All posts filed under: strength

When To Go Hard and When Not to at the Gym

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Originally posted on Cody's Barbell Club:
I get it. You want fast results and the only way to do that is to train hard and workout hard. And you know what? I agree 100%. There’s no doubt hard work needs to happen to build muscle, get lean, become more athletic, and get in the shape you want. But, you know what’s also true? Training smart. Meaning: adapting your workout to the way your body feels based on sleep, stress, energy levels, injury status (if any), and life in general. Let’s be realistic guys. Not every workout you have will be your absolute best or your hardest. Why? Because getting into better shape isn’t linear and your workouts aren’t either. It may seem that way in the beginning, but eventually your results will start to level off like an exponential curve and you’ll have to get smart and creative by testing your body in new ways, like lifting heavier weights or adding new variations and exercises, and making recovery a point of emphasis, to get into better shape and health. Not only that,…

Using the Minimal Effective Effort for Strength Gains

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Originally posted on Cody's Barbell Club:
? Working out for me is about many things. I love the challenge; the struggle; the growth; and the drive to be better. To me there’s almost nothing better than getting stronger, more functional, athletic, and, of course, looking good in my underwear. This is not to mention that I truly enjoy it and it’s something that I just love doing. That being said, however, is that up until recently my progress and enjoyment stagnated. I just wasn’t getting stronger and that doesn’t equal fun. Even though I would spend a solid 2 hours in the gym beating myself up there really was no improvement. I plateaued and was left wondering why. So, what did I do? I started to do minimum effective effort, or dose, type style of training. What does this exactly mean? It means that I only do what is minimally required to achieve significant strength gains while preventing unnecessary wear and tear on my body. At first, I didn’t plan on giving this any thought, largely because I enjoy working…