Originally Posted by
Charlie Davies
RatDog, I see your problem this way:
* You have a free coach, but you don't trust the program he's given you.
* You have coaches you respect, but can't afford to pay them.
* You don't have the expertise to coach yourself.
You have three options:
1) trust your current coach, follow the program, be patient
2) cut your cellphone plan or your drinking or whatever, and pay a coach you already trust
3) read some books, spend a year or two gradually tuning a vague template program (like HLM, TM, 5-3-1) until it turns into exactly the right program for you
As an intermediate (probably) there's no cookie-cutter program that's exactly right for you. Certainly not one for free from anonymous internet assholes like me.
I chose (3) personally. I lost 2-3 years of progress to do this, as it took a lot of careful experimentation and record-keeping to figure out what worked for me.
But I'm old and until recently had some medical issues that spoiled my recovery. I'm particularly difficult to program for.
You are a healthy, strong young man. You will probably make *some* progress on any halfway-decent program. As you become a better coach for yourself, you'll make better progress. Get on with it.
Change your program no more often than once every 3 weeks or so. Little tweaks, like adding a set or changing rest periods. Don't jump entirely from one program to another, you'll never learn anything that way. Keep good records.