5 Tips for Greater Training Progress

1. Drop the Ego

There's a bit of a common misbelief that strength training is all about lifting as heavy as you possibly can.

Of course, lifting heavy weight is ultimately what will cause your body to adapt & grow. But, for as long as your foundation - the quality of your movement - isn't in place, you're always going to be limited with the results that you can see. 

For this reason, something that I emphasise with all of my clients is quality over quantity.

What I mean by this is that I'd always prefer 5 slow, perfectly controlled, high quality reps, over 10 rushed, low quality reps using the same weight (or more).

This might come as a surprise because the idea of "more = better" tends to be pretty firmly ingrained into our minds.

​But if you want to create a healthy, strong, & well-balanced body, you need to throw that idea out the window. 

​I say this because consistent poor form can lead to a whole host of issues & injuries down the line, which will obviously impact not just your training, but your entire life.

What's more, if you want to build strength, gain muscle, & improve your mobility, it's important that you're able to move your body & manage the weight in a slow, controlled manner throughout the entire range

Something that has served me well over the years is adjusting my perspective towards training. Instead of viewing lifting as a means to an end (e.g. completing the assigned sets & reps or attaining a certain physique or look), I try to view each workout as an end within itself.

I view each rep of an exercise as an opportunity to practice moving with complete strength & control. I aim to make each rep as perfect as the one prior.

Approaching your training this way allows you to get the most out of each every single rep, thereby making your training much more effective.

2. Follow a Program

​Hitting the gym without a program is perfect if you want to:

- Waste time
- Feel de-motivated
- Limit your results

Now I'm going to take a wild guess & assume that's not what you're aiming for.

To get the best results from strength raining, you need to be following a program that is personalised to you (based on your goals, anatomy, & preferences) & that ensures progressive overload (increases in intensity over time). 

A clearly laid out training program means you don’t have to waste time thinking about what you’re going to do at the gym. You’re also able to track numbers from one week to the next, creating a sense of progression!

Once you've got a program that you enjoy, stick to it. You don’t need to be changing your training program & trying out new exercises every week!

The best programs are simple but effective. I like to start the majority of my clients off with 3 full body workouts per week, hitting 4-5 compound movements each session & just aiming to get stronger at them each week.
​

3. Fuel Well

​Each time you train you’re essentially depleting your energy stores & creating damage within your muscle fibers.

In order for you to feel energised during your sessions, to build strength, & to recover in time for the next session, you need to be fueling your body with the nutrition it needs. 

Carbohydrates are the main macronutrient responsible for energy production, whilst protein is the key macronutrient for muscle growth & repair. 

Calorie counting is the most optimal way to ensure that you're sufficiently fueling your activity, but it's not essential.

Instead, just make sure that you're eating enough food & drinking enough water so that you feel energised & strong during your workouts. If you're feeling lethargic, low strength, & light-headed, it's probably a sign you need to up your food intake and hydration levels. 

4. Step Out Your Comfort Zone

​Once you've spent time working on your movement quality & exercise techniuqe, you're in a position to begin pushing yourself. 

By this I mean training hard. More specifically, I recommend you aim to finish each set of each exercise with the feeling that you have just a couple of reps left in you at most.

With certain exercises (e.g. a barbell back squat) this might not be applicable because it can be a little dangerous (especially if you're lifting without a spotter). 

But for the less risky, more stable movements you can safely push yourself close to the brink of failure. 

Now, important disclaimer, this won't be enjoyable. When you're deep into a set & can already feel the muscles burning you'll want to give up. But this is the point where you have to keep on pushing!

​Remember growth only takes place outside of your comfort zone!

5. Rest Up

​As mentioned earlier, each time you exercise tiny tears are created in the muscle tissue. Given enough rest these tears will be repaired & the muscles grow back bigger & stronger. But this process occurs during the rest period, not during a workout. 

​For this reason how well you recover is just as important as your training!
​
Fail to appreciate this fact & it's almost certain that you'll experience burnout/overtraining or worse, injury, at some point down the line.

Where people often go wrong as they think that recovery equates to sitting on the sofa watching Netflix & eating ice cream.. not quite. 

Real recovery means:
​
- Ensuring 6-8 hours of high quality sleep each night
- Fueling your body well
- Moving your body during the day
- Massage & other myofascial release methods
- Connecting with others
- Spending time in nature
- Meditating

Basically it's all the stuff that helps you to calm your nervous system and put your body into a state of rest & repair.

By taking the time to look after yourself in this way, you'll find that you're less prone to injury & will feel recharged each time you work out.