As some of you might have noticed, the weights that I use are not that heavy. Well, they’re heavy to me:). I read about other people on the internet and wonder how they deadlift 200#. To me that goal might as well be the moon.
But, like the saying goes—Shoot for the stars and you’ll at least hit the moon. I try not to focus on the numbers. Like with dieting, you should try not to focus on the scale. Use the mirror. Are you seeing changes? That matters more since you could be gaining muscle.
And pound for pound, muscle is heavier than fat. Losing 5 pounds of fat and gaining 5 pounds of muscle would show in the mirror, but not on the scale.
I’m focusing on what my body can do. Am I getting stronger? Does the weight feel lighter? Can I go longer before getting out of breath? if I answer yes to these questions, then I’m on the right track. If I can’t, then I need to re-evaluate it.
For instance, I actually reduced the weight on my clean and press. I did it, because It just didn’t feel right to me. I felt like it was way too much of a struggle and I was getting burnt out.
I asked myself if this was aiding in my goals. It wasn’t. I was focusing too much on brute strength, when what I’m after is fitness and movement. I noticed I lost a spring in my step. I wasn’t as agile as I used to be. Now I understand why a lot of martial artists don’t want to lift heavy weights.
I still believe in weight lifting to get strong, but it’s not going to be my major focus. You’ll notice that my WODs that involve weight lifting have been cut down to a minimum. Movements that cause the body to either move quickly or thru multiple planes will become the focus.
That’s how I used to exercise when I started getting back into shape and I love it. I always had enrgy to play a pickup game at any time. Somewhere along the line, I got side tracked and focused more on max strength.
What are some of your goals? Make sure the way you train helps them. Like if you want to be able to run a 45 second quarter mile. Don’t run 3 miles at a time. Run the quarter mile faster using intervals.
photo credit: jumping off swing
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