Tuesday, August 26, 2008

My twenty week journey back to Perfect Health "THE SUPER CHALLENGE"

Week four Day 2

What's going on in my head?

Sub Prime has really hurt the American economy...ask employees and management at Bear Stearns. If you think this is new you've forgotten 88-89 and junk bonds causing the demise of Drexel Burnham. This is a cycle, or if you prefer, a season.

This is part of life, part of nature, part of human greed and does this have anything to do with health and fitness. Well actually yes it does.

Everything in life operates in cycles, up and downs, seasons. Think about it. Weather patterns, winter, summer, geography, mountains and valleys, moods, cheerful and unhappy.

I don't mean to minimise what is happening right now but what I'm trying to say is your health is exactly the same and so is your training.

Do you know that the body adapts to a resistance routine in about 4 weeks. You then plateau, and you need to change your exercises and if you don't you are unlikely to make any more gains from the routine. Any halfway decent routine should factor this in. Your nutrition is pretty much the same and your body gets used to eating the same foods every single day.

Plateau's, up's and downs and seasons are a very normal part of every day life so guard your health very carefully...Choose a program and eating plan you trust and see it through. Finish what you start and remember plateau's are a temporary part of our life cycle and there will be downside's. Deal with them positively and with good humour and grace for 'they too will pass'

TRAINING

None today

NUTRITION

reveal soon

SUMMARY

Don't let plateau's slow you down, they will happen, hang tough, they will also pass.

5 comments:

juli gets happy said...

I can't wait for your nutrition reveal...soon? How soon?

;-) Juli

Ron said...

Hi Dougal,

In the Metabolic Surge program which I am following, there is a planned recovery/strength period at the end which the author puts in before restarting the cycle. It starts at just after 5 weeks, and the exercise parameters are completely different to the previous three phases.

I am just now about to finish this recovery phase, and now understand why there is this planned break, to avoid the plateau. I feel that it really is giving me time to recharge, ready to start shredding hard again.

dougal said...

Juli...TODAY

Ron, hey bud how are ya? Glad I could shed some light on why you are doing what you are doing. Recharging is not only good but necessary and essential for continued growth.

Marbella said...

Your blog made me think about what am doing with my walking. Do you suppose am going to hit a wall with walking 5 miles a day or so? What to do? I don´t want to jog, as don´t want to mess up my knees...what? Maybe some HIIT? I know you know more than me about all this (being as you have Coach Carlos on your side).
Lynda

dougal said...

Lynda, there is more than one way to skin a cat. Remember my original walking program, 1 shorter speed day, 1 fartlek (speedplay) day and one long day. You certainly will hit the wall doing 1 speed, 1 distance every day. Why don't you contact Carlos..His e mail is on his website. He'll be happy to help you.