Alright, so I wanted to share a bit about this deadlift program I’ve been grinding through. My deadlift, it just felt stuck, you know? Like I wasn’t going anywhere with it. So, I figured, time to actually follow something specific instead of just winging it like I usually do.
Finding a Plan and Getting Started
I spent a bit of time, not too much, just poking around online. Didn’t want anything too crazy complicated. Found this one, seemed straightforward enough. Lots of pulling, a couple of days a week focused on it, with some other stuff on the side so I didn’t turn into just a one-trick pony. The first week, man, I was feeling it. My lower back, my hamstrings, everything was just yelling at me. But it was that good sore, you know? The kind that tells you you’re actually doing something.
I made sure to really focus on my form. Watched myself, tried to feel it out. No point piling on weight if you’re gonna snap yourself in half, right? So, the first few sessions were more about getting the movements right, making sure everything was firing like it should. I remember thinking, “this is gonna be a long haul.”
The Grind and Sticking To It
Then came the middle part. This is where it really tests you. Some days, I’d walk into the gym, look at the numbers I was supposed to hit, and just think, “no way.” But you just gotta do it. One rep at a time. There were definitely days I didn’t hit all my target reps, or the weight felt like a ton of bricks. That’s just part of it, I guess. I wasn’t super strict with diet or anything, just tried to eat decent and get enough sleep, which isn’t always easy.
I kept a little notebook, nothing fancy, just jotted down what I lifted, how it felt. It kinda helped to look back and see that even on bad days, I was still doing more than a few weeks before. That was a big motivator, actually. Seeing those little ticks of progress.
- Consistency was key: Even when I didn’t feel like it, I showed up.
- Listening to my body: If something felt genuinely off, not just tired, I’d ease back a bit. Better than getting injured.
- Small wins: Adding a tiny bit more weight, or an extra rep, it all adds up.
Pushing Through and Seeing the End
There was this one week, about two-thirds of the way through, where I just felt weak. Everything felt heavy. Almost threw in the towel, not gonna lie. But I took an extra rest day, ate a bit more, and came back. Surprisingly, the next session felt way better. Sometimes your body just needs a little break, I suppose.
As I got towards the end of the program, I started feeling a lot stronger. Not just in my deadlift, but overall. My back felt more solid. The weights that felt impossible a few weeks back were now moving. It wasn’t like I added a hundred pounds overnight or anything magical, but the progress was real. I did a sort of max test at the very end, nothing official, just for myself. And yeah, I definitely lifted more than when I started. More importantly, it felt smoother, more controlled.
So, What Did I Learn?
Well, for one, having a plan actually works. Shocker, right? Instead of just messing around, following a structured program, even a simple one, made a huge difference. It forced me to be consistent and push myself in a measured way. I also learned that progress isn’t always a straight line up. There are gonna be crap days, but you just gotta keep chipping away.
And honestly, just the feeling of sticking with something and seeing it through was pretty good. My deadlift is better, I feel stronger, and I learned a bit more about how my body responds to training. So yeah, it was a good experience. Definitely worth the effort.
