I’ve been training for close to a decade now, and in that time as I was progressing, I learned many things that I wish I knew from the start so that I didn’t waste multiple training years doing what I thought I was supposed to.
And if you’re in this camp, don’t blame yourself. There’s a lot of information on the internet, including a lot of incorrect and misleading information. Not to mention there are trainers on the job who are completely clueless because they stopped educating themselves after their CPT course.
I want you to be as successful as possible and have a clear roadmap to where you want to be. So with that, here’s five training tips you need to know to be successful.
Prioritize Multi-Joint Movements
What is a multi-joint movement? Basically, it’s a movement that involves more than one joint. An example would be a squat where you’re moving at the hip joint, the knee joint, and the ankle joint.
Compare this to an isolation exercise where only one joint is being used to complete a movement. An example would be a bicep curl.
When I started training, I was under the impression that isolation exercises like bicep curls, triceps pushdowns and leg extensions would get me the results I wanted.
I assumed moves like big back squats and deadlifts were simply for those wanting to get stronger, not build muscle. So I prioritized my isolation movements and made very minimal progress before plateauing.
But here’s the deal, multi-joint movements need to be the backbone of your training because you’re able to work more than one muscle at a time, giving you an opportunity to add more volume to multiple areas at once.
And increases in volume will result in increases in muscle growth.
Isolation movements have their place, yes, but they should be left for at the end of your training session. The real meat of your workout should be big compound movements in the lower rep ranges. I’m talking around 4-6 reps here.
Because as you build strength, that strength will give you the ability to lift heavier weights for more reps, AKA more volume, AKA more muscle growth.
Have a Consistent Routine
If you’re on Instagram or any other social media site, you’ve probably seen "fitness influencers" post their “workout of the day” on their page, with constantly different routines.
This probably makes you think you should be switching up your routine constantly, with the incorrect assumption that you need to confuse your muscles.
Here’s the real truth: the reason Instagram influencers post different routines every day is because real training is boring, and not interesting to highlight.
And typically, they’re not actually doing the routine they’re showing off. That’s not how they got the body they have. They just need to entertain and constantly keep their audience engaged.
As I said, real training is boring. You’re performing the same lifts every week looking to make small improvements over time. And the only things we’re changing are the factors surrounding those exercises, like number of reps, sets etc.
If you’re constantly changing your routine around doing the newest BS exercise you saw online, this will work fine when you start training because your muscles haven’t adapted to any past training, and now they have something to adapt to.
But, just like I did, you’ll quickly hit a plateau training like this because you won’t be providing a constant stimulus for your muscles to adapt to and grow stronger. Our bodies grow by adapting to training stresses.
So keep a constant routine, focusing on those multi-joint movements.
Quality Over Quantity
When I first started training, If I wasn’t sweating profusely and had a crazy pump going, I didn’t have a good workout and it was all for nothing.
So when I was in the gym I was constantly looking to perform as many exercises as I could until I was dead tired because, in my mind, barely being able to walk to my car after my 3 hour long workout was a sign of a good training session.
But here’s the thing I wish I knew: all that extra BS I was doing in the gym was junk volume.
Consistently honing in on your main multi-joint movements and making small improvements over time, and then recovering properly from those training sessions will deliver the results you want. Period.
This means you may be in the gym for an hour or less, around 3-4 days a week. And the rest of that time can be spent resting or in active recovery like walking or biking.
If you’re performing three hour workouts until you barely stand, you’re on a path to overtraining and overstressing your body. Strength training delivers a stimulus to the body, and then we must recover to allow our bodies to adapt to that stress and grow.
Stop Following Fad Diets
It’s 2022 and carbs are the root of all evil again. If you even eat one carb you’re going to gain 50 pounds of pure body fat. All you should be eating is meat and sticks like our ancestors.
Do you know who peddles and promotes these carb-free all-meat diets? Those who sell BS products based around these ways of eating. Those who aren’t actually interested in helping you be stronger and healthier. They just want your money.
And I’m not talking down to you here like I’m some almighty genius. I was in this same boat when I began training. It was all protein all fat all day. Not a carb in sight.
When it comes specifically to resistance training, you need carbohydrates in your system. Plain and simple. They should be your prioritized macronutrient and take up most of your diet.
Carbs are what give our bodies energy and they help in the muscle repairing process and help avoid muscle loss. They are essential.
Genetics Are a Real Factor
This is something that you need to know when it comes to body types and the way that certain people look.
You’ll often see articles come out when an actor gets buff for a movie role and they’ll share, allegedly, the food they ate and the training routine they went through to look that way.
But here’s the deal, I could do everything that Chris Hemsworth does to look like Thor. I could eat exactly what he eats, I could train exactly how he trains, I could take the same
“supplements” he takes, and I would never look anything like Chris Hemsworth.
This is because genetics do play a factor in things like how you store fat on your body, what muscles are more prone to growth and the way your muscles look on your frame.
This is a sad truth, trust me. I’m only 5’8”. I have to use a box to reach the pull-up bar.
But I put this on my list to say this: stop looking at the way other people look and being disappointed when you don’t look that way.
Strength training is for everybody, and when you do get in the best shape of your life and you’ve built muscle and feel great, you have your body. So be proud of it.
If you want to watch our full-length video on this subject, click here.
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