There are a lot of options out there when it comes to training the body.
Just scroll through social media and you’ll see countless experts touting the benefits of their method.
The truth is, there is more than one way to get to the top of a mountain.
Many things will work.
But there is also a lot of noise in an algorithm-based world.
Before we learn how to cut through the noise, a few thoughts on science vs experience.
The Science Vs Experience Argument
Often times, the arguments come down to science vs experience.
The science guys love to shield their arguments with data. The experience guys love to earn their convictions in the trenches.
There is value in both.
The beauty of science is that the results have been “proven” to be repeatable, but often the methods are misleading, incentivized by funding, or built on and derived from former studies.
Can you always trust the science?
The beauty of experience is that often a coach has been in the “lab” long enough to produce consistent results without the use of formalized testing. The results are their proof, despite not always explaining exactly why they got there.
Should they be dismissed simply because they lack the data?
The problem is that these results may not be reproducible at scale, or the coach is incentivized by personal gain.
Add in chemically-enhanced influencers who promise unrealistic results and well…
Can you always trust the experience?
Which is why it’s important to consider these 4 things before adding a new method to your routine.
1. Is it progressive?
First, can you progress the method for continued adaptations? The human body is remarkably adaptable, yet it’s also amazingly resistant too.
Many new methods, tools, or movements can elicit an adaptation, but can you continually repeat that indefinitely?
Weight training, for example, uses the principle of progressive overload to consistently make further adaptations by increasing resistance.
That’s why resistance training is a staple of most training routines.
Similarly, a thoughtful system has a way to regress movements too.
If you can’t progress or regress a method you will not likely continually make beneficial changes.
My preferred progressive methods are kettlebell, clubbell, and bodyweight training.
2. Is it sustainable?
Although many methods are progressive, some are not sustainable.
The first that comes to mind is CrossFit. Many consider CrossFit a young persons activity, as the body can handle the volume and intensity in its earlier years.
Over time, this type of demand on the system can lead to injury and burnout.
That’s not to say CrossFit can’t be regressed and sustained for years, but there is an individual aspect of sustainability.
Is the method sustainable for you?
Results come from consistency, and as we know, health, fitness, and longevity is a marathon with no finish line.
Is this something you can sustain for the long term?
CrossFit, heavy barbell lifting, and ice baths are not sustainable for me.
Loaded mobility training, mace swinging, and Foundation Training are.
3. Does it deliver results?
Speaking of results, it may be the most important rule to consider, but progressive and sustainable are the factors that contribute to desired outcomes.
There are countless methods claiming to produce specific results, but when they don’t, you’re no longer training…you have a hobby.
Training should elicit a result, but sometimes when methods lack scientific data, you have to invest time to see for yourself.
Just because a method doesn’t have the data to support why it works should we stop doing it?
And if a method does have data to support its results, but they come at the expense of something else, like mechanical abrasion or spinal compression, should we continue to use it?
I usually give a new method 6 weeks before continuing on or scrapping it.
However, sometimes the progress slows but the enjoyment of the method continues.
Which brings us to the last rule.
4. Do you enjoy it?
Im a big believer in spending time on things you enjoy. If something is enjoyable you are much more likely to sustain it.
If something is a tedious chore you have to muster willpower to accomplish each session, it wont last.
If you like squatting heavy weights, do that.
If you like fake sword fighting with pool noodles in the park, do that.
At the end of the day, movement wins.
If you can find something that hits most of these rules, keep it.
For example, I enjoy Foundation Training and it’s something I do regularly that helps with back pain. I see myself doing it for the rest of my life.
But it’s not very progressive. So, 3 out of 4?
I’ll keep it.
Final Thoughts
One of the greatest martial artist of all time, Bruce Lee, said it best, “Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, and add what is uniquely your own.”
There is value in science-backed training methods, and there is room for empirical, experience-based wisdom too.
But there is also space for simply enjoying how you move your body.
We must use our critical thinking skills, weigh the risks and rewards of a method, and consider what we enjoy doing, because we only have so many hours in the day.
I always keep an open mind and like to test something for myself before writing it off.
But the methods I write about in this newsletter are the things that fulfill most of the rules above.
They are what I’ve found to deliver the highest value, best results, and most enjoyment with the least amount of risk and time demands.
But, ultimately, it’s up to you to add what is uniquely your own.
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