2 Week Review

Well, with the nature of the programming being fluid, changing week to week, not repeating a single workout all month long, I am drowning in uncertainty.  With Starting Strength, squats were done the same 3 times per week, and the others were done 2-3 times every two weeks, with the same set and rep scheme, so it was easy to see definitive progress through measuring the weight and difficulty of the loads.  I could look back and think "Last week I squatted 3x5@300, barely making the last rep of the last set.  Today I squatted 3 sets of 5 reps at 305 and they all went up easily--I must have gotten stronger!"  I know, this is intuitive, and not revelatory, but now that I am on Super Max, I realize that I took it for granted.  I find it most unsettling to not have the obvious, concrete evidence that either it is working, it is not, or I am doing something wrong.  Waiting 4 weeks for that kind of feedback is maddening--not to mention, I depended HEAVILY on the motivation gained from increasing poundage every single workout.  It kept me coming back for more.

However, since (with the exception of squat 12s, which I blame on poor nutrition and recovery the preceding weekend) I have MET or EXCEEDED all the recommended lifts from the program's formulae, that DOES somewhat help in the satisfaction/motivation department.  If DOMS are any indicator, I am doing alright as well (especially regarding DLs), although DOMS can be just as indicative of poor rest and nutrition as a good workout.

Another side effect of this uncertainty born of a lack of repetition is increased jitteriness.  On SS, I was always eager to get back to the gym.  With such gains that SS offered--linear in nature--I was always so pumped and ready to go back that rest days were torture sometimes.  Weekends, which had TWO CONSECUTIVE rest days were agony!!  Pile on the uncertainty of SM, and every day makes me more manic than the last.  Weight training has clearly had some adverse psychological effects on me.

All in all, I am enjoying SM.  I really only typed this up to get it off my chest so that I could focus on the parts of SM that I like.  The novelty can't be discounted as well.  I just hope that by the end of day 1 of the second cycle, I will be able to have something REALLY good to say about it.  If I squat less than 405 for a 1RM on July 9th, I'll be ÜBER unhappy.*


*EDIT--This used to say "on July 2nd" but I had made a mistake looking at the calendar.  July 2nd is week four of SM, and Singles aren't until July 9th, which is week one of Cycle Two!  Oops!