Good on you figuring out where you want your priorities to be! As long as you can still stay motivated to train, you’re good. I do my best training when I’m working toward a goal, like a competition or something, otherwise I get complacent. Not everyone needs external motivation like that, though, and you’re right - past a certain point ‘strong enough’ is all that matters.
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Time to join the Wolfpack son
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I was 10 words in and thought of you.
If I recall you had a similar epiphany and ConditioningLord was born.
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This is a good point and something that definitely applies to me. Even just having a week off last week and planning out this next 6 weeks knowing there is no comp booked or planned I was very low on motivation and not really too excited to train. I just have to fool myself that it is prep for the next comp it is just a longer prep.
I think getting healthy, looking better and being strong enough is a great set of goals. If it were me, I would break that down into some shorter term goals and give myself something to aim for achieve. That way it is a bit like training for a comp but the effect is better conditioning or looking better rather than weight on the bar.
I would be very interested to see how you break this down and how you set up your training for this.
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Haha love it mate
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Mate, if you want to be an underpants model, just say so. @simo74 can probably give you tips.
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Love the epiphany, dude. Can’t wait to see your continued journey.
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Absolutely mate. And I’ll still take advantage of the ego boost sometimes, but there are other areas to get that too.
This is something I’m working on. I like very binary goals, so I’ve never been very good at things like this that don’t lend themselves to specific goals.
Yes, I will do some burpees.
Being excited to train is detrimental to me in my barbell work because it makes me do stupid, off plan stuff. I think it would serve me better to use the stupid stuff for conditioning and make my barbell work “punch the clock” stuff. You’re living proof that that approach works in spades.
I’m not sure you’re ready for that dude. I’m more interested in feeling better, honestly. The looking better is mostly going to be focused on moving better, postural stuff etc. Although, as it happens, all the muscle groups I’m looking to focus on will also help with looking better too.
Thanks dude. It’s not going to be a total 180, just a slight course correction.
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My plan such as it is then:
2 days a week basic barbell work
Back Squat (BBB 13 week challenge)
Front Squat (5 x 5 SSL only)
Press (BBB 13 week challenge and some “extra” supplemental TBC)
Weighted chins (some basic progression TBC)
Direct Glute work TBC
Deadlift (Using Kroc deadlift program) may be added on a third day, if I think I can recover and it doesn’t interfere with other stuff.
Accessories
Walking lunges
Chin ups
Band Pull aparts
Kb swings
Sit ups
Push ups
All given a set weekly rep goal, which will be progressed week on week.
Conditioning
All other sessions will be cardio/Conditioning. I’m not setting many limits here to allow myself to be a little bit creative and flexible. This is the fun bit, where I get to make stuff up on the fly. The only limit will be no heavy barbell lifts, to stop myself trying to sneak in more of the stuff I don’t need.
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You still need to make it a hard clock to punch…just saying
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Work for this arvo:
Front squat:
5 x 5 @ 80kg
Press:
5 x 20kg
5 x 30kg
5 x 40kg
3 x 50kg
1 x 55kg
6 x 55kg
5 x 10 @ 30kg
Pull ups supersetted with everything
Conditioning:
10mins ski-erg, 10 x 32kg swings every 200m
Notes:
- Quite a lot of neck pain during Front squats today. It was pretty distracting and the first few sets suffered because of it.
- Dissapointed with Press topset. Not sure what I was expecting, but more than 6.
- Suprised with how hard I can make 30kg, by really exploding up, lowering slowly and keeping my brace even when I don’t “need” to do any of those things.
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I think that is an important realization and one many of us should keep in mind.
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What kind of neck pain?
What grip do you use?
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@doomyguy no idea how well it will survive contact with the enemy, but it makes sense.
@vision1 In this case it was the back of the neck, specifically but I seem to have consistent issues with pain in the traps up to and including the neck on a few lifts, especially Press. I don’t really know how to describe my grip, full grip, I guess?
Clean grip probably.
Careful with neck injuries, I’ve had my fair share. Pressing is also the worst for me but I’ve tweaked it with other overhead stuff too (pullups and Toe-to-Bar). I’ve never had neck pain with front squat. Some thoracic mobility work before the squats might help. You could also try using a lifting strap grip.
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@vision1 thanks for that, I’ll look into thoracic mobility stuff. I used to do that regularly before every Bench session because it helped something (I don’t remember what, it was a long time ago), so I could always start there again.
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Work for tonight:
100 walking lunges
10 push ups every 17.5 reps
I know that’s a weird number, but while I’m going I count each leg as a separate leg then halve it once I’m done. One length of the patch of grass I was doing it on was 35 lunges, so I’m counting that as 17.5 reps. That’s a long explanation for such a short workout.
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It’s a good one. The intensity is lower than what some people would use, and that’s great. I think you can recover fine.
Maybe I did that one a lifetime ago 
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The Kroc Deadlift plan is my ultimate “lowest effective dose” program. Do that once a week and your deadlift increases, no drama or “extra” needed.
Yeah, saw you mention all that cardio & conditioning.
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