Article Rundown

• Overlooked aspects of strength training
• Why you need custom assistance work
• The importance of the deload
• Why your training must have phases

3 Overlooked Aspects of every Strength Program

In this video, I discuss three crucial elements that might be missing from your strength training program. While there could be 10 to 15 different aspects to consider, the three I’m focusing on are often the most important and commonly overlooked. Integrating these into your routine will elevate your strength training, enhance recovery, and help you stay injury-free, allowing you to progress more effectively.

1. Customized Assistance Work

The first major element missing in many strength training programs is personalized assistance work. Often, people stick to what has worked for them in the past or what feels comfortable, neglecting the exercises they should actually be doing. Just because a certain exercise routine works for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you. Your assistance work should target the specific muscles and movement patterns where you’re weak and that are limiting your progress. Addressing these weak points is crucial! For example, if you’re quad-dominant, focus more on your hamstrings, and vice versa. If you struggle to lock out the bench press, incorporate more triceps work. Repeating the same exercises or simply following a workout partner’s routine will only get you so far. To break through plateaus, you need to tackle your weaknesses head-on.

2. Incorporating Deloads

The second key element often missing is the lack of deload periods. I’m a strong advocate of deloading, as I emphasized in “10/20/Life.” I recommend deloading every third week to stay ahead of recovery needs. Despite what some might say about deloading being “soft” or “unnecessary,” it can be one of the most beneficial strategies for becoming an elite strength athlete. It’s essential to understand that while muscles repair relatively quickly, bones, tendons, and ligaments take longer to recover. Regular deloads allow these slower adaptations to occur, reducing the risk of injury, enhancing recovery, and helping you push through plateaus. By staying ahead of the fatigue curve, you can train hard when it matters most.

3. Phased Training Cycles

The third critical aspect you’re likely missing is phased training. Going all-out 100% of the time is a surefire way to get injured and burn out quickly. As Dave Tate describes it, this approach involves “blasting and dusting,” where some weeks you push hard while others you back off slightly to focus on form, speed work, or recovery. If you have a period in your life when you’re frequently traveling, like during the summer, your nutrition, sleep, and schedule may be disrupted, leading to decreased performance. This is an ideal time to adopt an off-season phase, lifting based on RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) rather than pushing yourself unnecessarily. During this phase, the weight isn’t as crucial because you’re not preparing for an imminent competition.

When you’re gearing up for a powerlifting meet or another competition, you transition into an in-season training phase, focusing on strict, percentage-based training to peak at the right time. However, it’s vital to recognize that you can’t stay in a peak phase indefinitely. Doing so will lead to stagnation and burnout, sending your progress in the wrong direction. I learned this the hard way in 2008 when I competed in eight full meets, which resulted in a serious injury that required an extended break from lifting. Properly phasing your training allows you to know when to push hard and when to ease off, ensuring sustainable progress and longevity in your strength training journey.

BRIAN DOES ONLINE AND IN-PERSON COACHING!

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