M3:D39 Working Harder Than Ever Before



What's on my mind today?

Friday's are always an interesting day for me in my life.  I work from home most Friday's and so my phone tends to ring off the hook.  This week was no different.

Today I wanted to discuss with everyone the concept of working harder than you've ever worked before.  Everything we are doing on the fitness front is a progressive action.  We are aiming to continually improve our body and lose more and more fat and gain more and more muscle.  The only way that will happen is if you always work harder than the last time you worked out.  That means you are always working harder than ever before.

When you enter your gym (or place you workout) always leave your personal issues outside the door.  Don't let anything distract you.  You have a job to do and it involves working harder than ever before.  You can't do that if you are distracted. 

Think about this concept before every single lift.  My personal approach is as follows.  Let's assume that my workout for a Friday involves the following supersets:

Deadlift
Bent over rows

Seated cable rows
DB shoulder press

Lat pull down
Standing Military Press

Hammer curls
Tricep pushdowns

As I approach this exact workout, I would have my workout log in hand. (Note: If you do not log every single workout, start doing it now or you won't really work harder than ever before).  I review my numbers from the previous time I did this workout.  During a workout I always make little notations that tell me if I should increase the weight the next time and what the intensity level was (1-10) of the weight I just lifted.  As I do this workout I would review this information and make adjustments accordingly.  I am going to either add weight or add repetitions, but the next lift I do is going to be bigger than the previous time I did the lift.

Using the above workout as my example, I am aiming for 15 repetitions and 3 sets.  My trusty workout log says that last week I did 225 pounds on the deadlifts, the effort was a 10 and I managed 15 on the first two sets and 14 on the last set.  I will now aim to do 225 for 15 repetitions on all 3 sets.  That's working harder than ever before.  Next, I see that in my log, the last time I did bent over rows I managed 150 pounds for 15 repetitions on all 3 sets and the effort was a 9.  I am going to go up to 155 pounds for today's workout and aim to hit 15 repetitions on all 3 sets.  Again, working harder than ever before.

As long as you approach your workouts this way you will always work harder than ever before.  You are always striving to beat the previous workout.  You are not taking it easy.  You are pushing yourself to the max.  With this approach you will see changes in your body.

Week Begins 6/15/2008
  Sun Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat
Cycle spot HC LC LC LC HC LC LC
M1 * 5:30 a.m. 3:30 a.m. 3:30 a.m. 3:30 a.m. 3:30 a.m. 3:30 a.m. 5:30 a.m.
M2 * 8:30 a.m. 6:30 a.m. 6:30 a.m. 6:30 a.m. 6:30 a.m. 6:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m.
M3 * 11:30 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m.
M4 * 2:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m.
M5 * 5:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m.
M6 * 7:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.
Weights * N/A Lift N/A Lift N/A Lift N/A
Cardio * N/A N/A AM N/A AM N/A AM
Abs * N/A FYA FYA N/A FYA N/A FYA
Water * 264 oz 264 oz 264 oz 264 oz 240 oz 264 oz  
Post-workout nutrition * Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Pre-sleep nutrition * Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Vitamins/Supplements * Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Accountability * Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Cals within 5% (+/-) * Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Target Cals 3500 2800 2800 2800 2800 2800 3800
Cals 3610 2810 2850 2900 2910 2750  
Ratios (C/P/F) 35/35/30 10/50/40 10/50/40 10/50/40 10/50/40 10/50/40 35/35/30
Target Ratios (C/P/F) 35/35/30 10/50/40 10/50/40 10/50/40 10/50/40 10/50/40  
Total Completed 15 15 15 15 15 15  
Total Possible 15 15 15 15 15 15  
Mission 3 Total Complete 434 449 464 479 494 509  
Mission 3 Total Possible 435 450 465 480 495 510  
* = Counts towards total
Success!
Failed
Not Counted!

 
Find out what I'm doing to my body!

Yet another extremely intense workout.  I've noticed that since my calories have been up I am working out with alot more intensity.  I am becoming a stronger and stronger proponent of eating enough food and avoiding large caloric deficits caused by cutting the amount of food you eat.  I think you sacrifice your ability to workout with high intensity when you do that.  In the end, you are sacrificing your results and that's not good.  By eating enough I've been able to push heavy weights around and push my body to the limit each and every time I hit the gym.  I've been seeing some amazing gains and it is all because the metabolic engine of the fat burning machine has grown.  I have more muscle to assist in the job of burning the fat.
 
Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!

The experiment you need to conduct is the experiment of one—what works for you—and then use the results of that experiment to see massive gains.
 
Get a discussion started by answering the question!

Have you conducted your own experiment of one and what were the results?  Comment this post to answer the question.
 
 
 

Mission 1, Day 39: Energy levels maintaining

Until tomorrow...GET BACK TO LIFTING!

Posted by Michael Mahony at 6/20/2008 8:43 PM
Categories: Weightlifting Logs, Nutrition, Old Missions
 
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  • 6/21/2008 5:01 PM Mike Groom wrote:
    Mike, making small incremental changes is extremely important. I hate seeing the same guys, lifting the same weight for the same reps week after week, month after month. These guys don't seem to get it.

    Your question of the day had me thinking about training styles. I have experimented with many types of workouts and have come to the conclusion that a 5 day split, training each bodypart once a week is the best for me. I can pound every muscle into submission each week and have a week to recover. This also allows me to be flexible with the exercise selection.
    Reply to this
    1. 6/22/2008 9:36 AM Michael Mahony wrote:
      Mike, that drives me crazy as well.  Alot of people don't get it my friend.
      Reply to this
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