The Strength Resource

Every fitness professional has been asked:

”How much rest do I need after doing [x]?”

Go to any internet forum and you will understand why they are asked this. There is a lot of bullshit floating around concerning recovery practices – “you must take two days off after every squat workout, benching more than three times in a week without sleeping ten hours each night will cause your shoulders to die while the rest of your body keeps on living…” – as I said, a lot of bullshit. Luckily, the answer is simple. Here it is:

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Many athletes operate on a classic M/W/F or T/T/S cycle. That is to say, they either workout on Monday, Wednesday and Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Athletes who train multiple facets of development may work out on all of these days (ex.):

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“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?” – Robert Browning

Introduction

Anyone who’s ever done martial arts has been told to “[hit/kick/strike] through the pad”. This is a useful little visualisation which makes sure your strikes penetrate into your target and don’t decelerate. Applying this same habit to your training can make a world of difference.

So what does this have to do with training?

A close friend of mine is currently training hard to hit 500lbs in the deadlift. He pulls a strong 405lbs. Should he aim for 410lbs, then 415lbs, 420lbs… 495lbs, 500lbs, and inch his way to glory — or should he aim for 450lbs, then power on to 500lbs? I think you can guess what I think. Here’s why:

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