More rest.

I actually did get up at my normal hour with the intention of going to the gym. I read about this thing called “The Half-Hour Deadlift Challenge”

The Half-Hour Deadlift Challenge
By Dan John

Load the bar to 315 pounds. In the next half-hour, deadlift it as many times as you can. (Gary, a 61 year-old competitive thrower, can do 60 reps. He does doubles on the minute.) I suggested that to insure less soreness do one rep every thirty seconds and drop the bar at the “top” lockout position on every deadlift.

That’s right, drop every deadlift. You’ll experience far less soreness this way.

I think it goes without saying to keep good posture here. The upside of challenges like this is that your technique actually improves over the workout and your capacity to work increases.

Now, if you can’t deadlift 315 yet, well, maybe that’s the problem you’re having right there! — DJ

That sounded pretty cool to me. I read about all sorts of challenges or special cycle programs, and never really know where to fit them in. I just get on my Wendler roll and keep moving. So I thought today would be a perfect time to try that.

At first I wondered, if this guy does 61, doubles on the minute, he’s probably got a decently high 1RM thus 315 isn’t much to him. 315 is certainly work for me. I did just PR with a single at 405, but it was max effort for me. 315 will wear on me. I thought I should lower the weight, but no, stick with 315 and get what I get. No question, it’s about pacing. I figured work up like 135×5, 185×5, 225×3, 275×1, then start the clock and hit 315. I figured to start off with 1 per minute and see how it rolled. I would get what I got. If I needed to space out to 2 minutes, then I would. 5 minutes, then so be it. Just keep trying to do whatever I could for 30 minutes with 315. Then try it again some other time and beat it. 🙂

Alas, I opted against it. Once I got up, my body said to go back to sleep. I think this was best.

I am suffering from burnout.

The day job has me exhausted. Lifting taps energy, and I know i have not been getting enough sleep (e.g. 6-7 hours a night instead of 7-8). Working at KR Training on enough weekends takes a lot out of me, especially right now in this Texas summer heat; it’s the sort of thing where I intentionally plan to “do nothing” the following Sunday except rest and nap a lot… and I do. I am pooped. I need rest.

I have rested a lot more this week, sleeping in, napping. I feel better, and towards the end of this week feel like I’m climbing a little bit out of my hole. So, while I hate not lifting, I feel a lot better.

All good.

The deadlift challenge will have to wait for another day.