You want to get stronger, right?
You want to be better than yesterday, correct?
You want to get better at this “training for life” thing, yes?
Well then…listen up!
You need to follow intelligent program design (✓ if you’re already a member with us).
You need to have coaches who watch your every move and help you get into the right position(✓ if you’re already a member with us).
You need to have in-person access to the right nutrition information (✓ if you’re already a member with us).
Now let’s talk about listening to your body. I mean *really* paying attention to what it’s telling you.
When you hit the gym, the goal is NOT to approach every single day with an attempt to hit the heaviest lift you’ve ever done…and then when you fail after X number of reps, just call that your X-rep-max for the day. If that were the case, we would simply grunt it out and try to hit one-rep maxes every single day…and we would all FAIL…a lot.
Quite the contrary. We want you to be smarter than that; we want you to follow the intent and cycle of the program; and we want you to listen to your body. You should RARELY miss a lift during training, especially when you’re working at 80% or less. Of course, it’s going to happen here and there…but failed attempts should be *minimal* on training days, not expected.
Speaking of training days…there is a BIG difference in training vs. testing. Class workouts are meant to build you up and prepare you for future tests – they are not meant to test you every day. That’s what testing days and competitions are for.
I don’t care how young/old you are or what your physical/sports background is….if you test yourself and push yourself to the limit every single day, you…..will…..break. You are increasing your risk for injuries, limiting your capacity to recover, and you will hit a wall that is VERY hard to get past.
NO elite-level athlete trains at the same intensity level every day. Not one. They have training days, testing days, recovery days, active recovery days, mental focus days, and more. They follow a strength cycle, just like we do. They work up, peak, test, de-load, and do it again…just we do. They do conditioning (not cardio)…just like we do. They might even have fun and workout with a partner every once in a while…just like we do. WAIT! I’ll argue that we probably have more fun. 😉
In addition to the physical exertion and recovery aspects of training, there’s an important mindset component as well…and the less often you miss a lift, the more confidence you’ll have when it’s time to hit the big lifts. The more stable your position is during training (because you’re using weights you *know* you can hit), the more successful you’ll be when it’s time to hit that lift under stress (like 1RM testing days or Friday Night Lights or the Open or other competitions).
Practicing perfect form, technique, and movement patterns (winning each lift vs failing) allows you to successfully train your brain + body…and know that you have perfected your ‘default position’, which is what you’ll revert to when the going gets tough.
Sooooooo…”Practice makes perfect,” right? WRONG!
Perfect practice makes damn good lifters…and gives you a fighting chance to win…and THAT…ladies and gentlemen…is what it’s all about.
Ready to start YOUR strength-training journey? Click “Get Started” anywhere on this site to schedule a quick chat. We want to show you how awesome you really are!
3524 Central Pike #302 Hermitage, TN 37076 | 615.496.4080
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