We Have To Challenge Ourselves In Order to Grow

We Have to Challenge Ourselves to Grow

The secret to great training is creating an engaging combination of working on what we WANT to do and what we NEED to do. We have to challenge ourselves to push outside of what is comfortable but at the same time we need to balance that challenge with movements and exercises that we enjoy to maximize adherence and engagement. So how do we do that?

Framing Challenges

            For myself, I believe the first step in navigating wants and needs in programming is I try to frame the exercise that I NEED to do as something that’s going to make me better/improve which is what I WANT in the long term. So, I frame my needs as things that are going to get me to where I want to be. This helps me identify early on what I need to work on and fix, the things that are going to help me reach my current goal in training.

For example, right now I’m on a cut with my diet, so the things I WANT in the short term (higher fats and sugars, convenience in eating, not having to worry about meal plans) are in a bit of direct conflict in what I NEED to be successful in my cut (meal planning, carbohydrates based around the periworkout window, lower fat intake). So what I’ve done is frame my NEED for the diet to be successful as something that is going to achieve what I WANT on the long-term goals (lower bodyweight, fueled appropriately for training). If we can separate our long term and short term WANTS it makes it much easier to see the value in adhering to current NEEDS that are going to affect the long-term goal/WANT.

Balancing Training NEEDS vs WANTS

            In training all I WANT to do is hit heavy squats, benches, and deadlifts. I LIVE for the three powerlifts and getting to load up the bar with as much weight as possible on the day. Max Effort work makes me happy; but Max Effort work that isn’t as heavy as I want it to be makes me a miserable cranky old man. I know that in order for the Max Effort work to be successful that means I need to be moving perfectly and strong through my entire body to support the bar and maintain leverage against it. I can’t get that whole body tightness solely from Max Effort barbell work, I know that I NEED unilateral, isometric, and hypertrophy work through my accessories to support that Max Effort work.

            For my training then I need to create exposures on the movements that I NEED to support the ultimate long-term WANT of growing my strength on the big 3. For example, my squat requires me to have plentiful ankle mobility, hip internal mobility, adductor strength, glute engagement, and optimum external rotation in my soulder. Those are my checkpoints I use to gauge my squat readiness, knowing that if any of those qualities are off that my overall squat is going to suffer. So, I use my warmup routine and accessories to check off those readiness qualities.

            Warm Up:      

1. Hip internal rotation (stretching and IR Bias 1 leg kb dl)

2. External Shoulder Mobility (Wall Slides, Mcleod Flys)

3. Adductor (banded adduction or Copenhagen pulses)

4. Ankles (calf stretch and ankle/tibia manipulation)

Once these qualities have been adequately worked on, I know I’m prepared to do my squatting for the day. If during my squatting I notice one area that isn’t performing up to my standard I make a note of it and be sure to target that on my accessory work. Notably my right hip internal rotation is poor and so I ensure that my accessory work post squatting (or the day before as priming work) has movements that challenge my hip internal mobility (split squats with an IR bias, lateral/curtsy lunges, glute extension from a kneeling position, etc).

Conclusion

            Focusing on the balance of our WANTS and NEEDS with training is essential for putting together effective training blocks. We cannot simply embrace our hedonistic tendencies and only do what feels good and fun. We must challenge ourselves and embrace a degree of suffering to take ourselves to that next level of performance. We should strive to be honest with our short-term NEEDS that are going to help us achieve our long term WANTS. The short-term WANTS can sometimes be at odds with our current NEEDS and we should prioritize the challenging components over the easy short-term exercises that may be super fun and enjoyable but are not the difficult things we need to be improving. By framing our short-Term NEEDS as the key to our long term WANTS we empower ourselves to lean into the challenge of improving performance. Taking the time to identify the key support elements of our squat, bench, and deadlifts will help us see the value in addressing those needs and not ignoring them to indulge in the WANT of just maxing out every day and creating uneven and unpredictable progress.

            Embracing the challenge is the first step to making training engaging and exciting after long years spent in the gym. Training is a grind, creating new challenges and goals help tremendously in helping to mitigate the exhausting aspects of that grind. So the next time you think about just calling it a day after hitting your main lifts, think about whether your body really needs the extra recovery, or do is want a new challenge that gives you something to be proud of after each session.