October 2020
We've all seen it: the back-slapping, barbell-shrieking, metal-destroying, cage-shaking, oft times ammonia-cap snorting alpha-fuck meatheads creaming themselves over that lift as shown on Youtube. Y'know, the one where you're almost convinced they're about to squirt their intestines out their anus or at the very least or pop their own shaven heads to a chorus of hoo-rah!
Some people call this commitment.
Some people call this "being hardcore".
Thing is, no lift needs to ever be that lift.
WHAT DO COACHES DO?
Honestly ask yourself this: how many weight-lifting coaches encourage such risky lifts? The reason I call them risky isn't just because the potential for injury is present because let's face it, in the iron-game the potential for injury is ever-present; no, I call it risky because of the health effect. Do you know how often Olympic coaches get their athletes to try risky lifts?
Never.
Why you ask?
Because they're fucking risky.
Okay, maybe the term "risky" needs to be examined after all, there is such a thing as managing risk and in strength-training that's an expected outcome, part and parcel of one's personal improvement. But. There's a difference between risk management and meatheads charging the bar in the hope of that new 1RM or worse, setting up for the lift in near abject-fear before the attempt.
...that never bodes well either.
The reason quality coaches don't encourage risky lifting is due to periodization and longevity -- periodization in that they're taking their athletes through a training program that focuses on different aspects at different times, and longevity in that they want their athletes in top condition at the right time and still be able to come back the year after that.
Thus a weight-lifter and/or power-lifter may focus one week on endurance, one week on volume, one week on speed, one week on maximal weights and one week on recovery and stretching. Or not. Regardless, the over-arching idea is over time said lifter sees a steady improvement in their output whether speed, explosive power, improved form/technique you bloody name it.
In this regards every day, week, fortnight, month, monthly blocks etc. are managed. Little if anything is left to chance, mainly because chance can't do shit, only cause shit (write that down, it's a winner. Better yet, tattoo it on your ball sacs, I dare you). Read that again -- not the tattoo-your-ball-sac line but the one about everything being micro-managed. That's smart training.
That folks is commitment.
That is being "hardcore".
Not pulling mega-lifts out of your ass for your ego's sake.
WHAT IS MEANT BY THE HEALTH EFFECT?
Now look, don't get me wrong: if you're the guy I described in the opening paragraph and it's working for you then go, go spread your man-self in the world. Live long and prosper. But earlier I mentioned the health effects of risky lifts and apart from people fainting almost immediately after them and suffering spasms and shit, risky lifts are ego lifts.
Guess where "ego-lifts" fit in a weight-lifting program?
That's right kemosabe, no-fucking-where.
I think we have a lot more investigating to do into the negative effects of chasing that huge, illusive squat-bench-deadlift-you-name-it. Yes, the mental effect of striving -- and failing -- to achieve a certain lift at a given weight is immediately clear: we grow discouraged, frustrated, and condemnatory. This can make us give up or try waaaaaaaay too hard.
That's a health effect.
Another obvious outcome from the above is a lack of mental stamina -- let alone clear understanding of what effective programming should look like -- can cause us to go off on tangents that are undermining, unnecessary and ultimately, not needed. The lifter gets into a negative mindset where they continually undermine themselves and start to go backwards in everything.
That's a health effect.
But it's the immediate unseen and internal effect upon our physiological selves that escapes notice and is the one we least understand. Yes, we all recognize muscular fatigue but that's about it; can we calculate the long-term effect of risky-lifting upon our selves? Do we understand the impact such stress has on, say, our endocrine system or the pressures we place on the heart let alone any other bodily system?
Because these too are a health effect.
...remember Ronnie Coleman? Here was a giant of a man who dominated the bodybuilding industry hoisting phenomenal weights but years down the line is having to go through countless surgeries due to giving his body such a beating. Weight-training can be its own health effect, folks, and not just for good. Think long-term.
WHY PROGRAMS MAKE THE LIFTER
Having a good, basic, clear program you can follow -- one that allows you to make incremental gains over time -- is a must. It's the program and most importantly, the tracking aspect of what you're achieving and when, that allows you to make steady progression and achieve your best. You can reflect upon your progress and make small changes when and where necessary.
However, it's mental clarity that allows the lifter to perceive what they are/are not capable of, and then wisely accept that. This is a tremendous strength a worrying amount of people seem to lack today. The incessant, insistent and excessive cries of going harder, pushing further, breaking through, doing more are not only unrealistic but are simply not helpful.
SERENITY PRAYER
Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change
courage to change the things I can
and wisdom to know the difference
As we all progress and further expand our own knowledge base -- including knowledge about our own physiology and physical selves, what we are most responsive too -- we learn to match programs best suited to us with our own goals. This comes with time and experience. It's nothing new. Because health and longevity are my own personal goals, these underpin everything I do.
WHAT I DO
As much as I understand the role of periodisation and as much as I see the need for it (particularly for those who compete), I still prefer a basic straight-forward program of x-amount of sets for x-amount of reps. It's just me and I'm too long in the tooth to change it so here's something: recognise your preference and make the most of it.
For me that currently means lifting anywhere between 70-80% of my 1RM at this point in time, usually warming up with triples, having a "bridging set" i.e. that in-between set of not-quite-warm-up weight but not-quite-working-sets, then doing three working sets in total. This may look like 3x2 at first (three sets of doubles) but, as you progress, it becomes 3x3, 3x4 then 3x5 -- higher if you want.
I don't think it really matters which working set has a rep increase first, so long as sooner or later all sets have the same reps. In other words if you were doing, say, 3x3 and found after awhile your first set was 4-reps and your next two were three, that's fine. Sooner or later your second set will hit 4-reps as will you last. If you do that back to front (your last set increases to 4-reps first) that's fine too.
After much experience I've also found deloads don't work well for me. I don't know why. All I know is I tend to go backwards fast. At the same time, I've discovered short bursts of heavy-lifting provide me ample recovery time, thus negating deloads (so far anyway). This may change. I keep listening to my body, backing off when feeling fatigued, pushing a little further (i.e. a managed risk) when feeling strong.
That's important, kemosabe. Know how you're feeling.
CONCLUSION
As others have said, the bonus of an effective program is it takes all the thinking out of it. As long as you're tracking your progress you'll always be one step ahead. Take care though to keep the fun aspect alive: if you're not enjoying it, you won't last long at the bar and a lot of netspurts seem extra-well qualified at making something fun arduous.
As I mentioned above, the incessant, insistent and excessive cries of going harder, pushing further, breaking through, doing more are not only unhelpful but take the fun out of it. It's like a kid who has natural skill at, say, soccer so his parents "encourage" him towards it and next thing you know he's in the top team, running daily and training twice a week. Yay.
But.
Little by little, bit by bit, a sport some kid enjoyed and excelled at is taking over his life and sucking all the joy out of it. Worse, his own parents have started to live through him, seeing an opportunity for recognition, fame, fuck knows what else through the poor lad. So what does the kid do? Throws the whole lot in and never plays again. I don't blame him.
Keep the fun alive and Don't. Make. This. Your. Life.
Surround yourself with balanced people who encourage you in all areas, not meatheads trying to relive their glory days; it's over guys, deal with it. Develop your spirituality and before you go off saying, "Oh, that's weakness", spirituality underpins an enormous amount of Maori culture and thus, my own iwi and tikanga. We start all hui at the marae with karakia, we call to the living and the dead, we know Te Tahi binds all things together.
As always, I trust this helps. Kia ora whanau.
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