“Things are going to get interesting,” my coach Greg Robins told me after our weekly check-in. I’d just hit a new squat PR, and his line stuck with me. What did he mean by interesting? Were we shifting toward building muscle or trying some brutal programming? I didn’t know, but the phrase hung in the air as I opened my training sheet on Monday to see what lay ahead for the week—a lot of weight, a lot of volume, and the big three looming: squat, bench, deadlift. I did a double, then a triple take. I was slated to come close to, if not surpass, my PRs in all three. Not exactly what I expected.
Why such a heavy week? Because the weekend before, I was in Philadelphia presenting the Even More Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint with Dean Somerset. We spent 14 hours presenting, and there was travel chaos to boot. My flight from Boston was delayed seven hours, and Dean ended up stranded in Toronto when his flight was canceled. He couldn’t fly out until the next day, which meant the workshop felt like the Tony Show—nonstop. We pushed through, though. By Sunday night I was back in Boston, exhausted, and there wasn’t time to decompress. My wife and I even postponed watching Game of Thrones until Monday afternoon.
Then came the anti-highlight reel. I had a rough training week. On Tuesday I missed my planned bench for 305 pounds; I didn’t even attempt 305 because I fell short at 290. My best bench is 315, and it’s been a while since I tried 300, so missing 290 stung. It’s easy to post wins, but I wanted to be honest about the rough patches too. My friend John Rusin offered support, saying that the setup was solid and that the lesson wasn’t the miss, but the safe, proper setup using pins. It helped to hear.
And on Thursday I missed a 605-pound deadlift attempt. I got 585, which felt manageable, and I’d planned 615 next. My training partner Justin told me straight: you’re not going to hit 615. He suggested I go for 605 to still set a five-pound PR. I went for it, but I missed again. Two big misses in a week. Not ideal.
There are a few moments in the video that stand out: a couple of post-fail shots, Tony’s belt-toss tantrum, and Justin’s note about my pull. If you look closely, you’ll see the bar drift away as I start the pull. I slowed it down to study it. I think I would have missed the lift regardless, but it underscored how crucial setup and technique are to a big lift.
Honestly, I’d like to chalk this week up to stress, travel, and sleep loss. If I’m honest, though, that’s not the whole story. I’m not perfect. Some days I’m dialed in and I push hard; other days I skip warm-ups or skimp on accessory work. I won’t always complete everything, but I know I’m capable of more. This week reminded me to own my shortcomings, cut the crap, and do the work.
If you’re reading and you’re in a slump or not getting the results you want, here’s the plan I’m trying: sleep more, hydrate, eat to support your goals, and accept that you won’t feel unstoppable every day. You will miss lifts. But be honest with yourself: are you truly giving it your all in the gym? Are you completing your sets and doing the work? I’m willing to admit when I’m slacking, and I’ll keep pushing to improve. After all, we all have off weeks. And yes—sometimes you just have to own it and keep going. Whatever, you’re ugly.
