Over Analysis

Yesterday I spoke to you about thinking about your progress and your weaknesses and whether or not your training is addressing those weaknesses and how it’s effecting your progress.  I also spoke to you about balance and its need in training.

When I tell people to think about their training I’m always careful to follow it up with this advice:

Don’t over-think it.

Probably fifty percent of the athletes I speak with and general people training who are asking questions have a tendency to do that.  They’re so worried about having the absolute optimal program and they spend so much time analyzing what they’re doing that they don’t actually do what they’re supposed to be doing.  The worst thing is – the smarter you are the more prone you are to do this.

Here’s a sort of startling fact about most people in physical training.  They never really get past the beginner level even often times with years of training.  Yes you need to think about what you’re doing and yes you need to be analytical about it, but let me tell you how that really applies.  If you’re deadlifting 700lbs and looking to move to 750 – you’ve probably got enough experience and enough skill at gutting it out that you need to be analyzing mis-cues that make a huge difference in your progress.

However if you’re trying to move your deadlift up from 300 to 325 after a year or so of training (unless you’re 105 pounds) then here’s the reality: More than likely everything is weak and you just need to deadlift harder and get better at the actual movement.  If you have an obvious flaw i.e. you pull 300 like a champ, but 305 stays nailed to the floor – then you’re obviously weak off the floor and there’s probably a few simple things you can do to fix it like pulling off a block.

Yes be smart about making progress.  Be analytical about what you do, but be analytical when it counts – when you actually know how to do a lift.  When you know that you’re hardnosed enough to gut a lift out when necessary.  Same applies to every other facet of training.  If you’re flipping a 500 pound tire and you get stopped at 10 reps every time probably you just need to work harder at flipping tires and maybe get around some people who will up your mental game.

Now if you fail at 10 reps every time because your fingers cramp and your hand convulses into a tight a little ball and you can’t move it for 24 hours then grip is the issue and you need to work on that.  See – simple problem, simple analysis.

The big point is that you think so much you stop doing.  In fact sometimes its better not to change what you do and simply re-double your mental effort.

Here are some programs that’ll make you mentally and physically tough without having to over-think.  It’s all set up for you, just pick ‘em up, apply the effort and you’ve got ready-made progress.

God Bless,
Bud Jeffries