Are you getting lost in your training? Part I
Are you missing these 2 important factors in your training/coaching?
This is an II-part article. Part I is for you, the trainee, and discusses the 2 key most important aspects to consider in your training to be successful. Let’s dive in.
Keep the goal the goal
Sounds like a simple one, but trust me, it is very easy to stray from the most ideal path to getting to a goal because of our biases and preconceptions.
Oftentimes, what we want from our training doesn't match what we need to get to our goals. When this is the case, 1 of 2 things will need to shift. Either;
We modify our goals.
We modify our desires.
If nothing shifts, then it is easy to continue to go down a road where our efforts get us near-ish, but not to our goals. Some examples of this might be;
Changing exercises every session so we feel more engaged with our training (our wants) but we don't give ourselves chance to overload the exercise which is the key to getting fitter/better/stronger (our needs).
Using the same weights beyond when they are challenging. This helps us feel comfortable and capable in the gym (our wants) but doesn't allow us to add more stimulus overload to the exercise which is the key to getting fitter/better/stronger (our needs).
Not taking adequate rest and training as hard as possible every day allows us to feel accomplished and satisfied (our wants) but doesn't allow us to recover from the training load (our needs), contributing to burnout and plateaus.
It is easy to get lost in our wants and ignore or be blind to our needs - enter a coach. As coaches, it is our job to match what we know to what you want AND need. By considering your preferences, we shape your training to match what you want and need to get the most out of your training.
Applying consistent effort
Many feel they need variety in their training for lots of reasons. Perhaps you have yourself recounted maxims you’ve heard others say (rather than what they have experienced and enjoyed) Things like “keep the body guessing” and “muscle confusion”. Though these were almost certainly the top hashtags of 2008-2012 in the fitness industry, their claims are unfounded and the true key lies in…you’ve guessed it…consistent effort.
Variety isn’t essential and is frequently counterproductive to our goals.
We don’t need to know how to do advanced math to be the best tax accountant. We don’t need to know rocket science to be the best car mechanic. And similarly, we don’t need to do endlessly different exercises to get to our goals.
What we need are exposure and challenge. We need to do something enough times to get proficient/skilled at it so that we can add enough load to keep it challenging enough for us to progress with.
Sidebar: A good coach will ask you what you enjoy and want to do more of, and when they do, you can tell them if you “hate split squats”. A good coach will find an alternative option that helps rebuild your engagement with that exercise and then drives you back toward your goal with more exposure and challenge.
Remember, muscle confusion isn’t a thing and you don’t have to be wrecked to be getting results.
As a rule of thumb, it is best practice to stick with a series of exercises for 4-6 weeks. This allows us to milk out much of what we can from a block of training, adding a little more work (sets, reps, load, intensity through less rest, etc.) as the weeks go on. At the end of that block of training, look where you could add engaging variety to your training without steering 180º away from your goal (don’t go from aiming to add 50lbs to your deadlift to trying to run a marathon for example). Maybe switch out cable curls for dumbbell curls or deadlifts for RDL’s. Know, as I have said before, variety does not equal progress and nor does complexity. Unless your goal is to master complex tasks that is. If that is the case, may I suggest a Rubix cube or ninja warrior training?
All jokes aside, remember to keep the goal the goal and to choose methods that prioritize consistent effort. If you want to get stronger and fitter, then simple stuff done well with regular increases in the challenge is your 1-way ticket on the Shinkansen to Fitnessville.
As always,
Thanks for reading!
