Thinking too much about lifting/not enjoying it

[CalebM]

The reading and communication part.

What are you on about?

You've seen my numbers, you've seen my answers to the first 3 questions. What am I not trying hard enough with or what am I doing wrong?

I'll say again, I'm adding weight to the bar every workout for 3 months and only the press has stalled.

That you're not trying.



Yeah, so unless you were cutting your rests incredibly short the first time, you tried harder the second time.

Squatting is hard and no one is going to tell you anything on here that'll make it easier. Keep doing it. It won't get any easier, only harder, but it becomes easier to try. Or it doesn't. Most people, even the ones on this board, can't really grind true 5RM squats. Read the latest Jim Steel article on effort.

I said in a post maybe you didn't see that looking back on the day when I did 5,5,2 on the squat I was low energy and also completely f*cked up the second rep. I got the three sets of five when I tried again next time around so it wasn't lack of effort or lack of rest time.

You’re getting some pretty harsh replies. I’m not saying they’re incorrect—I really don’t know, only you can know. Perhaps a verbal slap in the face is what you most need, although I know from personal experience that sometimes, when in a mental funk, those well-intentioned harsh exhortations can just compound the problem.

So for a slightly softer approach: I’m right there with ya. I find myself looking forward to days I don’t lift and being nervous on the nights before the days I lift. Let’s keep grinding it out. The weights will probably never feel easier, but hopefully we can build the habit of sticking with those really hard sets and enjoying the rush that comes with completing them. I’m in your corner bro—best of luck to us both!

Appreciate it.

[heinz83]

I'm with Chubbs on this.

If you are adding weight, you are doing the program correctly.

If you did 3x5 after doing 5,5,2, you are doing the program correctly.

If you have worked your way up to a squat so heavy that it scares you, you are most definitely doing the program correctly.

If you are doing all of this, and are unsatisfied or depressed, then maybe the key to your happiness is in doing what makes you happy...soccer, or whatever. Just remember that strength training makes you better at almost everything else you enjoy. It's a means, not an end. You choose how far to go, just like everything in life.

As Yoda said...already know you that which you need.

[CalebM]

I'm with Chubbs on this.

If you are adding weight, you are doing the program correctly.

If you did 3x5 after doing 5,5,2, you are doing the program correctly.

If you have worked your way up to a squat so heavy that it scares you, you are most definitely doing the program correctly.

If you are doing all of this, and are unsatisfied or depressed, then maybe the key to your happiness is in doing what makes you happy...soccer, or whatever. Just remember that strength training makes you better at almost everything else you enjoy. It's a means, not an end. You choose how far to go, just like everything in life.

As Yoda said...already know you that which you need.

Thanks for that, its a good summary of where I am.

The fact I dont like weight training is what it is, its not going to stop me doing it as I know the benefits even if I don't feel them right now.

My mental health doesn't help things but I'm not looking for sympathy. I have so much good in my life and I am well aware that many many people are worse off than me.

[HailMary]

Training is not fun.

[Bill Anders]

Question 2 - I'm only adding 2kg on the squat and deadlift and 1kg on the press and bench press. Press is the only genuine stall thus far which I'm going to do 5x3 tomorrow as the first change. The 5,5,2 on the squat wasn't a genuine stall. This was down to feeling low and tired on the day and a terrible second rep where I fell forward and had to save standing it up. Maybe mentally it fu*ked me too.

What are you on about?

You've seen my numbers, you've seen my answers to the first 3 questions. What am I not trying hard enough with or what am I doing wrong?

I'll say again, I'm adding weight to the bar every workout for 3 months and only the press has stalled.

Something's not adding up here, Caleb, which is probably a large part of the harsher responses that you're getting here.

On April 30, you posted your numbers here: Question re press

On May 19, you posted your numbers here: Thinking too much about lifting/not enjoying it

That's three weeks of training, but those changes not the result of adding 2kg to the bar each workout for the squat and deadlift and 1kg to the bar for the presses if you are following NLP programming.

What's the real story? Lay it all out so we can see the whole picture, not force us to play 1,000 questions.

We want you to succeed. We really do. But you have to do your part.

[Jason Donaldson]

Yeah I do get anhedonia.

Managed to get in there today and get all the reps despite not wanting to go so thats something.

You're struggling with motivation, with building the discipline, and (I highly suspect) with overanalysis - so getting in and doing it isn't something. It's everything. Well done. Now do it again.

You’re getting some pretty harsh replies. I’m not saying they’re incorrect—I really don’t know, only you can know. Perhaps a verbal slap in the face is what you most need, although I know from personal experience that sometimes, when in a mental funk, those well-intentioned harsh exhortations can just compound the problem.

So for a slightly softer approach: I’m right there with ya. I find myself looking forward to days I don’t lift and being nervous on the nights before the days I lift. Let’s keep grinding it out. The weights will probably never feel easier, but hopefully we can build the habit of sticking with those really hard sets and enjoying the rush that comes with completing them. I’m in your corner bro—best of luck to us both!

CV is exactly right, Caleb. And the fact is, lots of people are in your corner here. Even Rip - especially Rip. No one holding you accountable and encouraging you here is getting anything out of it directly for themselves. This is what we do in this tribe.

There are tricks and tips for staying at it - signing up for a meet, posting workout logs, reading good articles like Your Back Trail | John F Musser , subscribing to good newsletters/podcasts/channels, etc. - but all of it comes to getting in there and getting after it, time after time after time. Resources help, community supports, and you train.

Many of us know the terrain you're in, and how to navigate it. You know the saying, "It never gets easier, you just get stronger", right? It's not just true of your physical strength. The program trains the whole man, when the man submits wholly to it.

Stick with it.

[Jovan Dragisic]

You want a bench that is 238 for three sets of five and at least ten bodyweight chin ups. Then you will be satisfied with your physique. There is a disproportion in the mental image people have of their body when they do the program - you are growing muscle on the back side of your body, which you can't see, but the front side is not growing nearly as much as fast. The kicker is that you can't get to a 238 bench without an at least 350 squat, so you have to tough it out. Your bipolar disorder doesn't matter, the process is exactly the same for everyone. As far as mental health benefits go, once you finish a really, really heavy set of squats, you will have that thing from Fight Club, "you have to know, not fear, but know that one day you are going to die". Chuck Palahniuk just obviously never did a set of heavy squats, so he thought that some acid on the hand is a good substitute for this fear and awe and the true realization of your mortality.

[Dumb-username73]

Wait...I'm supposed to enjoy it?

[CalebM]

Something's not adding up here, Caleb, which is probably a large part of the harsher responses that you're getting here.

On April 30, you posted your numbers here: Question re press

On May 19, you posted your numbers here: Thinking too much about lifting/not enjoying it

That's three weeks of training, but those changes not the result of adding 2kg to the bar each workout for the squat and deadlift and 1kg to the bar for the presses if you are following NLP programming.

What's the real story? Lay it all out so we can see the whole picture, not force us to play 1,000 questions.

We want you to succeed. We really do. But you have to do your part.

I've started missing workouts. Last week I only trained once, the week before twice. The figures also might be slightly off as my training log is in my garage gym which isn't actually where I live so I was going from memory. In any case thats why I started this thread as the wheels have started to come off and I wanted to see if anyone had any advice which there has been.

My conclusion based on what has been said by others is that I just have to get in there and do it. No magic answer to my situation.

Thanks for all the posts.

[David Roberts]

You really should look forward to each training session with a positive attitude. Someday you won't be able to train anymore. Then you will have something to whine about.