The Basics of Progression

New Year, New You We are over 6 weeks into 2015 and by now many of the New Year Resolutionists will be divided into two groupds; the ones that have given up and the ones that are still going strong. For most, it's easy to give up something that is taking up a lot of your time, especially if you don't enjoy what it is that you are doing. Many people that decide to go with the whole "new year, new me" mantra often can't sustain what they are trying to achieve and it all goes to pot. Whether it's just lack of enthusiam or more often than not, it's when results don't happen immediately, after all, we have all seen those adverts that offer complete body transformation in 30 days and those things are true right? ....right?? Results take time to achieve. Progression is what we all strive for when it comes to the gym whether that is an increase in strength or more muscle mass and a lower body fat percentage. It can be very easy to think that progress will be linear but that couldn't be farther than the truth. Progress is never a straight line. Sometimes you will move forward, sometimes backwards, sometimes you will spin your wheels. The important thing to realise about making progress is that you understand the basics of what you need to do to make it in the first place.

I've put together some key areas that need your full attention if making progress is your goal. These are In no order as all are as important as each other.

Technique and Approach

In order to perform at your absolute best (and to prevent injuries) you need to ensure that the technique you are using to execute a certain lift is of good quality. Proper technique can mean the difference between adding weight to the bar consistently or being stuck and stalling with progress due to inefficiency.

Form does NOT have to be textbook. Many people get too caught up about tiny little aspects of their form that aren't "textbook", well I have news for you... "textbook" / "perfect" form is only perfect for the person that it is based on. Differences in limb lengths and biomechanics will determine what is "perfect" form for you.

For me, as long as you can perform the lift smoothly, through the full ROM (ie proper squat depth) and you don't get hurt doing so... then your form is fine. Of course, you also need to take into consideration your efficiency with the lift too. Don't forget, lifting heavy weight is inherently difficult but you should be able to tell if something is harder than it should be by assessing your technique.

One of the best ways to assess your technique is to video yourself from many different angles. Don't just use angles that flatter you and make your form look better than it is, you won't to expose your problems so that you can address and improve them. Your approach to training should be planned out. I have tried many different routines since I started my own transformation. It is better to stick with one approach and be consistent with it, however I have tried different routines primarily to be able to review them. That being said, as long as you are consistent with the exercises you are doing and you are moving in the right direction body or strength wise then all is well. If you are constantly changing your exercise selection and training pattern and find you aren't getting stronger or achieving your body goal... well you're just winging it and you need to stop and get with a program!

Logging Information

How are we expected to measure how well we are performing if we don't actual track the data needed to establish it?

Most people who go to the gym just "workout", they turn up, do some exercise then go home. That's fine. However if you are serious about performance then you need to train. Training requires aiming for specific goals and monitoring the progression towards it.

The easiest thing to do is get an app for your phone and start logging every set, every rep of every weight you lift in a session. As months and years go by you will be able to see a clear picture of how you have progressed and where you stalled. This is crucial for developing future performance.

This doesn't just apply to training. Nutrition is the same deal. I know people that still go off meal plans and guessing. These people will never be 100% of what they could be because I'm afraid any individual who tracks and knows the EXACT nutritional intake they have each day versus the same individual who just "eats by feel" will always perform better. Always. Disagree and you're in denial.

Tracking nutrition has been invaluable to me because I cross reference it with my training. Say I had a great week a few months ago that I remember hitting new PR's and at the moment I'm struggling with my sessions. I often go back and check what my diet was like that week. Usually it turns out my macronutrient intake was really on point that week and the quality of food I was taking in was very high standard. It could just be that I was taking in more food in general.

The important thing to remember is if you don't track your training and nutrition you have no data to work with. No data = no real way of gauging performance. Of course, if you have never squatted 180kg before and then one day you do, you know you have gotten stronger. It helps to gauge performance based of rep work too, that way you know you are improving without needing to "test" yourself with 1RM attempts. For example, let's say I bench 120kg for 3 reps one month, then the following month I am able to rep it for 5 reps. This is a clear indication I have gotten stronger.

Consistency

This applies to anything in life. If you want to achieve something you must be consistent with your approach to it or you will never get to your destination.

Do you know how musicians become so good at what they do? How a footballer becomes so good at scoring goals? How actors become so convincing? They practice. They don't just practice any old thing either. They practice the thing they are trying to master over and over and over until they perfect it.

The people that get the most impressive results in strength and size developments are the ones pounding out the same thing over and over again.

If you want to have a strong squat, bench and deadlift then you need to be training them, consistently. You cannot expect to be at your best with these lifts if you spend all your time doing other lifts or if you follow some "beach ready" workout from a magazine.

This is what separates the people that truly need to be strong vs those who just desire it. Those who need it badly will go through the monotony to achieve their goals. Those who merely want it will quit and try some other method or "shortcut" to try and get there.

They won't. You must apply consistency to your nutrition the same way you must your training. There's not much point in putting 100% into your training if you are just going to wing it when it comes to nutrition. Be consistent with your calorie intake, ensure you hit your optimal macronutrients and ensure you eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals.

One other very important thing you can't forget is rest. You really need to make sure you are consistent with your sleeping pattern just as much as you are everything else. Sleep is very, very important. If you're constantly staying up late, sleeping at irregular times, you're going to have a bad time in the gym.

Dedication

Consistency leads into dedication, for it requires a great deal of dedication to get the job done. Once again, this applies to many aspects of life, not just the gym.

Dedication is not to be confused with motivation, dedication is what gets you to the gym on those days you really don't feel like training. Motivation is what you get when somebody or something inspires you, unfortunately motivation is a very short lived emotion. It can dwindle quicker than you can flick from a powerlifting motivation video to the latest funny cat video blog.

Dedication is not something that can be taught. It's either there or it isn't. The old saying "you just have to want it" is bullshit. "You just have to NEED it" is more apt. If you need something, you really fucking need it. If you only want something... "Ah there's always tomorrow for that".

Without dedication you will not achieve your true potential. It's very easy to go on a forum or a YouTube channel and get frustrated because someone has a better physique than you or they are stronger. When you feel that happening, take a step back, be brutally honest with yourself and ask "Am I really as dedicated as this individual?". I am almost certain the answer you will give yourself is no.

Being dedicated doesn't mean removing everything else from your life. That would be the worst possible thing you could do. You need balance in life. Being dedicated means getting what you set out to do done regardless of whatever else is happening. You find a way. You are more likely to stay commited to your endeavour if you also continue doing the other things that you enjoy.

Patience

This one. This one right here is what most if not all people manage to screw themselves over with. Making progress takes time. "Rome wasn't built in a day" as they say and neither will your dream physique or goal powerlifting total. Of all the people I have given help to with their own progression the most common question that comes from them is always "when will I start seeing results". This is usually from people looking to build muscle or lose fat.. or both. This falls into the problem that people are fed bullshit through magazines and bodybuilding videos into how quickly these extreme transformations can be made. If they aren't 220lb and 6% body fat within 4 weeks they want to know why not and what they are doing wrong. Usually, they're doing nothing wrong, they're just incredibly delusional and impatient. As long as you appreciate that things take a long time to happen you can never go wrong here. As long as you are following these principles of progression there is no reason you cannot see results. If you aren't seeing results, it will be because one or more of these areas is not being carried out.

It's that simple.

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