We’ve made lifting way harder than it needs to be

At some point, training stopped being about getting stronger and turned into trying to optimize everything. Even those of us that don’t necessarily subscribe to the full “science-based” culture sometimes slip into the trap. We start looking for things like:

• Perfect splits

• Perfect exercises

• Perfect timing

• Perfect supplements

Meanwhile, things like progress begins to stalls without us realizing it.

There was a line that I read from Dave Tate that honestly summed it up perfectly:

people are obsessing over the margins while ignoring the middle

Dave Tate

That’s exactly what’s happening right now for so many people.

The part that actually matters (and that nobody wants to focus on)

The basics. Fundamentals are the most important part, even though they can be boring. That’s the problem

It’s not exciting to hear simplicity, but here it is:

• show up 3–5 days a week

• get stronger over time
  eat enough protein

• sleep like an adult

• repeat that for months

That’s literally what builds your physique. It’s the bottom line. The big, obvious stuff sitting right in front of you that makes all the difference. It just feels like nowadays, most people skip right past it.

What people would rather focus on instead

Instead of getting the job done, we get pulled into the minor details.

• Should I switch exercises?

• Am I doing the optimal variation?

• Do I need this supplement?

• Is this the best split?

None of that stuff is useless, but it’s small in the overall scheme of things. It only matters once the basics are locked in and the goals are walking a tightrope. For most people, that’s just not the case. Honestly, it might never be unless you’re a stage-bound competitor or a competition focused power lifter.

Why this matters more after 40

This hits even harder for us. In our world:

• Recovery matters more

• consistency matters more

• effort matters more

We don’t have room to waste time on things that don’t move the needle for us. You don’t need more complexity. What you do need is more execution.

The real reason people feel stuck

Contrary to popular belief, there’s certain things that don’t really play a role for us.

• It’s not genetics

• It’s not age

• It’s not some missing hack

It’s usually something small that we just don’t see.

1. you’re doing a lot of things,
   but not the right things consistently enough

Or

2. you’re doing the right things,
   just not long enough

That’s it.

What actually works

It’s not the sexy stuff that all the YouTube influencers keep talking about. It’s the same lifts, the same meals, and the the same routine done over and over until something changes.

And then, when you start seeing changes, you keep going. No reset, No “new plan every Monday”, and no chasing something better.

Just staying consistent with it long enough to get something out of it is the one thing that counts the most.

If you take one thing from this

Stop looking for what you’re missing. You’re probably not missing anything. You’re just not giving the basics enough time to work. Simple.

For those of you that want a second set of eyes on your training to actually figure out what matters vs what doesn’t, just hit reply to this email. I read every single one personally.

— Rob