Back on Track!
This time last week, I was sort of demoralized. I’m working through a 10 week program to build mass on your chest (a la Muscle and Fitness, January) and had been pretty fired up because I had been working through 6 reps on bench at a weight that was higher than I thought I could handle (even though I thought it was out of my league, I figured I would go with the 85% of 1RM that the program called for, and, much to my surprise, I was just able to squeeze out the last rep). Anyway, last week, same program same weight, but I just ran out of steam before I had finished the set - couldn’t get more then 4-5 reps. I was worried the 2 weeks before were a fluke, or I had peaked or something like that.
I went back into the gym today a little unsure of how it would go, and was glad to find myself with a little more energy and the ability push out those few extra reps. I guess some days you can be just a little off. It’s easy to feel like everything should work pretty scientifically and mechanically (hit "x" reps at ___ weight once and you should be able to maintain the same or add a little the next week), but there are so many variables that go into how you feel and how you function that it just doesn’t work that way. So if you have an off day, don’t be discouraged . . . a better one is just around the corner!
