I am just adjusting to the new workout routine and it is already time to start the specialization training.  I am actually very excited to start that part of the routine.  Matty is a little worried about it.  He doesn't think he will "lift enough" during the giant sets that are required.  I reminded him that the goal is to lift as much as you can with maximum effort.  That means just what it says.  You lift as much weight as you can and you give it the maximum amount of effort.  I explained to him that I have had to drop some of my weights (and will be dropping them even more) as a result of this new training program.  It doesn't matter because you are doing the most your body can handle.  That's the key.

Yes, it is important to lift heavy, but it is the kind of "heavy" that you can handle.  I pointed out a few guys in the gym today who were lifting way too heavy.  They were arching their back or swinging the weight around.  I explained that he was getting more benefit from his lifting lighter weights than them because he was using proper form and going all out.  He seemed to get it, but he is still a bit nervous about the workouts that will come next week.

Matty's Workout Log:

You see, it is very possible to put alot of time into an issue and do nothing about it.  You could spend hours or days on something and really get nowhere with it.  In fact, it is entirely possible to waste every minute of the time you put into an issue.  This is where effort comes in.

When we apply ourselves to a problem or issue the effort we put in will be directly proportionate to the results we receive.  It isn't enough to workout an hour a day 3 times a week.  You have to workout with extreme effort in order to see results.  This is why High Intensity Training works so well.  It demands alot of effort from you and not alot of time. 

As I drove home from work in the pouring rain I began to wonder why I work so hard at getting in good shape.  It is such a slow process and I sometimes wonder if it is even worth it.  At the same time, my mind immediately goes to how I felt a year ago when I was close to 30 pounds heavier.  I know how horrible I felt inside.  I know how it felt to carry around too much fat on my body.  I know how people looked at me.  I do not ever want to go back to that.  Is it worth the hard work?  Yes it is!

I enjoy how exercising makes me feel as I do it.  I enjoy sharing that feeling with other people who want the same feeling.  I enjoy mentoring those who want to know how to get to a better place in their fitness journey.  It excites me to read about nutritional issues and body building.  I enjoy the topic from A to Z.  That's one reason I do it.  I get enjoyment from it.  I also do it because it helps me to interact with my children.  I enjoy being able to keep up with them and their activities. 

I believe that there are two major reasons (among many others) that people veer off their plans–reaction and distraction.

Reaction

People are very excited after they create a plan.  They just know they are going to see massive results.  They plan a 12 week attack and then get to work on executing it.  After about 2 weeks they don't feel like they've seen any results.  They get down on themselves and begin to react to their situation.  This reaction takes them right off course.  Instead of riding things out to see what will happen, they make a change at the wrong time.  I can personally attest to the need to stay the course.  I was not seeing alot of results after 2 weeks of my first H.I.T. cycle, but I stuck with it and ended up with massive results.  You have to trust in your plan and not react prematurely.

I strongly believe that this type of planning is the reason some people succeed where others can only try and fail.  At the same time, Yoda once said "Do or do not do, there is no try!"  So why does it seem that people continually "try" to get things done rather than actually "doing" things?  Non-specific planning is the direct cause of this issue. 

I have found that when I write out a plan that says "Do abdominals 4 times a week" I might miss a day here or there, but if I put down a schedule that says "Sunday-Abdominals; Tuesday-Abdominals; Thursday-Abdominals; Saturday-Abdominals" I hit the schedule as listed.  It is the same with nutrition or working out.  When I have a general plan it doesn't work for me, but a very specific plan keeps me on task.  It is as though my brain remembers things better when there are specifics behind the issue.  I have found a similar thing in my time management.  If I use a calendar for events that must happen at a specific time and date, a task list for things that can happen when I have the time to do them and a delegation feature/follow-up system for things I need to assign to other people, life becomes easier to control and manage.