Anabolic Methods to Growth

I wonder how many  hits this headline will get this post? It struck me the other day how much effort so many guys/gals put into programming, diet and still miss the obvious.

As a perfectly 'average' and natural lifter my success equation comes down to:

 diet + effort + recovery = results

 We can argue the toss about effective programming etc. but for my level that's pretty much it.  Of those three inputs I am sure recovery is often the most neglected and poorly executed.

Take me for example, I have less than stellar genetics for this sport but I get quite particular about programming, getting meals etc. However leading a pretty stress-full professional life I have subsisted on 5-6 hours a night sleep for quite a number of years now. Does this impact my training and recovery, hell yes. As a consequence I have to accept less than optimal progress unless I make the necessary lifestyle changes to get more sleep per night.

Interestingly in brief periods where I have strung together nights of full restful sleep the changes to mood and performance in the gym have been substantial. So while I can tinker with various aspects of my programming, supplementation regime and diet the simple reality is I can make substantial improvements with a month of better sleeping.

As always the challenge is balancing work and life to get it right!

Stay Strong
Thomo