DISCOURAGED!

BLifts38

This morning I was supposed to squat 160 lbs ... did one set and then absolutely could not do the rest. I did 2 sets at 150 lbs and 2 sets at 155 lbs. I'm not sure if it's the end of the week and my legs are shot or if I'm just physically not strong enough for 160 yet.

When I lift again on Monday, should I go ahead and try 160 and see where that leaves me? I've had no problem upping the weight each time I lift, so I'm super disappointed this morning.

Anyone experience something similar?

Sumiblue

Failure is part of the process. Try 160 again. We all hit the wall at some point. That's where real progress comes from.

fanncy0626

Congratulations on the 160 though! That is an amazing weight to be lifting. I hit the wall at 80. I deloaded and went up to 120. You are doing great!

krokador

Wow, congrats on getting your first fail that far up. I had a lot of set backs even before I hit 160! But I'd stick to doing 160 for all sets even if you don,t hit 5 reps. That's how the program,s supposed to work. Build on top of whatever # of reps you get and if you find it takes you more than a week to get 25 reps total, then you deload a bit and work your way back up

canadianlbs

if progress remained linear, we'd all add 15 pounds to our lifts every week and end up squatting 800 pounds at the end of a year. when you start out, you're still discovering your body's 'natural' potential so things move pretty fast. but it's actually kind of neat to find out what that potential is, because then you can settle down to do the really fun part, i.e. working to raise that ceiling. now you know what you really can do, and that's cool. 160 seems really impressive to me, for what that's worth to you.

i think the standard is that you try a specific weight a few times, and if it's consistently too hard for you, you back off by around 10% and start working upwards again. max effort tends to break down at the 'weakest' point, so that's one good thing failure does actually. it lets you actually know which parts of you could use some more work. for instance, the last time i had to deload it was because i messed up a rib through my abs and mid-back not being strong enough to keep my spine straight. so i went back to square one, but i had something to concentrate on.

it's easy to be chirpy about someone else's disappointment, but to be honest i think failures can be pretty neat.

BLifts38

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the feedback. Glad to hear that others have had similar experiences. I'm going to try 160 on Monday and go from there! Thanks and happy lifting

klrenn

Don't be discouraged! Deloading after 3 workout failures was the best thing for me! If 160 doesn't come in the next 2 workouts, then don't worry, deloading helps get through blocks. I hit my first deload at 95lbs, so I'm super impressed with your results!

bruerin

I don't post in the forums much, but saw this and thought I'd offer my 2 cents. Like everyone has already said, failure and deloading is part of the process. It is how we grow with lifting. Learning how to emotionally handle failure will allow you to come back with a positive attitude after extended time off due to life's curveballs--injuries, illness, and *cough cough* childbirth.

I'm constantly in awe of everyone on my FL. Sure, there are people who lift more than me. Sure, there are people who lift less. The one commonality we all have is the desire and understanding to keep at it.

You are doing great! Stay with it!