Finally

- Squat: 112.5/248 x 5, 122.5/270 x 5, 132.5/292 x 5
- Weighted Chin: 25/55 x 3 x 6
- Conditioning: Prowler x 10 x 20m trips with 163lb in 10:00 (alternating high/low handles)

I struggled today again. My hips, back, quads and adductors were all still feeling pretty beat up. My shoulders were feeling very tight as well. I had wanted to do some glute-ham raises and rows, but I just felt too beat-up.

I was going to write up a long-winded review of my current situation, but I’ll just say this:

I want to train for life. I want a plan for the long term. I want to get stronger over the course of the next 10 years, not just the next 10 weeks. I want a logical and specific system of progression so I don’t have worry if I what I’m doing is too heavy, too light or too much. I want to remove the guess work and just get stronger. I don’t want lifting to interfere with other parts of my fitness. I don’t want to spend 5 days recovering from a high-volume deadlift session and not be able to sprint and run and jump. I want to play football this year, do more multi-day hikes and improve my 40m time. I want to do all of this while slowly but surely getting stronger, 1 pound at a time.

This is why, after much indecision, “programme-hoping” and uncertainty I am finally going to start 5/3/1. It will be liberating to simply follow the long term blueprint that it provides. I will put my ego aside and start too light, so that I can finally start training for life.