A Return to Form - The Less I Knew, The Better Off I Was - My Path to Muscle and Might : Do the Dang Programs As Written - When to Skip - What I Will Track - A Final Note

 A Return to Form

The Less I Knew, The Better Off I Was

My Path to Muscle and Might : Do the Dang Program As Written

By Adam Mundorf

A Return to Form

Life has a way of sweeping you along.  Whether it's getting caught in the minutia of everyday life or you make mistakes, sometimes you forget what originally made you feel your best. There was a time in my life when I felt strong, confident and healthy.  As Dan John says : "It worked so well, I stopped doing it."  This is my return to form, I have wasted enough of my time.

The Less I Knew, The Better Off I Was

Man, sometimes only having one option is the best option.  This was my origin in physical training, I had one book : Enter the Kettlebell by Pavel.  That was the only book on physical training that I owned and thus it was the only thing I followed.  My results were extraordinary and left me feeling fantastic.  Then the problems hit : I started buying more books and began losing course.  I began mixing programs like I was some sort of alchemist.  I began hearing multiple opinions about different aspects of physical training and suddenly my mind was muddled with contradictions.  Are weights healthy or are calisthenics better?  Should I skip breakfast or skip dinner?  Should I do the program minimum or the Rite of Passage?

Don't be so open-minded that your brain falls out.  Pavel wrote a great article a while back : When You Don't Know What You Believe...

How I wish I could go back to being 'naive' about things.  The more I think about it, the more I realize I can!  All I need to do is put on my blinders and have a one book/program policy.  Everything else stays on the shelf.

My Path to Muscle and Might (Maybe) : Do the Dang Programs as Written 

As much as I've jumped from thing to thing over the years, I have still gleaned valuable insight into proper program progressions and what a good path forward is.  This is my path to Muscle and Might :

1. Fighter Pull-Up Plan with Grease the Groove One Arm Push-Ups
1. Reach a beast chin up.
2. Reach a perfect one arm push-up along the way.
2. Rite of Passage
1. 1/2 Bodyweight Press
2. 200 Snatches in 10 Minutes with 24kg
3. Return of the Kettlebell
1. Bodyweight Press with Double Kettlebells
2. Long Cycle Clean and Jerk with 32kg
1. Goal Dependent on Bodyweight.
1. If you're 200 pounds you'll have to put up 20 reps.
4. Quick and the Dead with Kettlebell Muscle Rotated in 12 Week Blocks
1. Keep on Rotating until 32kg is Reached in Kettlebell Muscle.

This leads me to another topic of : Do the Dang Programs As Written!  All too often, people (myself especially) will add more to a program or change a program for no good reason other than their own ego.  The egg does not teach the chicken, trust the program and the author.  Make no substitutions.  Have a one book/program policy.  Now, this doesn't mean don't do mobility and/or stretch.  If a program has that included, then do that but if it doesn't don't neglect your joints/tendons just to promote program purity.

When to Skip

If you have a day where you literally have no time.  Skip and pick up where you left off.  Your body doesn't know the difference between 7 or 8 days, just stick with it and don't change course!  Quit stressing about working out when we workout to live, not live to workout.

Skip your training and diet protocol every Sunday.  I'm a huge believer in a weekly Sabbath.  Having a full day of complete rest and remembrance.  Just pick up on Monday exactly where you left off with a new and improved vigor. 

I am now 31 years old.  This is my path going forward.  No more wasting time, no more jumping from thing to thing.....only slow and methodical progress.

What I Will Track

I just got a FitBit tracker and a new scale, so I will be tracking my steps - resting heart rate - weight.  This will help me to see how my health is progressing.  Steps show my daily activity, scale helps me watch my weight and the resting heart rate will gauge my overall recovery.

A Final Note

A change in direction just causes an illusion of progress.  In the past I would change direction and would thus progress no where.  No longer.  No more deleting blogs and starting over, if I struggle and if I fall, I won't give up and will continue until I complete the path I'm on.  Not only that, I will post it for all to see.

Thank you for reading

Adam Mundorf

Thank you for reading.