I’m pretty pumped about it. I’ve been training almost exclusively at home since March. Sticking to whatever I can do with a barbell, bench, squat stands, and some plates. Most of what I’ve been doing is low volume, little exercise variety, and taking just 1-2 sets to failure. I recently did 20 rep squats for a while, but stopped since it was totally frying my CNS for the day after, even only doing it 2x/week. I also took about 6-8 weeks off deadlifting, which I don’t think I’ve done…ever!
The 31 plan just makes sense. I’m an explosive 2A. I like variety in methods more than in exercises, and I train for powerlifting. So, the plan fits the bill and it’s got a lot of flexibility to be customized.
Also, after training a top set to failure for quite a while, it feels great to be focused on sub-maximal work again. It’ll be interesting to see how things feel and what performance looks like after a few weeks following this system.
I’m just a demon in the climbing gym right now. Whenever I have this good a streak I end up getting injured. I’m planning to go outdoors to climb this weekend but then I’m taking a week off to ensure that my tendons get some rest before going back at it as I’ve only just now started to feel “uninjured” (pinches are still out of the question but can finally crimp again).
All new routes today. These grades are set for top-rope, but there are QDs along them so it was possible to do it on lead. Therefore, no overhangs, just really small grips and technical climbs:
5a
5b
6a+
6b+
6c
What does this mean in practice for you readers that are not climbers? Well, on top-rope you don’t have to stay on holds nearly as long as when lead climbing. So, by comparison I’d say that it’s like comparing normal tempo reps to 5s eccentric reps when trying to relay how much more difficult lead climbing makes the climb. What do you think about that comparison @mr.v3lv3t?
The literature says that the average hold time for bouldering is 5s and sport (lead) climbing is 6s but I disagree. I think bouldering is 2-3s, top-rope is 5-6s, and lead can be anywhere from 6-10-20 depending on how hard and unfamiliar the route is. I did these completely without scoping them out before going so I had a really long “TUT”.
Curiously, before I used to try and climb opting for intensity and was just not progressing at all. The DC-style of climbing. Now, I’ve inadvertently 531’d submaxed climbing because of my injury and despite not being fully functional in my hands for months become so much better. Food for thought to bring back into the gym…
Finale: 3x10 slooow eccentric chin-up/pull-ups. 2 minute rest.
10
10
9(F, hold at the fail position)
Post-workout meal: frozen banans, blended together with kefir, cottage cheese, chocolate+sugar on pancakes. Delish.
There was a lot of “ice cream” left over that I had in a separate bowl!
Also managed to run 900 meters today. My hamstring just barely suffers through this but it keeps holding up and my cardio keeps improving so I’ll continue with running often rather than planning sessions. ~5:00m/km tempo
I just sprinkle these in when doing errands like going to the store or fetching shit at other people’s places. Today I was picking up gloves that I forgot over at my parents during my last visit there.
Timeline:
Pull hamstring while stretching, say Feb?
Get prescribed L-protocol by competent physio
Got better
Could lift pain-free
Started running too vigorously (intensity/volume) - semi-recent, say May
Presumed same injury from how it felt
Didn’t really do the same protocol, as I could still lift, just laid off running
Would heal, somewhat, and then re-injure often while climbing at a high intensity level when I contract the muscle maximally (adrenaline takes over sometimes…)
Still, 2 steps forward, 1 step back, and recently I’ve been able to run short stints and even begin stretching again. I just feel that it’s… iffy and injury-prone.
To become a fireman I have to be able to run 3km, and I while I can do the feat itself I might tear it while doing the test (I would not stop once the timer starts, I’m just not wired that way) so I’ve thought… I’m 27 now. I can do the test next year when I’m 28 and healed and can actually take the job. It’ll also give me time to sort through my eating disorder (baaaaaad for firefighting) and maybe get my hormones “fixed” (also, not a great blend). Right now, with my current line of employement there’s really no consequences to me miffing up my health but other’s will depend on my ability to save their life and I ain’t the kind of bloke that thinks it’s okay to be cavalier about it.
But the goal, whether or not it’ll ever become realised, has been super helpful. I can override bad behaviour by thinking
“abs do not pull people out of a burning building”
“abs do not lift fallen objects off of someone’s chest”
“weight moves weight. It’s easier to carry that unconcious obese person if you’re 96kg rather than 76kg”
Cool, well, keep me informed how you like 31 once you run it. I looked it over and while there’s some appeal for me there I don’t think I’m at a strength level where clusters are justified. I’m saving that card to play later.
