Your Greatest Perceived Weakness

Training Bodybuilding
21

My biggest weakness is my schedule, which in turn lends to little time to train and little time to sleep. I work two jobs on night shift as an ER nurse, the full time job is a charge nurse position. I love it, but I’m neglecting my training, due to time constraints. I’ve been around 90% good with my diet, now keeping a log, knowing I have little time to exercise-off any mistakes/cheating I do, and this has helped me from gaining any weight. But not exercising has me way less fit and my moods aren’t as good, especially knowing I have to miss doing something I love. I also miss one whole night/day of sleep a week and don’t get to sleep more than a few hours at a time before I have to go back to work, so basically when I come home, I collapse into my bed exhausted, sleep a little, wake up, go back to work. I believe that this is so detrimental to fitness, but is absolutely necessary to survival. I live in a very, very, very, very expensive state (Hawaii), where you pay a ton of money for very little. As an ER nurse, I’m sure many realize the amount of money I’m making pulling tons of overtime shifts and a second job, but the expense here is so phenomenal that I basically live from paycheck to paycheck. The same amount of money would buy me the most high-end, bling-bling lifestyle in the Mainland- not really my goal but something in the back of my mind.

Here’s an example of my work schedule, 12.5 hour shifts at two jobs:

This week: Saturday night, Sunday night, Monday night Tuesday part day (afternoon) and Wednesday day

Next week: Saturday night, Sunday night, Monday through Friday day, Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night, Monday night

Anyway, I’m considering moving out of Hawaii within the next two years so that I can train as I’d like, have a more decent cost of living and basically actually live life a little.

The temporary solution though is that I’m going to start scheduling-in times for training, even mini sessions, and the only way for me to do this is I’ve purchased a daily planner and am plotting out every hour of my days.

22

[quote]bikemike wrote:
Eric Cressey wrote:
In your mind, what’s holding you back from really getting to that next level?

The fear of getting more fat around the waist.[/quote]

I concure

23

Trying to lift too much, and getting injured as a consequence. (Could also be related to my grade 2 spondylolysthesis.)

24

cue hootie and the blowfish—tiiime don’t you bother me… wait… that’s my problem…

rant over

ps

25

Spondy’s tough. Single-leg movements ought to be your best friend.

[quote]sharetrader wrote:
Trying to lift too much, and getting injured as a consequence. (Could also be related to my grade 2 spondylolysthesis.)[/quote]

26

Damn chinadoll, that sucks. Hawai’i is quite expensive.

Weakness? Nutrition and funds.

FUNDS-Kinda the same boat as Chinadoll as funds are concerned, but with combined incomes of both my wife and I (Me-firefighter and her-private school teacher with professional degree). Paying 2 mortgages, two car payments, providing food and basic luxuries for a wife and child, transportation gas, paying for child’s monthly preschool tuition, and saving for next home puchase. Me pulling in overtime for unexpected bills (auto, last minute plane flight overseas for family emergencies, medical expenses) is what keeps us afloat for our future. All charges based on Hawai’i standards. If no one knows, teachers make more than firefighters here and teachers don’t make much. Unlike Chinadoll though, I won’t leave Hawai’i.

NUTRITION- nuff said, Hawai’i firehouse cooking is deadly lol. Especially when we bring the habits and recipes home.

27

[quote]Eric Cressey wrote:
Spondy’s tough. Single-leg movements ought to be your best friend.

sharetrader wrote:
Trying to lift too much, and getting injured as a consequence. (Could also be related to my grade 2 spondylolysthesis.)

[/quote]

Thanks for the advice. I’ll try them out.

28

Flexibility and training partner. (i have neither)

29

I could do with a training partner.

I’m motivated, train hard at home, but someone else there just as dedicated would really push the envelope.

So training partner and my knee back too 100% (knee recons suck the life out of training).

30

[quote]retailboy wrote:
bikemike wrote:
Eric Cressey wrote:
In your mind, what’s holding you back from really getting to that next level?

The fear of getting more fat around the waist.

I concure[/quote]

+1 I think I’ve finally begun to get over this.

31

I have very good reason to believe that I have hyperthyroidism, and this is holding me back from potential gains.

32

Posture. Way better than it was but could definetely be improved.

33

Lack of lean body mass, and consequent lack of strength, especially squatting and pressing strength.

I’m definitely solving this problem; I keep weighing down the scale with more pounds and the squat bar with more plates. It sure takes time, though; I’m hoping that once I’ve gained another 5 to 15 pounds I’ll reach a point where strength gains will come more rapidly.

34

Shoulder, hip, and leg flexibility.

On a related note, what, in your opinion, are the best stretches for overhead squat? I tried them today for the first time just using the bar, and man was it humbling! My heels wanted to come off the ground, and my lack of shoulder flexibility made me want to pitch forward.

Thanks in advance

35

im not one for excuses but

Chronic exertional compartment syndrome of the forearms secondary to weight training is what is giving me real greif. Curling palms up is near impossible, i have to curl neutral much of the time. Surgery is an option but im still looking for (cheaper) and non invasive methods of treatment.

36

Definitely inability to choose and consistently follow one nutritional and training approach - plenty of other ones seem to make sense and seem to be worth to give them a shot.

That creates constant doubts whether the current diet and training is optimal and tempts to change them way too often.

Fighting an urge to immediately try that new diet or routine which claims to be superior to all previous ones ever written is the biggest challenge and loosing such fight is the biggest weakness …

37

Nutrition, definitely. I’m quite good when I am at university, but during the vacations I am at the mercies of my mother’s small budget. And injuries. I’m permanently f’n injred - since 2003 I’ve had 2 knee injuries and surgeries (up to 9 months apart, the injury and the surgery) and badly broken my collarbone. If I wasn’t post-op now, I wouldn’t be here and would be buying my own food. Excuses, eh :slight_smile:

38

Difficult one.

It could be the back injury that I’ve had since December, and yet I only discovered recently that I can front squat, box squat and rack pull without pain. Wasted too much time.

Could be the CF, likely the nutrition problems related to digestion (poor fat and possibly protein absorption). Not sure, but I’m getting it checked out at the moment. Always been pancreatic sufficient, and my BMI (as they use at hospital) is great, but I’ve got them to investigate anyway.

Could be the lack of consistency in my training, and my tendency to overthink.

Could be the excuses. I just need to eat good and work hard for at least the next six months and see where that leaves me.

39

My family. The constant nagging and hints that my eating habits and weight training are not in my best interest are really starting to wear on me.

Comments like “that protein shit” and “you’ll look like a freak”, followed by “you’re too skinny, you have no legs, and you’re arms are tiny” are really irritating when coming from your family.

It is hard to prove people wrong all of the time. How can I be too small, but also be warned that I’ll look freaky?

Family matters more to me than anything, but support is too damn hard to come by.

40

Nutrition + work.

I don’t eat enough in quantity, but my macronutrient ratio’s are good. And at work regularly I go 5-6 hrs without eating. Not by choice, it’s a shitty job that requires constant activity.

Moving all these tables is doing wonders for my forearms though…