Alright, let me tell you about this phase I went through. Got this idea stuck in my head, this intense routine I kinda pieced together, thinking it was the key, you know? Called it my ‘Richard Lesnar’ project internally, just a name I cooked up for this crazy thing I was attempting.

Getting Started
So, first things first, I decided I needed to go all in. Cleared out some space in the garage. Thought I needed the real deal stuff, heavy weights, benches, the works. Spent a weekend getting it all set up. Felt pretty good, like I was actually doing something serious for once. Woke up super early the first Monday, felt like I could conquer the world.
The plan was simple, or so I thought: lift heavy, eat loads. Like, really heavy, pushing myself every single time. And the eating? Man, chicken and rice basically became my best friends. Felt kinda like a machine for the first week.
The Grind and The Reality
Then, reality hit. And it hit hard.
- Soreness: I wasn’t just sore. I was like, walking-funny sore. Getting out of bed felt like a major achievement.
- Plateau: After the initial burst, things just… stopped. The weights didn’t feel lighter, I didn’t feel stronger. Just tired.
- The Food: Eating that much clean food constantly got old, fast. Started dreading meal times.
I kept pushing for a few weeks, thinking it was just a phase, that I needed to break through some kind of wall. Read online forums, watched videos, tried tweaking things here and there. But honestly? It felt like I was just banging my head against that wall.
One morning, I tweaked my back doing deadlifts. Nothing serious, thankfully, but enough to make me stop and think. Lying there, feeling kinda stupid, I realized this whole approach just wasn’t clicking with my body or my life, really. It was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.
What I Learned
So, I stopped. Packed away some of the heavier stuff. Didn’t quit working out, just… changed things. Started listening more to what felt right, not what some imaginary super-intense plan dictated. Found routines that were tough but didn’t break me. Started enjoying the process again, which I guess is the whole point, right?
Looking back, it was an experience. Maybe a bit misguided, definitely fueled by more enthusiasm than sense. But hey, sometimes you gotta try the crazy stuff to figure out what actually works for you. That whole intense phase? Not for me. Learned that the hard way.