… you realize that you’re not invincible.

By the end of an eight, 10 or 12 week program, you can do said program forwards and backwards. You can do it in dropsets or 5×5’s if you want. That log never leaves your bag because you can mentally update it. You’re like Rocky atop the steps, dancing the jig. You defeated your program and now you’re a pro at it.

Then you start a new one. The different moves, machines, weights, etc… leave you feeling like you’re pulling yourself out of a war torn country. Like a quarterback that spent the entire game getting sacked by the biggest guy on the opposing team. Or like that guy here (listen to that sound!).

That first week is pure hell. I see it a lot at the gym, read about it a lot on fitness blogs, and experience it myself. My rule of thumb is: If that change over doesn’t demolish you: Change it until it does. Every workout, in its early days, should be tough. You should have to push your body to do each step, to get through and survive it. If not, you’re not making your body work to achieve the goal you want to (which that goal is why you chose that particular program, right?) Don’t cheat yourself because that’s not honest. Not just that, but you won’t achieve anything. It’s like being stuck in a plateau and doing absolutely NOTHING to change it.

For me, once a workout becomes “easy”, I change it. I want my body to constantly be working. It’s how I move forward and prevent myself from getting stuck.

I was kicking around bodybuilding.com the other day, getting my Dymatize and OhYeah! orders done and noticed Ashley Conrad’s 21-Day Clutch Cut. Skimming over it really quick, I got excited. I wanted to give it a shot. It seemed like something that would be perfect for this summer, a quick program that could sort of be an in-between program.

However, there are some things that I’m trying to achieve in my personal life that a program like this could potentially hinder. So, I pushed it aside and figured I’ll come back to it if those personal life goals fall flat (in say… 3 years). Just as soon as I did that, I came across Ashley Horner’s Maximum Maximus. I watched the video, looked over the program. Paired it up with an upper body workout that I could either do with the MM program or separately depending on time, whether those personal life things come to fruition during this span or not… and set off to the gym to put it in action.

After day one of the MM workout, I can totally see why Horner says four days of rest is a good idea. You know it was a good workout when you have to hug the wall coming down your stairs at home because your butt and legs are crying. Or when they cry as you press on your gas pedal.