a very clean first set of 10 pull ups, followed by another clean set of 6. Sure, I won’t win any pull up contests any time soon, but the key thing here is I felt better after the pull ups than I had before. It was purely pressure-less exercise, and a downright enjoyable experience.
I believe all strength training can be like this.
- Be spontaneous. Feel like training right now? Then get to it! Don’t feel like training right now? That’s alright too. If strength training is genuinely important to you there’s no need to maintain a rigid schedule. Commit to the process and opportunities will present themselves to you.
- It’s not a burden. Strength training is not a life sentence, and this isn’t a process that is meant to cause you pain. Re-frame it as a positive experience and the reality will conform to that belief. Think about it, you’re getting stronger, improving your health and opening up a world of possibilities that were previously out of your reach physically. Is that really a burden?
- Never rush. Setting a deadline for your training sessions immediately invalidates their importance. Give yourself plenty of time to get lost in the training process and place total priority on doing every rep to the best of your ability, with the utmost adherence to proper form.
- Rules are opinions. Besides rules designed to protect against injury, and the basic fundamentals mentioned before, most rules are opinions. They’re from people who, in their own experience have determined that X is better than Y. But you’re you, and it’s up to you to embrace adaptation and reflect on your circumstances.
- Be the tortoise. As in, the tortoise from the fable of The Tortoise and the Hare. Look at the long term and don’t be ashamed of taking a slower route if you know you can stick with it for perhaps decades to come. Test yourself, and don’t become lazy, but don’t feel pressured into having to be the fastest strength trainee in the world.
