What's more, a lot of training methodologies conflict with one another and leave you confused and frustrated. Are three sets of ten better than ten sets of three? Or was it five-by-five that is best? What I have found is that people tend to get so fired up about different training methods that they forget there are deeper principles that are necessary for successful training to take place. Once you have a working knowledge of these principles, they can act as lenses through which you view your training.
The first principle is simplicity, I have discovered that simple training gets confused with easy training and is viewed as ineffective. That could not be further from the truth. Simple training is repeatable, it doesn’t require spread sheets or special equipment and still allows for positive adaptation. The complex training program that is fun to read about with the bands, chains, and super Soviet/Bulgarian rep schemes and percentages is viewed separately from the elite athlete for whom it was designed.
If you are not at the top echelon of a strength sport the additional complexity is unnecessary to keep chasing positive adaptation. Complicated training programs are meant to keep advanced athletes progressing in their sport and assume a base level of strength and fitness that most everyday people do not yet possess. Unless you have been training consistently and have maximized progress from simpler training, complicated methods will only make training harder to plan and stick to.
The next principle that is necessary to understand is balance. Balance is important in training to keep you strong and healthy. A body that is imbalanced is aesthetically unpleasing, athletically clumsy, and at higher risk for injury. A balanced training program should consider the amount of pushing vs pulling, squatting vs hinging, planes of movement, strength demands and flexibility (passive vs active). In addition, a balanced training program will also address balance across your body’s energy systems (aerobic vs anaerobic). Keep in mind that sometimes the best way to achieve a balanced body is through imbalanced training that addresses your specific deficits. Specializing in any sport at a high level also requires deliberately imbalanced training to maximize performance in that sport.
The final principle is the foundation on which the other two are built. I am speaking of the principle of consistency. When you desire to change your body, you must send it a consistent message to do so. The best training program in the world is useless without the trainee consistently showing up to do the work. When you begin training with a desire to accomplish a goal, remember this key principle: No matter how close a training session brings you to death/throwing up, it is still only ONE training session. One signal to your body, even if it is a big signal, will not create the desired adaptation by itself. Multiple, less intense sessions/signals performed consistently over time will. Whether it’s a body composition goal or a performance goal, the more consistently you train the better your results will be.
Seek and master these principles behind the methods of training. Then, you can pick or even create a method that works best for you because you have a firm understanding of what makes many methods effective. Mastering principles works in other areas of life besides training. Physical training is, however, a great low risk and high reward place to start. If you have been struggling in your movement practice, ask yourself if you could be better at applying these three fundamental principles of simplicity, balance, and consistency.
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