Dug a 2.3m well (radius on top was 3m, at the bottom 2.3m), over 9 hours past Saturday, with some friends. If I wasn't digging or shoveling, I was pushing a wheelbarrow full of dirt/clay. Goddamn. I'm still recovering - my muscles are ok, but I'm just so damn sleepy all the time. And to be honest, I've had it easy, one friend only dug and shoveled, which is the hardest part of it. They don't call it farmer's strength for nothing. And there I was with my fancy 3x5 squats and 1x5 deadlifts...
Anyways, last week I started a new program. Starting Strength just failed to motivate me to go to the gym, the progress was diminishing/stalling quickly, and every set was a maximal effort. It gets really tiring really quickly. I'd have to gain weight to get better, which is a no-no. Or sleep better, eat better, but I can't control that as much as is necessary.
So I started a new one, by the guys I really trust (Barbell Medicine). Started their Beginner Template, had a good first week of lifting, and even though the increased hypertrophy (sets of 7, 8 and 10) is making me uncomfortable (used to do sets of 3 and 5), I'm getting adjusted to the different kind of intensity the training requires. It's also tricky to figure out the subjective rates of stress (Rate of Perceived Exertion) for a set, but I'll get used to it.
What I really love about it is that it promotes the long-term approach. There's everything - pure strength work, hypertrophy, cardio (LISS/HIIT), supplemental work (arms, core etc.), all in order to increase my general fitness levels (instead of focusing on just one, like before). On top of that, after the first 12+ weeks I get to choose the "specialty" that I want to chase, and I get to tailor my training to my specific wishes. I loved the sheer simplicity of Starting Strength, and this is a bit too complicated in comparison; but I want to at least stick to it for its entire duration and see where it takes me.
