Back to Basics
Back when I was starting out, I had a friend who was training a female high-school soccer player who was going to play for Notre Dame College. Yes, the Fighting Irish.
I felt I had a pretty good grasp on how to program for most people, but I thought Notre Dame, being one of the greatest and most storied athletic programs in college history, would have a very elaborate and complex programming system way out of my league. My friend had a copy of the program that Notre Dame had given his client, and I asked to see it.
Imagine my surprise when I saw that her program looked almost exactly like most of the programs I'd written for my clients. Yes, there were a few small differences, but for the most part, they looked the same. They were working on the basics.
Sometimes people think the basics are for beginners, but that's not the case at all. When you grasp the basics well, you realize you always come back to them.
Here are the four exercise basics that always matter. And just to let you know, if you're looking for the “Silver Bullet Secret Your Trainer Doesn't Want You to Know” in this list… you'll be disappointed.
Exercise Basics
Movement and posture first. Whatever your goal is, you must focus on your movement and posture. Without that, you won't be able to get everything you can out of your workouts, and you won't feel very good in the process.
Strength second. I'll keep this simple. When you train for strength, you build muscle which helps… well, everything. It also helps with your mindset in more ways than I can explain right now.
Be consistent. It doesn't get any more basic than this. You won't get results if you don't show up. It is surprising to me how many people lack basic consistency.
Work hard. This doesn't mean you have to kill yourself every session or anything like that but push yourself. If a weight is easy, get a heavier one. If you're doing a circuit, move faster. Push yourself just 1% harder, and you'll see better results. Not rocket science.
This doesn't have to be hard; as I've written many times, it shouldn't be. I hope it clears some things up for you.
