Help! I seem to be getting weaker.

[fwonderly]

Started STS last monday and just fell in love with the hole concept and the workouts.Did my one rep max and found last weeks workouts ok-hard but ok.
This morning I started week two disc 4 and my goodness there was hardly one exercise that I could do without reducing the weights to BELOW last week's level.
I am soooo disappointed . Could it be my age -I am fifty maybe I need to leave more time in between workouts . I have been doing cardio in between and feeling good.
O dear me!

 

[christosz]

Don't worry! I noticed that, too... on many discs... It's not so much the weight, as it is the sequence of the exercises that fatigues your muscles. If you do difficult ones in the beginning of a workout - when you are not tired yet, you are bound to lift easier. If these same difficult exercises are in the middle or the end of next week's workout, you are already fatigued.
Cathe has said quite a few times that you need to adjust your weights and/or do as many reps as you can with the selected weight. Form is the most important thing to keep in mind.
Workout Manager has the super option to adjust your 1RM as you move through STS. So, record your progress and challenge yourself, but with good form!
Here's what I do: I note down the reps I managed to do with the given weight and aim for a couple more when I do the exercise again.

Chris.

 

[fwonderly]

Thanks Chris
That is just the info I needed. I feel much better now.
Fiona

 

[LaughingWater]

The same thing happens to me. In fact, it happened to me this morning. While I do grumble about having to adjust my weight, I tell myself that the change is good for my muscles. If we did the same exercises in the same order over and over again, we'd cease to make progress.

 

[hriacobacci]

You're not alone. I felt this way as well, especially in Meso 2. I think part of it was the rep pattern changes. I think there was another thread about this so you're definitely not the only one. That, at least, has to make you feel better! I can say that now that I am halfway through Meso 3, I am feeling much much stronger again and less frustrated with myself. Now I'm just impressed with my strength gains and really never believed I'd be lifting some of the weights I am.

Heather

 

[Tamrahan]

I had to lower my weights too. I felt like the proverbial 95 lb weakling (that is overweight by 60 lbs or so)

 

[Shadowpup]

I found that with STS - proper sleep, recovery time and nutrition were absolutely critical.

I actually stopped STS meso 2 about three weeks, during a particularly intense travel period. Before STS meso 2, and even with Meso 1, I could manage three day back-to-back strength training if all I had was Fri-Sun to get them done, as long as I took the next four days off, but STS meso 2??? Nope The overtraining signs kicked in, so I went back to a maintenance level of lifting.

I've restarted Meso2 as of yesterday, now that my travel is down to once or twice a month again, and didn't lose much ground, whew!

 

[fwonderly]

Thanks to everyone for all your advice and encouragement.
Its so great to know that I am not alone and can always ask advice and get wonderful answers so quickly.
Thanks again.
Fiona