I remember reading his post on that regard.
Sucks man, I don’t lift heavy enough to relate to you two, but it reminded me of Matt Kroc’s article.
Maybe it’s interesting for you:
I reached a point after more than two and a half decades of training and over ten years of frequent competitions where I suddenly experienced a lack of motivation.
I was in the middle of preparing for a big meet when this feeling of apathy began to creep up within me. It started slowly but grew steadily, and soon my training was uninspired and lacked the usual intensity.
Shockingly, my training cycle was still going well, so I decided to compete as planned, but with the lack of desire and focus, I was called high on all three squat attempts and I bombed out of the meet.
The worst part about failing to get a single lift was that afterward it didn’t even bother me. Instead of feeling immense disappointment and immediately resolving to do better, I experienced a sense of relief as if a great burden had been lifted from me.
(…)
However, it only took three weeks of not setting foot in a gym or picking up a weight. I woke up one morning and my desire for lifting had returned and in spades. I couldn’t wait to chalk up my hands and get back under a heavy bar. I immediately threw on my training clothes, strode out to my garage gym, loaded up the bar and picked up right where I’d left off less than a month before.
Something to keep in mind is that not liking lifting is not the same thing as not being motivated to lift. I hate lifting, but I’m incredibly motivated to lift, because I enjoy the results of lifting enough to be willing to endure lifting to get those results. I imagine @furo is in a similar place.
If I did not get the results I get from lifting, I’d never choose to do it. I get no joy from the action itself.
@manuelp2 - Sorry for the late reply! Thanks for the link - I had read that article before but it’s always useful to re-read the good ones, and that was very helpful. I could definitely do with a boost in my motivation (and I suspect a two week holiday will help), but as @T3hPwnisher said - although I have realised that I don’t enjoy lifting weights, my determination not to be weak still far outweighs my dislike of the activity. I definitely don’t see myself packing this in any time soon, in fact I don’t think I ever will completely. I know I will reach a point where my motivation dips below the threshold to continue, and at that point I’ll switch to some basic bodyweight training. I can’t imagine not doing some form of regular exercise.
T-Ransformation: Week 17
Tactical Barbell: High Intensity Conditioning
Run
5km in 32min 18sec.
This weekend I’ve been down at a friend’s wedding in the South of England, so I’ve eaten a tonne and the drive was pretty brutal (over 7 hours each way). My back felt a little jacked up afterwards but this run has helped. Absolutely incredible weekend.
Pistol Squat/One-Arm Push-Up/Ring Pull-Ups - Giant Set
BW: 3x3/3/3
Reverse Hyper
BW: 2x20
Stationary Bike
30min: 9.3km (level 3)
Bodyweight: 97.9kg
Good session today! The strength stuff was pitched just right - the weights were very challenging but I got it done. I finished with some low volume bodyweight stuff with a focus on control, and used the reverse hyper (unloaded) to get some blood pumped into my lower back.
Progress Pictures
I’m going on holiday on Saturday and I’m undecided whether I will continue the t-ransformation afterwards, so I thought I should take some progress pictures. I haven’t made as much progress as I should have, but I’m happy with what I have achieved. I’m down around 5kg (11lbs) with no change in strength.
Good session today! The heavy deadlifts and bench press didn’t move any easier than last time, but felt much smoother if that makes sense. I did a better job of bracing and using leg drive in the deadlifts and it was all much less ugly. I think that when I spend time doing lighter deadlifts my ability to grind well rapidly deteriorates. I picked up a 28kg kettlebell for the pull-ups when I should have used 20kg - I still got all reps done, but not with quite as much ROM at the top as usual. I like to touch my chest to the bar, but couldn’t with this weight.
After the strength work I decided to do some loaded carries because the new gym has proper farmer’s walk handles and I’ve never used them before. I thought I remembered a Dan John article that suggested that bodyweight per hand was reasonable, so I loaded them up to 80kg (177lbs) each and was pretty disappointed. I’m not sure what the distance was but it was tough! No one area gave out more than any other, but it was just difficult all round. In between walks I did the same distance with a partially filled keg, but that was pretty light.
Then I finished up with my usual bodyweight stuff and heavy bag resets. That all went really well.
T-Ransformation: Week 17
Tactical Barbell: High Intensity Conditioning
Run
3km in 18min 4sec
Stationary Bike
30min: 8.6km (level 3)
Bodyweight: 97.5kg
I opted for a shorter run today as my knees have been playing up this week and I don’t want to be in pain on my flight tomorrow. I made up for the shorter distance by putting in some time on the stationary bike.
I think this may well mark the end of my “t-ransformation”. I’m very glad I’ve dropped back down to my baseline weight, but it’s a shame I haven’t gone further - I just never really pulled the trigger on that. But this has been a good training block overall.
Nice run today, quite slow. My right knee has been pretty sore, I think mostly from stiffening up during the flights but not helped by hiking and doing pistol squats while on holiday. I did some stretching and had an ice bath after, hopefully it will feel good tomorrow. I will continue the T-Ransformation until the finish date of the 1st of June.
Deadlift/Pull-Ups/One Arm Push-ups - Giant Set
180kg: 3x1
BW: 3x5
BW: 3x3
Bodyweight: 96.8kg
I was very pushed for time today - I did this in my lunch break in 15 minutes. Low volume but that’s probably for the best as a first session back. The deadlifts were very tough, but it has been 19 days since I last did them and I imagine they’ll quickly return to baseline.
Infinitely better session today - the deadlifts moved really well. I did Turkish get-ups and goblet squats to try to stretch out my hips some more as they still feel pretty beat up. I was apprehensive about doing the pistol squats but my hips and knees held up well. I was originally planning to run again tomorrow but instead I think I’ll swim as that should really help loosen up my hips and will save my knees a bit (although they feel back to baseline now).
I didn’t have time to go for a swim so went for a short run instead. My right knee felt a little dodgy, but nothing catastrophic. Bodyweight up slightly today.
Training: Pretty good, two runs and two full body sessions
Nutrition: Reasonable
This has been a good first week back, especially regarding my bodyweight. It was a very pleasant surprise to return from holiday slightly leaner than I was before I left, but I’m going to have to be careful not to relax and re-gain some fat. I’m not sure what my nutrition strategy will be for the last two weeks of this challenge - I will try the “Vertical diet” at some point, but I might just try generally eating clean and dropping my calories for now. In terms of training I will definitely stick with full body strength days but I think I will up my cardio to daily short runs - it would be ideal to start running to work as it’s very close.
I ran to work today which went pretty well - I didn’t feel up for it at all when I woke up but it put me in a great mood for the day. I’m a massive fan of the one arm push-up - it’s the only upper body push exercise that doesn’t give me any shoulder issues, it hits my core hard and it’s so low hassle lol. I also really like how tricep dominant it is - not to get too weird and physiquey but I feel that between my relatively narrow shoulders and tendency towards moobs my chest can look out of proportion with my arms. In a shirt I think this can make me look quite fat.
