Update 2 - The tipping point

Update 2

“You look like s**t!” – An American friend whilst chuckling.

“You look ill….are you going to be sick?” – My boss.

I have grin that goes from ear to ear, it is my first, and only day off today and it feels pretty special.  My body, however…not so special.  Knees are shot to pieces; having squatted daily it is to be expected. My wrists and forearms are in a lot pain, opening doors is proving difficult.  I have started to get mouth ulcers, another side affect of over-training, as well as the fact I am constantly tired.  My appetite is on the wane and I am beginning to get grumpy.   I will come clean and admit that I hear an inner monologue in my mind (surely not surprising for someone who writes a blog) and my inner voice is not happy, anything and everything is winding me up and I usually like to think I am fairly laid back.  It is even got to a point where I am imagining having arguments in the future with people. 

Yep I am a psycho; I am an over-trained man on the edge.

Most weights are decreasing now, or at the very least I am starting to hit the bottom on the rep ranges and therefore may need to decrease the weights next time.  Anything involving my grip is becoming a real issue, rows/chins and the Snatch Grip Deadlifts is where I have really struggled.  In the last workout on Friday afternoon, I was unable to complete the eccentric lift at 5 second tempo as I could not grip the bar that long, and a considerable amount of weight has come off the bar – 20kgs since the first workout.   The workouts are making me realize that I still have weaknesses to work on, for instance my grip has become a limiting factor in my deadlift. It feels like I am at a tipping point, I feel better for a day's rest, and even like my body is slightly adapting to the frequency.  However, now that I know what is coming this week I am wondering how long my strength will hold out, especially my grip.  I felt well rested before starting last week, obviously now I don't so it will be interesting to see how I hold up.

To summarize

I am getting weaker; holding the bar for deadlifts is becoming an issue. I am delirious with tiredness – one minute I want to punch someone for breathing near me then next I am giggling to myself as I unscrewed literally the hundredth BCAA capsule this week and pore it into my drink.  My body fat sites have decreased slightly, the 1 kg gain that occurred in the first day has disappeared, in honesty though my weight can swing by a kg or so in a few days so its not out of the ordinary.

Shot-my dog- scale : I heard a couple of gun shots go off, rushed to the garden but fido was ok….but I have no idea if the assassin will try again. (this metaphor is getting stretched)

Song of the workout – Music is required to get me through my workouts at the moment, Marilyn Manson’s “Sweet Dreams” is popular at the moment, even though I am not a fan of his in particular.  You will see that I have an eclectic range of music on my iPod, those who have read my twitter feed will know that The Four Tops “Going Loco Down in Acopulco” has popped up before when I was at the bottom of a back squat.