half way through Hyper 1 - trying to stay motivated
I've been doing NROL since January. Made it through FL I/II and now I'm about half way through hypertrophy I (just completed workout 7 of 12 today) and I must say I'm finding it hard to stay motivated on my lower body days. I like the 5 x 5 days because it allows me plenty of rest and I get to lift heavy. But for some reason I find myself dreading the lower body 3 x 15 days. Today was the 4 x 10 day and even then by the time I was done I was completely wiped out.
So does this happen to anyone else? I'm just finding it odd because I'm certainly not afraid of hard work and generally have always enjoyed working harder than anyone else in the gym. But this one is really taking it out of me. And for the record, I have no intention of quitting, I'm just wondering if anyone else that has completed this has felt the same way.
But on the bright side I'd say that the hypertrophy program seems to be working. I have put on around 6-8 pounds in the past 3 weeks (been taking a lot of BCAA's as well) and while I'm not where I want to be, I think I'm starting to look pretty decent
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"I mean, hell, if you have a belly and need to lose 20 pounds AND you've been training over 6 or 7 years, then why do you still have a belly? Something is out of whack.
The short answer is that while you're an animal in the gym, you're a p*ssy in the kitchen." - Chris Shugart
You are not alone. I finished Hypertrophy 1 last week and I felt the same way, the 3x15 leg work outs absolutely exhausted me, and just plain didn't seem fun. However, you will see the results. My arms are noticeably bigger and harder, my legs are much firmer, and my wife notices when I hold her that I'm physically stronger.
I started Hypertrophy 2 yesterday and the 6x3 reps were fun but I'm pretty sure I'll hate the 2x25 parts.
I'm on workout 10 of Hyp 1. My last leg workout was 3x15. So, that was my third one. I do it with my friend, and we just curse through the whole thing. A couple of times he just gave up on the BSS. he said, no mas, and fell on the floor. I try my best to fight through. It's almost a sureal experience...or hellish experience.
I even started getting exertion headaches on the 4x10 and 3x15 leg days. I had to take a week off because of that. They still happen slightly, but they are nowhere near as bad as they were.
What keeps me going? A workout partner is great. You don't feel like you are alone in the struggle, and it's nice to have someone push you. Also, the results. I'm lifting alot more weight. Also, I get a kick out of knowing that I work out harder than most people in the gym. When I see people doing half squats, and bench presses where their arms move 4 inches, I know that although the workout is an ass-kicker, atleast i'm not fooling myself.
Take pictures of yourself. I find that the most motivating thing so far. Snap a couple shots of your front, back and profile before you start a program - you get so used to the slow development that you forget how much your body has changed and it can be super motivating to realize you are progressing. I loved/hated Hyp I - it dragged out but the results are great.
I hate sets of 15! You are not alone. 5 x 5 is the most fun for sure. At least every workout doesn't have 15-rep sets like the beginning of FLI, right? So look forward to those lower rep days!
Congratulations on the muscle you've developed! That alone should keep the motivation up to stay the course. You might enjoy mixing in a strength program after HI. Your added muscle will set you up for some great strength gains, and you can enjoy more low-rep work for a little while.
I'm the same - I hate the high rep workouts - I think I feel the same about them as Lou does about running and suffer through his "endurfins" during them. I'm still on FL1 but my heart sank when I saw sets of 25 in some of the workouts further down the track. As long as it keeps working (and boy is it working) I'll stick with it though and put it down to a character building experience.fficeffice" />
I had the same thing myself. Felt extremely tired and would get nausea hardcore. Towards the end I seemed to get somewhat used to it and wouldn't feel as bad. I learned to not eat a heavy meal a few hours before training on the high rep days. That seemed to help me a bit. Keep at it!
I'm in week 3 of hyper II and the 25 rep sets now kill me. Back to the drawing board. I believe my body will get somewhat accustom to it by the end of the 8 weeks.
The high-rep days are hard - almost killers. They show your character .
They work. I've seen big steady gains. That's why I'm here. That keeps me motivated. Alwyn writes the plan and I do the work. The goal is bigger than the pain, and I always feel better when I walk out of the gym than when I went in.
When I track PRs, I compare with the same workout from the time before. I compare 15-rep days with the same previous 15-rep day. Don't get discouraged because the weights are lower than your 5-rep or 10-rep days.
Well I only have two of them left! One more upper body day and then a lower body 3 x 15 to wrap up H1. Then it's off to H2 where I hear I get to do 2 x 25......can't wait
__________________
"I mean, hell, if you have a belly and need to lose 20 pounds AND you've been training over 6 or 7 years, then why do you still have a belly? Something is out of whack.
The short answer is that while you're an animal in the gym, you're a p*ssy in the kitchen." - Chris Shugart
I'm not having motivation issues, but the 3X15 days are killing me.
It's good to read through this tread and find I'm not alone.
I don't think it's the volume, so much as it is those WONDERFUL 30 second rests periods that cause so much pain. Does Alwyn lay awake at night thinking of stuff like this that causes people to colapse in a quivering heap?
Oh, and now I'm REALLY looking foward to Hyp II and the 2X25's...
OMG - I am so glad I am not the only one here..... I totally dread my 3X15 lower body workouts and the 4X10 are not much better! I will be doing my 16th workout out of 24 today and I am already dreading it.
You're definitely not alone. SonInLofOfSam and I just finished Hypertrophy 1 and, while I consistently enjoyed the upper body days, the lower body workouts became a chore with a week or so to go. I will confess that we only did the squat, deadlift, and crunch portion on the last few workouts and skipped split squats and step ups altogether. Having a partner is essential, but even then, I can only tolerate so much displeasure.
The long programs are definitely tough. Following the eternal beginner program, we did Break In 1/2 for 2 weeks each I believe, then Fat Loss 1/2 for 4 weeks each and they were fine. At 8 weeks, Hypertrophy 1 is a challenge. That being said though, I'm really looking forward to doing Hypertrophy 2 next -- not just because its a new program, but because there is more variation (3 workouts vs 2) and less lower body.
Just did my first 3 x 15 upper body workout in hyp 1 and it killed me. I found that I had to lower the weight considerably to finish the 15 reps. I was wondering if other people had a similiar experience. How much weight should you have to decrease from the amount you used for the 5 x 5.
Just did my first 3 x 15 upper body workout in hyp 1 and it killed me. I found that I had to lower the weight considerably to finish the 15 reps. I was wondering if other people had a similiar experience. How much weight should you have to decrease from the amount you used for the 5 x 5.
Someone once told me that 10lbs was about two reps. So if you're moving up ten reps, you might have to take 50lbs off the bar!
__________________
He either fears his fate too much,
Or his deserts are small,
That puts it not unto the touch
To win or lose it all.
half way through Hyper 1 - trying to stay motivated
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