Workout 34

Squat: 60kg x 5,7,10
Bench: 30x7 40x6 55x5 65x5 75x7  (531)
C1: Inverted Row: 15 12  10 9 4      (CC)
C2: Leg Raise:       20 15 12 3          (CC)

Plan Your Journey

The way to ensure that you stick to a plan is to make it rewarding. If you are continually rewarded for sticking to the plan, you will stick to the plan. It's a good cycle.
I don't mean eat a cupcake every Fridayif you avoid sweets for a week. (But, hey, if that will continue to work for you - go for it).
Break up your end goal into smaller chunks. These can be as short as a week or a month. It will depend on you, and the nature of your goals.

The 531 plan is a good example: Three weeks out of four you get a chance to break a record. That kind of continual success helps one to stick to a plan that is otherwise pretty plain.

Do the same thing with your goals. Set the long-term goal that resonates with your inner desire, then break it up. Each week (month) knock down a piece of it. Pretty soon you will achieve what you desire.

Workout 33

After a week of kettlebells (for recovery), its back to the heavy stuff:

Warmup: Mobility

Workout:
One-Leg Squats (CC): 5,7,10
Deadlift (531): 50x5,70x5,85x5,98x5,110x5,120x5
C1: Pushups:    20,10,10,10
C2: Face Pulls: 10,10,10,10
Short Bridge (CC): 15,12,13,12

And today I'm feeling it. Went for the extra set on deadlift cos I knew it was in reach. 110 was easy.
I'm glad that the Deadlift strength is coming back quick.

Goal Changes

Do you suffer from Perpetual Goal Change Syndrome? Are your goals as flexible as a rhythmic gymnast? You're probably not alone.
Many people have a hard time really focussing on one or two goals that are truly what they want to achieve. The world we live is also always obsessed with the latest trend. And those trends seldom last longer than two issues of a gossip magazine.
What to do?
Do you try to keep up, constantly changing your benchmarks? Or doggedly put your head down and keep going for that goal you set way back when you didn't need to shave every day?
The answer is actually a bit of both.
Persistence and Perseverance are important. Sticking to your plan when the going gets tough is a good way to develop many positive qualities.
But, what if your life changes? Or you re-evaluate your goals and realise that they are not what you really want to achieve?
It's no good achieving something which no longer holds any value for you. Better in such cases is to sit down and weigh up your options. Decide whether you really do need to change your goals or whether you are just looking for an excuse.
Goals change, life is not stable.
Sticking to your long-term plan is important, and the way to reach your goal, but if you realise that the goal is not what you truly desire, its better to change it.
If you take the time to really think about what is important to you, you'll find a long-term goal that rings true. Once you've done that, you can apply persistence and perseverance to it once again...

Why Do You Train?

It's easier to stay on the couch. It's easier to eat whatever you want. It's easier to allow your muscles to atrophy and your health to fade away.
It doesn't happen overnight, so there will be no sensation of it happening. Besides you'll be enjoying all the pleasure that can be had from zero activity and supersized meals. You don't need a lot of strength to lift a remote or get a cheeseburger to your mouth.
Enjoy it. Life is too short.

Exactly.
Life is too short for me to try shortening it even more by clogging up my arteries, weakening my immune system, and having a hard time just moving around.
I train to be stronger (muscle mass assists with longevity. And strength is cool).
I train to be fitter (so I can play WITH my kids).
I eat to be healthy (so I can be around to play with my kids' kids).
And I train simply for the joy that comes from achieving goals and self-improvement.

It's about what you want out of tomorrow.
Do you want to accomplish something or simply watch your measure of life slowly drip away...

The Test

Imagine that the world as we know it comes to an end. Whether it's due to major geological events, or the aftermath of a catastrophic political decision to launch some nukes.
Everything that you take for granted is gone. No electricity, no telecommunications, no mechanised transport.
Want food and water? You must hunt/find it.
Want shelter? You must build it.
Want security? You are it.
In that situation, what are your chances given your current physical situation? Would you be able to run away if required, fight if necessary and search for food?
That's the test.
You'll probably never be in that situation, but if you train to be ready for even such an extreme situation then the much smaller obstacles that life throws at you will be much easier to deal with.
Train for the worst, hope for the best, deal with whatever actually happens.

History... And Starting Out

I recently read an interview with Ed Coan. (For those who don't know, he's considered one of the greatest powerlifters of all time). It proved to be quite enlightening.
Here are some points I picked out:
  - He trained 3-4 times a week.
  - He did a few proper worksets
  - He used periodization
What I mostly picked up though, was that he must be gifted. He has always been strong. Which raises the question of whether his training had much impact? Could he have done better on a different protocol?
But, that line of thinking only ends in debates and what-ifs. We'll never know for sure.

So for the ordinary among us (ie those that can't Squat 700 odd pounds RAW) it's best to follow a program for a few cycles, and adjust depending on what success we get. Stay away from the more extreme methods until you have some results that indicate that is the way you should go.

If you're starting out: 3 days a week x 3 exercises a day x 5 sets of 5 reps will get you under way.
Bill Starr or Mark Rippetoe will get you started. Simple, not easy is the way to go.
If you're Intermediate (not a newbie), consider moving onto something like the Texas Method or Wendler 531. There's no rush to move onto an Advanced Plan, and generally it'll be a long time before you really are Advanced. (In my book Advanced starts at 2.5x bodyweight parallel squat/deadlift and 2x bodyweight bench [no wraps, belts, shirts etc.] ).

Want to get bigger? Eat more.
Want to lose weight? Eat the same, or a bit less.
Just remember to train hard and rest well.

If you want to read the Ed Coan interview, it's here > T-Nation: Atlas Speaks
Success leaves clues, but sometimes failures teach you what you really need to know...