43 Notes from over 25 years of training experience and observation
1- You can do more than you think. See this in action. Do one more rep when you think the set is done. Run to the next stop sign. Do one more hill sprint. Hold the isometric one more second. Just one.
2- Elimination of non-essentials can lead to breakthroughs. Find your essentials.
3- Music can be a powerful ally or a crutch. Experiments will show you the truth in each moment.
4- Change “normal” variables often. Count backwards. Walk backwards. Go underhand if you always go overhand. Do 7 or 11 reps instead of 8 or 10. Do 4 or 6 sets instead of 3 or 5.
5- Definitions are limited and can limit you. But to get where you want to go you need a clearly defined vision of the end result.
6- There is much nuance in training once you get beyond a few months of consistent training.
7- Nothing works forever. Knowing when to switch lanes is an ongoing process. You can't learn it from a book or a video.
8- Work on weak areas or stick with what you're good at? Both. Nuance. You can attack the weakness but enjoy your strengths as well.
9- Training every day may seem harder but in some ways it is easier. You no longer think about it. It's set in stone.
10- Grip. A strong grip benefits you in many ways. Simple. Carry things. Hold on to things. Vary the things by weight, distance, size.
11- Hanging from a pull-up bar or tree branch or porch beam can work wonders on your shoulder health, grip strength and spinal decompression.
12- If you have issues with food, whatever the specifics are, observation and awareness are key. Write down what you do and when and why. See the patterns. Without hating on yourself. Observe as if you were watching the birds in your backyard. From a distance.
13- Front squats, weighted dips and heavy dumbbell rows were my three favorite big lifts. They built me up more than anything else. Total body size and strength. Find your own three. Most likely a combination of a lower body exercise, an upper body press or push, and an upper body pull variation.
14- Sled dragging. Pull a heavy sled nice and slow. Forward, reverse. Pull a light sled fast. Backwards, and with the sled behind you. A few times a week and they will change your life.
15- Steps, stairs and hills are essential. Find them. Do them. All sorts of varieties.
16- There's something about training barefoot in grass or sand. Hands in the dirt too. Grounding, they call it. Whatever. I feel the energy in the mud, the grass, the tree bark, the sand and sea salt water. Definitions be damned.
17- If an exercise is doing more damage than benefit, there's always an alternative. Whether that's the same movement but a different piece of equipment or different angle or rep speed, or range of motion or isometric instead of dynamic.
18- When you learn the subtle difference between the right amount of pain and too much. There's a fine line. You have to walk out to the edge to find it. You want to push the intensity but also maintain your joint integrity. Nuance.
19- Isometrics, especially long-duration with bodyweight. Underrated game-changer. For strength, Adaptation. Healing joint issues or rehabbing injuries.
20- Motion is the potion. The body needs movement. Much more than the average human is doing. It doesn't need to be complicated. It's another daily habit that becomes second nature when it becomes who you are.
21- Motivation is mostly useless. Discipline and habits are a bit more reliable but not the end-all-be-all either. Pure desire. Who you see yourself as. When there's no other way you want to be. There's something inside you that only you can discover.
If you do, you will have something much more powerful than discipline, motivation or healthy habits. No one can show you or give it to you and thereby no one can take it away either.
22- Training partners can be fun. A hardcore gym environment can be a powerful stimulus and catalyst for strength and progress. I chose to not rely on it. Do what you will, but I don't want to rely on anyone or anything. No heavy music needed to pump me up.
23- You will learn far more from your own training journal than you will from any video on social media.
24- Injuries (whether from the gym or from life) can provide you with the most opportunity for growth. Because of the nature of an injury, it can be demoralizing or inspiring. You get to choose which it will be for you.
25- Do you need equipment? No. But it depends on what your goal is. What the ultimate vision you have in your mind for yourself.
26- The terms fitness, health, fit, healthy can be vague. Make your own standards.
27- Are you living at a high level? Do you have strength and vigor? Do you tackle any challenge in life with gusto and intensity?
28- How's your conditioning? Random challenges will let you know where you stand. Carrying cases of water up stairs. Helping someone move their house for 10 hours. How do you fare?
29- A mirror in the gym can be a distraction. If you rely on it, what will you do when it's not there?
30- How someone else performs an exercise is not always the way you will or should. Many factors influence your exercise form. But you know if you are being sloppy or not. If you are in control of the weight and your body or not.
31- Tired from a long day of work and now you have to train? Jump a few times. Then a few more. Just get the body moving. The worst thing you can do is lay down after work. Isometrics also work very well to jack up your energy naturally within a few minutes.
32- You don't need a protein shake after a workout. Or ever. They are convenient and may be a decent option for you, but they are not essential.
33- Some folks find success with morning workouts while others do not. It takes a little trial and error to find your sweet spot. I've trained at every hour of the day. I know what works for me right now.
34- What worked for you last month might not optimal anymore. Same for last year or ten years ago. Your body adapts.
35- Over-training is rare. I never met anyone who trained too much. And I've been around a lot of gyms and a lot of psycho fitness people. Your body can handle much more. But you have to learn how to progress it the right way without doing too much too soon.
36- Strength has a skill component that is often overlooked. Train a movement every day for low reps and low intensity. As practice. Working on perfecting your form. Precise. Aware. Intention focused. Over time your body will learn that movement pattern and you will gain strength without ever going near failure.
37- Lifting heavy is fun. Pushing yourself to see what you are capable of has its own reward. No one can take it from you. It's a great confidence booster.
38- Loaded carries, along with sleds can add a primal element to your training, especially if you do it outside on grass. Add in some bear crawls and handstands. See how you feel after that kind of session. Unlock another level you never knew existed.
39- Training is as much mental as it is physical. It can show you parts of yourself you don't like and others you never knew you possessed.
40- If you have limited time, short burst workouts can be effective. Even doing one exercise for 5 minutes in the morning, another one at lunch for 7 minutes and yet another after work for 5 minutes. If you push yourself hard enough, you can still see results with an unconventional plan like this. The key is in the intensity and the frequency.
41- Jump rope. It's all about the flow. People struggle with skipping rope when they try hard to jump and force the rope. When you get it right it feels smooth and fairly easy. Your feet barely leave the ground. The rope glides over your head and under your body.
42- If you are not holding yourself accountable you will benefit from having a coach and/or paying for a training plan. If you can't force yourself and you think you have zero will-power, maybe you haven't figured out your reason yet. Until you do, a good trainer can get you started building some habits.
43- If you are trying to improve on the big lifts (squat, deadlift, press, bench) it is helpful to take video of yourself. See your technique from different angles so you can adjust what needs to be fixed.