Three Rules to Lift By

When it comes to getting better results in the gym people will try ANYTHING. And I mean anything. From supplements to crazy programs, the plethora of options at the hands of those wanting to make gains is seemingly endless. That being said, the answer for most of the clients I have worked with is actually right in front of them. I like to summarize it into three simple, easy to follow rules.

Rule Number One: Improve your exercise execution: Too many lifters go through the motions when it comes to the actual technique and execution side of lifting. Consider each weightlifting or training session more of as technical/practice-based event than an expression of sloppily throwing around weights. If you make an effort to perform MOST of your reps perfectly, you will no doubt notice a marked increase in several things. First, you will see improved muscle activation. The rate at which you fatigue increases, this is not bad. The tension you accumulate in the TARGET muscle will increase drastically; this allows you to get more growth out of less work. That's a good thing.

Why is this a good thing? The less work you have to do to stimulate growth means, the more frequently you can apply that stimulus. Marathon sessions can be fun and have there place, but if your execution is good you can get more out of less and start stimulating muscle groups more often. Imagine spreading that volume out to two, three, maybe even more times per week. The same amount of volume, of better quality and slightly more frequently provides more opportunity to drive growth.

Rule Number Two: Eat like a big boy/girl.

I'm all for counting macros and being hyper-accurate with your tracking. I think anyone who is SUPER serious about weight loss, performance enhancement, or muscle gain should be tracking their food. But within that, not enough lifters pay enough attention to the quality of the food they are eating. Beyond only hitting your protein, carbs, and fats, you should be highly concerned with getting an adequate array of micronutrients. These include, of course, vitamins, minerals, and beneficial compounds found in plants.

The easiest way to level up your nutrition is to slap a solid helping of greens on your plate, snack on fruits instead of processed carbohydrate, and opt for more nutritious options WHEN you can.

It can be that simple.

Rule Number Three: Train Harder

Too many lifters train soft. I am guilty of this myself from time to time. Training should be just that - TRAINING. It's not a chance to catch a quick pump and chat it up with your lifting buddy. Do what you can to train with a degree of intensity that supports progressive overload over time. Sounds simple right? Well, it kind of is. Hard training will beat “cozy” training for most people, most times.

Quickly take inventory of your training and ask yourself, "when was the last time I worked hard?" if the answer isn't "every time I train" - something is probably up. If you are not taking sets relatively close to a failure point or adding weight to the bar on lifts, you can't expect a TON of change.

If you dont have the mental fortitude to train hard, consider a deload. If your body and nervous system are clicking, you should have no problem training hard 3-4 days per week. And if you got anything out of rule number one, you would probably assume that hard training, with good execution and frequency is the way to go. And you would be right.

In closing, let's rehash these things. I too often see trainees and lifters complaining about slowed progress. Yet when I take a look at HOW they approach the act of training, they train sloppy, train soft, and do not eat to complement their training goals. The simple act of being more mindful of technique, training closer to failure, and eating the right amount of the right foods is USUALLY all it takes to turn stalled progress into rapid progress.