It is the end of racing season so I have cut back on the frequency (2 workout per week vs. 7 or more) and volume (3-5 sets per body part vs. 10-15) of my resistance and strength training this summer and some unusual things have started to happen.
1) I gain body fat much easier. It’s a relative thing because I’m still very lean but if I’m not careful with what I eat, I gain weight. I can have very few cheat days. The reason this is happening is because the amount of work I’m doing is dramatically reduced. While my calorie output is probably a little higher because I am riding so much, the long term recovery cost of bike riding is a lot lower than what it is for weight training because the amount of micro damage caused to the muscle fibers is much lower.
2) I get delayed onset muscle soreness after almost every workout, and particularly in my traps. This one is weird because I used to do 2 or 3 high volume trap workouts per week and I rarely felt anything more than a pump.
3) I’m enjoying the movements more, but liking going to the gym less. I guess it’s a mode thing because during my last bulk, I LOVED going to workout 2 or 3 times a day. Now I kind of dread it, until I get there.
4) I pay a lot less attention to the people around me and find focusing on the workout very easy. It is as though I am alone in a crowded gym.
5) The speed on my movements has increased. I still keep the lowering phase controlled, but the lifting portion of the movements is a lot more explosive.
6) I’m sleeping a lot better. I used to go to bed exhaused and wake up a lot, now I’m sleeping right through most nights. I’m also waking up faster in the morning and able to engage the world effectively within minutes of waking instead of dragging my butt around the house until the first couple of coffees take hold.