A lot of hard work went into my recovery. Sure you see physique changes and can be happy. I see big changes in all areas of my life, mood, energy and vitality that cannot be measured in a picture.
I had to make some serious changes to my lifestyle, businesses, workouts, cardio and how I deal with stress in order to start this journey.
I have to give a huge thank you to my coach @vince_pitstick. Vince's blood work, nutritional and hormonal guidance is top notch in the industry and exactly where I needed to start.
I thought all was lost as every month I felt worse and worse.
Stress and over working are a nasty mixture that will destroy people.
No you cannot tough it out, or suck it up as people kept telling me over and over again.
With Vince, I trusted the process, did my homework and knew with dedicated hard work, I would turn into the new me.
I want to chat about my Workouts:
Once I got back to a healthy spot where I could use food as fuel, I started to progress my workouts and starting eating more in a caloric surplus, matching nutrition to my training. Gains slowly started to come. The one huge lightbulb was balancing out how much training I could recover from, not to overreach and feel like shit. This was not a lot at first!
Example: if I did a typical leg day with 4-5 sets of 4-6 Back squats, then adding in assisted leg exercises, I would wake up the next few days depleted and neurologically tapped out.....like a workout hangover! This was not even trying that hard, like RPE 7-8!
So I decided to spread out my leg workouts over the week. Not only did I recover better but I started to feel that I was making gains in my lower body as well as my upper. Additionally we were eating more food to help as well.
Progresion: I would choose Training phases of 3 weeks - Hypertrophy tension program, then do a Systemic deload program for 6-9 workouts, then start a 3 week Neural focus Program paired with Hypertrophy Isometric assisted program....followed by a Systemic deload program of 6-9 workouts. These deloads are not easy by any means, they are less demanding neurologically, increase work capacity, RPE ascending protocol, while giving a huge pump:) I needed these to help me recover. The old me would just try to push through, setting my self back again and again.
What can you take from my experience?
- go hard or go home workouts are not the answer if you are feeling like taking dirt nap daily
- if you are not recovering, look at your blood work, lifestyle, stress, Nutrition and Training. *Remember N&T must be synergistic to work with eachother
- if you are waking up feeling depressed, no vitality and feeling like there is no hope for you. Get help! There is a way!!
*If you would like me to create you a 4 phase workout system, that you can make progress on, that is individualised to you. DM me or email us at info@sculptedbybrandt.com
In a few weeks I will be launching the 4 Phase workouts that I am currently using for purchase on our website. Plus ways of modifying the workouts to individualize them to you more!
Comments