Hey BBM!
Quick update in regards to previous post here: Another "what program" thread, including high stress and demotivation - Training Q/A with Drs. Feigenbaum & Baraki - Barbell Medicine Forum
I did begin the Hypertrophy I program and it worked exactly how expected. Not only was the lack of heavy work a nice break, but the exercise selection provided a much greater positive mental benefit than I had estimated, and the high rep “pump” type work gave me the momentum I needed to look forward to training again. I hadn’t mentioned in my previous post that I was also dealing with (undiagnosed) symptoms in line with those of FAI syndrome for almost a year now with a squat 1RM at a standstill, and doing 3-0-3 tempo squats for sets of 10 has allowed me to address form deficiencies and load management issues, leading to immediate relief in pain in the first few weeks, and now it is all but eliminated. Currently working closer to my previous 1RM every week even though it is a hypertrophy focused program. I know this sounds like a sales pitch but I really never expected things would go this well, and I’m only on week 8.
Besides this, I purchased and read ‘Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers’ and it was life changing to realize how invasive stress is to almost all health markers. That information alone lead me to addressing my approach to stress management which I believe made an impact on my overall recovery/well-being. I’ve since then started watching Sapolsky’s 2010 Stanford lectures (which are all on Youtube and Apple podcasts for anyone interested), and though I understand neuroscience is not necessarily your specialty, I was wondering if you had any insight into any methods that encourage hippocampal neurogenesis considering long-term exposure to high cortisol levels have shown to cause hippocampal damage. Although all is well, I feel there is some lingering mental performance issues in regards to short term memory, emotional regulation, and sex drive. I totally understand if this is not something that can be addressed here, just looking for some guidance. FWIW, I have been seeing a mental health professional for over a year now with great success, and feel that if anything just being happy for some time will bring everything back to level, however I’m interested in other interventions ie: diet, no alcohol/cannabis use, etc that may be proven to help.
Thanks guys, you’re the best!
Kevin