Do you OVERTHINK your training program too much?

Welcome to this week’s newsletter…

With the overwhelming amount of training information we have access to, it’s easy to overthink and second guess our programs constantly.

You’re just getting into a new training program, you’re motivated and keen to make progress…

Then all of a sudden you read an article, speak to a friend, chat to a PT or start reading a book and now you’re wondering if you need to change it.

The “fear of missing out” or thinking there’s always a better approach takes over.

Does this sound like you?

Unfortunately there’s a few reasons this could hinder your longterm progress:

• You enjoy training less as you never think what you’re doing is good enough.

• You don’t give your body a chance to adapt and respond when you constantly change, or tweak your program.

• You try to cram too much into one program or have multiple goals at one time.

I was this way for years so I get it by the way…

I am naturally analytical, prone to overthinking plus I study resistance training and exercise so it’s not a good combination!

Let’s discuss a few REAL truths about resistance training and how to make longterm progress.

And most importantly ENJOY training!

Accept that the perfect training program does NOT exist!

There will always be something you can’t include or give focus to if you have other training goals or priorities that are more important.

It can be easy to keep adding more exercises because you’re concerned a muscle or area isn’t being focused on enough.

The issue here is that you risk burning out by training too long or training too much to fit everything in.

Stick to 1-2 at MOST clear training priorities at a time and actually achieve them.

These priorities can change in your NEXT program or training phase.

As Dan John says, “the goal is to keep the goal the goal”.

Understand you don’t need to change your program that often…

Completely changing it every other week is just not necessary.

We are all different but the reality is most people can remain on the same program much longer than they think, AND keep making progress.

Keep a training log and stay focused on the improvements you are making.

If you are seeing fairly consistent improvements (increasing resistance, adding reps, better control) then what you are doing is WORKING.

Once you hit a plateau for a couple of weeks THEN it’s time to think about making changes.

I totally understand people get bored doing the same thing for too long.

However, when you track what you’re doing and seeing progress it keeps you motivated.

You don’t have to stay on a program forever, just don’t feel you need to change it all the time.

Or change it just for the sake of changing it.

Make smaller tweaks as you change your program rather than doing something totally different…

This was a game changer for me as personal trainer as I used to feel I needed to keep clients interested by completely changing everything every few weeks.

The reality is I was probably overwhelming them.

The thing is a few minor tweaks are all that’s really needed to stimulate the body a little differently.

These minor tweaks and changes could look like the following:

• Switching your main rep ranges from 6-8 reps to 10-12 reps.

• Switching from a 15 degree incline DB press to a 30 degree incline DB press.

• Changing the grip on a lat pull down or seated cable row.

• Changing your rep speed and tempo.

As you can see you don’t need big drastic changes, and it stops you overthinking too much knowing it’s not necessary.

Keep it simple…

Have a clear vision and goal for what you’re training for…

Clarity and a clear goal has a good way of stopping you from overthinking your training program.

When you have a clear goal or vision for what you wish to achieve, you are more likely to stick to something and enjoy the process too.

You will be less likely to be influenced by everything around you and what others might be telling you too.

You don’t need to have massive goals either, just something that keeps you on track and STAYING IN YOUR LANE.

Write it down and review it regularly too.

Especially if you read a lot of training information and articles…

To wrap up…

Remember to keep in mind the most important things about longterm resistance training are the following:

• You are seeing progress.

• You are ENJOYING training.

• You strive to find what works best for YOU.

• You are (hopefully) avoiding injuries and staying pain free.

If you would like to know more about working with me and have any follow up questions.

Reach out to me on LinkedIn, OR email me personally at [email protected].

An assessment is the best way to plan the most effective AND safe training program for you moving forwards.

For now thanks for reading today, and stay tuned for the next edition of Train For Life next Saturday!

Daryl