Science vs. Hard Work
Listen, first of all I want to say that scientific training is super important. Having evidence that something works is how we drive the sport forward in a direction that is most likely to work for the masses. I’ve read the books, and I’ve read the studies, and you should too.
That being said, sometimes you have to just get your hands dirty. There is a reason why there are a lot of big, dumb motherfuckers that are very strong and very jacked. You know the ones. The guys that can’t tell you why they are strong, they just got that way from 10 years of HARD WORK.
The answer is somewhere in the middle of that guy, and the guy in the lab coat telling you how to get jacked but doesn’t look like he lifts weights.
FOLLOW A PLAN
Have an idea of the science and make sure your training is under that umbrella for the most part. That said, make room for the hard, low IQ, brutal training as well.
Doing bent over rows for sets of ten? Great. Don’t think about your volume, just do them heavy and with intensity. Shut your brain off and GO.
Doing speed work? That’s the time to look at the structure and make sure you are within the confines of what has been proven to work.
You see there? There's a balance there.
MORAL OF THE STORY
When you have one deadlift left at a meet that you have to pull to win or get your PR total, are you worried about the total volume of the day? No. Because it doesn’t matter. You have to pull that deadlift whether science says you should or not.
Elevating your training into the sphere of just head down WORK, while having other aspects that are more of the clipboard, pocket protector training is where you will find the sweet spot.
Scientific and evidence-based training works for sure, that is hard to argue. However, let the dog off the leash every so often and just grind. You’ll be happy you did when that 3rd attempt lift comes around.
