I started working out/weightlifting/moving around heavy things/whatever you wanna call it consistently about three and a half years ago, although I'd gone to the gym on and off before that, but without any clear goal in mind, just sort of whenever I felt like it. I started after a short trip to my cousin in Barrie who put me on a program he'd made up and I went to the gym with him for a couple of days and basically did as he told me. I was definitely lifting more than I should have at that point, but then again I didn't know any better, and I think my cousin just wanted to help me get big fast. Back then I knew nothing about weightlifting. I just thought do lots of reps of as much weight as you can lift everyday and you'll look like a cover model in a couple of months. It wasn't until year or so later that I finally listened to a friend who told me that taking days off is necessary.
At the time I was working on a split routine which I continued doing for the next year and a half or so with slight variations. Ever since, I've tried different things (which I'll talk about later), but always with a focus on split body part training. I thought this was the way to work out, partly because I was new to lifting weights and partly because I didn't know any better. My focus was on getting big and strong, with more focus on the big part. I would do a typical routine like - bis and back one day, tris and chest the other day, a 'legs' day, and then other things like 'core' work and 'abs' or whatever. Little did I know that if you can squat 400 pounds, or even 300, there's nothing you can't do that someone who does 4000 sit-ups can.
I started consuming copious amounts of protein and following generic routines you'd find in typical exercise magazines. Lots of protein is still required for anyone that lifts heavy weight to help with recovery, but at the time I didn't know about how many grams I needed, how fast different types of protein get absorbed in the body, or that protein powders were just fancy weightlifting 'necessities' that could simply be replaced by food. I fell for simple marketing scams that made you think tubs of protein with flashy colours and fancy labels were the best products. I still consume protein powder from time to time, but for nothing more than convenience sake, and not because I think it's any 'better' than a can of tuna or a chicken breast.
Over the next year and a half or so I stuck mostly to split routines, but tried a couple of body recomposition type programs. Actually I tried one specific program; twice. It was Lyle McDonald's Ultimate Diet 2.0. It sounds cheesy sure, but little research on the the guy will show you that he knows his stuff, and people who follow his programs to the t end up with the promised results. I tried it but couldn't go through with the whole 2 months. I followed it for 1 month and decided I like food too much. Kudos to my friend Robby Costa for putting up with my attitude that came along with a low-carb diet. I only realize now how grumpy I can be when I'm deprived of carbs. Imagine a hungry animal behind a zoo cage with a hundred kids staring from behind the bar while poking them with a long stick... something like that. I did some research on the program before starting it and after reading the book, which is basically a physiology book I decided to give it a go.
Anyway, it got me decent results, but just wasn't what I needed (or even could do) in the long run. Part of the reason I stopped was that I thought to myself ok great, I do this program for 2 months, get the results, then what? I know the answer is to maintain but I couldn't find anything that really showed me how to do that, and unless I could find a way to make sure the hard work wouldn't go to waste, it didn't seem worth it.
I realized what I needed was something that got me stronger, more useful and didn't put a limit on how much I could eat in a day. I made the move to powerlifting and haven't looked back since. There's tons of programs out there and hundreds of thousands of different routines to follow and everyone has an opinion on what's the better method of training. The majority of people I've seen in all the gyms I've lifted in will follow more or less similar routines and have similar goals. I've tried many programs, all for different purposes and all with promises that you'll achieve x, y and z faster. Despite my usual posts about gym absurdity, different programs have different goals and that's fine. They're good for what they are and if they serve their purpose then that's fine. I had to try different things to find what I liked, and what works for me might not work for the next person. I've had to go through different programs to realize what my body responds to the best. I'm someone who has the ability to lift heavy, but if I do I need the food to recover from it, which I can do if I couple that with the right amount of sleep.
I'm not saying other programs or methods of training are bad; I just needed something where the result left me feeling useful and stronger. Looking back, going in to the gym and doing triceps pushdowns, then hammer curls, then leg presses, lunges, triceps kickbacks and dumbbell flys didn't do much for me other than help me achieve a certain physique. I'm not saying I don't care anymore about how I look in the mirror, but after squatting over 400 pounds and pulling as much off the floor, you end up with a different feeling. Moving heavy objects around on a day-to-day basis becomes easy; and it's that feeling I'm going after, the feeling that what you're doing in the gym translates into everyday life and doesn't end the moment you walk out of the changing room.
I have lots of respect for people who do what they do if it requires extreme discipline and dedication; whether that's the guy pumping out 1000 curls a day or the person who is working through an intermittent fasting approach to weight loss. Both are tough and both will end in results. You come to know what's right for you not from the first month or two you walk into a gym, but after trying various methods of training. All of our bodies work differently, so how is it that personal trainers put people on the same routines with minor variations? I've seen it happen in front of me. People of completely different body types are doing the same exercises as each other for the same set and rep scheme. Why they don't bother to do some research, see what's out there, and apply it to themselves is beyond me. If you're new to exercise in general, then look up some programs, work through some of them and see what you respond to the best and learn how your body responds to different types of exercise and nutrition.
Before going into Ultimate Diet, I was really excited about it and determined to get results. I couldn't finish it because it just wasn't for me, plain and simple. Call it lack of willpower if you want, but I'd rather put my focus into something that my body can respond to. I didn't see it as taking the easy way out; powerlifting if anything requires just as much mental power and dedication, but my body responds better to it.
Take time to go through different methods of training until you find what works for you. I've read tons of articles on training, nutrition, studies, journals, trainers offering different opinions and it was something I needed to do to be able to figure out what's good for me. Don't take someone's opinion without questioning it first and seeing what perspective it's coming from. I've received powerlifting advice before from a bodybuilder. I knew right away to discredit it because him and I have different goals and training methods. Read and learn what's out there and don't buy into people's arguments too easily. For example, if you read a journal article, look at who funded the research. It should be pretty clear if the data is biased or was independently run. That's just one example, there's many others if you think a bit. Doing basic research on nutrition really opened my eyes to the basic marketing scams we fall for everyday. Whole grain this and whole grain that, and products coming in fancy organic coloured packaging that look healthier are not necessarily healthier. They might be, but not always. Look at the ingredients then judge. Read any article on shopping psychology and you'll get what I mean. There are some articles that literally list out the most common things we fall for in a supermarket and how to avoid them. I knew that I knew this, it just took some simple research from my end to actually see it first hand.
I've started talking about nutrition which is a whole different side of this. Same principle, but I feel the amount of information and number of opinions is much higher. How many times have you seen people go on diets and pick out low fat food, or people tell you so and so told them about the latest soup diet they read about that some lame celebrity is on so they have to try it, or someone telling you they absolutely have to lose 15 pounds in the next 4 minutes. I've learnt to listen only to my own opinion when it comes to food and no one else's; at least not before questioning it. I'm not saying my diet is perfect, but I won't sit there listening to someone telling me what to eat when all they eat is low fat cheese and avoid olive oil because it'll make them fat.
Food these days seems as a way to get to a desired physique. It's no longer considered for it's health benefits. People avoid burgers so as not to put on weight, but still eat low-fat yoghurt that's pumped with chemicals and artificial flavouring. Olive oil has many benefits for the heart; sure it might be high in calories, but cutting out certain other processed foods will keep your caloric intake balanced. I need to know first hand that someone's advice is actually valid before I'll buy into it.
So after all that, here's what I did yesterday:
Squat - 430 Two singles
Bench - 292.5 1 single
Clean - 199 5x3
I did some cardio today, which I'm starting to enjoy, along with some stretching afterwards. Ballin!
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