18 Dec The Biggest Lies About Strength Training
By: Brian Carroll
1. “Strength and progress is linear”
I see this scenario all the time and usually with lifters just beginning: I deadlifted 550lbs, up from 450lbs this time last year, so in 2 years I’ll be pulling at least 750. The truth is, nothing is linear. Just like ones pay over time or a person’s ability to learn about a new subject; it progresses fast at the beginning, but then it slows over time. Progress in strength training is no different than anything else we come across or suddenly find interest in. Gains are made fast in the beginning but eventually will slow down, and eventually, become a crawl. Everyone is different – some make significant gains longer than another and there are many reasons for this but the fact remains that eventually, the gravy train slows down.
[wa-wps]If you realize this sooner rather than later you will learn to appreciate the huge progress early on and the smaller PR’s and progress that come after you’ve been lifting for a significant amount of time. Progress is progress and you will have ups and downs, progressions and regressions. Learning how to work through these and continuing to make progress in one way or another will not only help you grow as a lifter, but will keep you grounded and keep you from getting ruined from not making the progress/PR’s you once did. 10/20/Life is about building momentum over time. Not just a year or two.
2. “He takes more drugs than you that’s the only reason he or she is stronger than you”
Bullshit. There comes a point of diminishing returns where you will not see much more from amount C vs amount Z. Yes, dosage will play a part, but ignorantly saying that “they take more and I’ll never do that and that’s why”… is bullshit. This makes you a silly bitch, don’t be a silly bitch. Have you ever tried to run any of these ‘supplement cycles’ you have heard about? Do you have any idea how awful one feels day to day with this much crap in them? You think it’s easy and another gram equals more lbs? If you believe this you’re simply a stupid bitch, I’m sorry. I saw that butt guy try to argue with Paul Carter about “how simply adding mg to your diet, just makes you X-amounts stronger”. What? So just adding more food to your diet = simply more muscle too with never any adverse effects? Simple as that right? Wrong. Stay within your expertise, people. Please. You look and sound stupid to people that have an inkling of critical thinking ability and know more than nothing.
3. “If you want it bad enough, you can do anything”
Guys and Gal’s – get over yourself, your memes, your motivational quotes, your Joel Osteen motivational speeches (I actually like him) and messages. Add to that all the things your parents told you so you wouldn’t cry every day after having rough days at school and getting picked on. All men are not created equal as far as athleticism, brains, ability overall and gifts/talents. I truly believe everyone has a talent and has God given ability 100%. However, that doesn’t mean little Johnson is going to be the fastest runner ever just because he believes in himself, wants it bad, and really focuses on it. Jonathan Byrd wrote an article touching on similar topic about how “Your Passion Doesn’t Matter”. You’re not going to outwork your poor genetics, I’m sorry, not going to happen. Want to be pretty much set with genetics? Pick Usain Bolt and Marion Jones as your parents, bro. There still are no givens with parents like them. If wanting it bad and having passion was all you needed, Mr.Passion would have EASILY totaled HUNDREDS more than the guys weighing less and while lifting in the same era, not the opposite. Bottom line – passion is great, but it’s only a piece of the puzzle. Vice versa; someone with the prime genetics and no passion will not make them the best athlete either. There are many variables to making a great athlete; passion and genetics are just two of them. Passion can also be your undoing.
4. “You don’t need good form, it’s just lifting”
At a certain point, and it’s different for each individual, brute force won’t get you any further. It just won’t – you’ll eventually have to revisit your approach and your form. Look at the many great lifters over the last 20 years. Most of the time (not always), their form is always locked in, does not deviate much from the bar to their max sets. They are also always taking advantage of their leverages and using their body to the best of its ability and using what you have to work with. You see, some of those lifters that you think are so genetically gifted are, but not how you think they are. They may have the physical genetics, but also think about how a sound mind could potentially take you further than just a freaky set of physical genes.
Think about a Peyton Manning or a Tom Brady. They train smart, and out last and out play any freaky physical athlete day in and day out over the course of their entire career. Jerry Rice or Emmett Smith are another example who had it all, great physical ability. While Jerry wasn’t the fastest receiver ever, both Rice and Smith had the work ethic and brains to make for two of the best careers ever. Again, I can’t say this enough – there are so many pieces of the puzzle. Some you can control, some you can’t! Control what you can.
5. “You don’t need an offseason and down time”
Right. Just like every other sport that doesn’t have downtime or an offseason right? This goes into the stupid and ignorant phrase “nobody will outwork me”. Misguided is an understatement in a major way. Yes, put the effort in always and do the work that is needed and don’t be a lazy ass. However, just because you are training hard and running up the side of a mountain and your opponent is sitting in a hot tub smoking a fat J does not mean anything. The truth is – you don’t know how much work your opponent or whoever you consider your opponent is doing. It could all be lies, so at the end of the day you need to train at an optimal range, regardless.
Once again, you refer to your baseline to gauge what you need to do to make your training more efficient. Start there and add one, maybe two variables at a time. If you’re constantly overdoing it and not evaluating, how will you ever know what your baseline is and what does or doesn’t work? I’ve written an article previously speaking to why having a baseline is important a little more in depth. As far as downtime – I don’t care who you are, eventually your body will betray you and force you to take down time. Only thing you can do is control your own training. Stay ahead of this as much as possible by having a great plan. In 10/20/Life regular de-loads, off-seasons and down time and some of the BIGGEST perks to your training. Weird, get better while resting! IF you want to last in this game. Constantly tearing your body down day in and day out will not last. Simply adding more of a good thing can be the worst thing you can do. Don’t be stupid and think only brute force is the way. This is why 10/20/Life works so well.
Brian Carroll
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