@Koestrizer you’ll appreciate this. I had a meeting with my psychologist today. A few weeks back I came off of my anti-depressants because the sides were unbearable. And, my psychologist is a strong mofo. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s done his fair share of anabolics but even if he himself hasn’t the gym he used to frequent before they went bankrupt… let’s just say he knows people that has been on.
And I was describing my experience on Nebido. And he said “it sounds like you are on a really bad steroid cycle”. I’ve rarely felt as “confirmed” as I did in that moment.
Anyway, the thing I think you’ll appreciate as we were discussing other anti-depressants he just goes (paraphrasing) “Honestly, where you’re at now I don’t think they’re warranted. With everything that’s going on, the healthy and normal thing is that you are supposed to be depressed. A human going through this isn’t supposed to feel good and medication would only really be justified if it was as bad as it was earlier”. And I just find that to be a wonderful, enlightened, perspective to depression. Sometimes it makes sense to be depressed.
I’d make it simpler and suggest it makes them paused reps. Although to me that doesn’t quite capture the frustration that can come with a ham fisted attempt to clip in right on the edge of your ability.
You are correct, I did appreciate the tag. It sounds like you found a really good psychologist and that makes me glad!
I greatly struggle with something I actually give frequent advice with… as recent as today on this very forum: When it is okay to feel bad and when it is not. As you know I’ve been seriously struggling with depression for a long time. I’ve been in situations in my life in which a 3rd person would have said they understand that I’m miserable … and yet by my twisted standards, I wasn’t. On the other hand for the majority of my time I have been in situations in which basically no one would have said “oh that poor guy, I wouldn’t want to trade shoes with him” and yet I was holding on by a thread.
Sometimes I just try to force myself to realize that everything is fucking alright and that I don’t need to feel as bad as I do because it is not warranted by my life situation… which usually back fires bad and probably never made sense in the first place.
Sorry, I was getting off track with a rant about myself there. To aknowledge that your life situation is ‘depressing’ and to realize that it is okay to not be okay and react the way you do is a huge step!
Regarding meds I’ve got to say, even though I’ve taken them for a long time, they never did a lot for me. They were never a big (or in most cases: noteable) help but I also never had to deal with a huge amount of side effects.
I believe people have different sensitivities as it were. This belief is fed by observation of others and my own accounts. But I won’t betray other people’s stories and I rather use myself as an example: I remember distinctly during a depressive spell I was going through when my father collapsed - I was more functional in that situation than my mother who’s a trained medical professional. Hell, I was guiding the ambulance drivers how to drive (I rode along) as they were too stressed to remember construction on the route to the hospital.
But… I suck at chronic stress management.
I believe you are taking it too far. Acknowledgment and acceptance can have therapeutic value. You see this perspective in lots of cognitive behavioural therapy books and pop-lit such as Happy by Derren Brown and Wisdom of Anxiety. The TL;DR being that stoics got enough right that depressed people might have an easier time riding through depression with a stoic mindset (not as treatment, mind,but as a bandaid).
I just seem to react wrong to every medication I get. Bipolar meds, no reaction. Penicillin, projectile vomiting. TRT, well… Allergic to gels. Flouxitine, dead tired (indicates low dopamine) and a serotonin storm. Those are just a few examples
Haha dude, that’s a pretty spot on comparison. That or @dagill2’s paused rep comparison I think nail it for any non-climbers.
Do you find yourself hanging onto every hold longer, or just the ones used when you’re clipping? In the gym, I can climb lead almost as quickly as top rope but I suck at clipping so I wind up holding those a bit longer. Outdoors is a whole different ball game for me though.
I have two slow-cookers. One from my student years, it cost about 40 euro. It’s… Fast for a slow-cooker. It’s honestly the best perk with it heh. The other, more modern slightly pricier one feels somewhat inferior but it’s bigger and while there are some niceties such as more granular control of temperature, and a digital display showing you how long it’s been cooking I already had the habit of just making a mental note of when I start it.
The most important feature, ensure that the pot is machine dishwashable. You might not have a dishwasher yet (?) but for when you do this’ll be a boon.
