Things have honestly been going great since my last post that was centered around the idea of your work defending you.
I’ve been going to the gym quite consistently these past two months, averaging 3-4 times a week. In terms of hitting my goals for the squat, bench, and deadlift, I’m certainly seeing progress (although there is a LONG way to go). I’ve hit 50kg on the squat (5 sets of 8 reports) which is honestly a huge achievement for me (despite it being a small amount of weight, it’s progressed from the days I was only doing 20kg). My deadlift is starting to go back up (not quite at the 100kg I used to pull, but 83.5 is close?). The bench is doing quite well too at 45kg, although I think I need to spend some more time focusing on it.
Update in terms of my nutrition, I’ve continued tracking my macros (mostly consistent, with a few off days). I tend to hit my calorie goal, but do miss my protein goal more often than not (probably need to talk to my mom about changing up the meals I eat …. I should learn how to cook my own dishes though).
My biggest takeaways from this period are A: you really need to push yourself to stick to a routine and B: constantly look for ways to change things up and improve (so you don’t get complacent). Considering the former first, there’s this theory that I’ve read regarding how long it takes you an individual to form a habit. 21 days is the magic number. If you force yourself out of bed, drag yourself to the gym, and just keep going until your workout is over …. 21 times over, you’ll soon find yourself doing it naturally. Missing a workout feels weird now, almost like it throws me off balance; a good thing, I think.
The latter though is even more important when you think about improving yourself and achieving your goals. For instance, every 2-3 weekends, I’m looking up athleanX videos to see how I can change/improve my workout to ensure I’m continuing to challenge myself and develop (progressive overload). It’s not just the macro-picture though. You need to be doing this throughout your workout as well. I often pause in between squat sets for instance and re-adjust my form (i.e. go through the movements without the weight, and see if I’m compensating when under the bar).
Going forward, I think consistency is king. My goals of a 100kg squat, bench, and 150kg deadlift are still there and are now in sight. Let’s GET IT!!!
Squatting 50kg for the first time!
Dumbbell Bench Press
Sample of nutritional tracking
