Simplicity Applied to Fitness (and a Q&A)
This month at The Path of Strength we have a shorter article for you, which we follow up with a long form Q&A.
Simplicity Applied to Fitness Training
Training and programming can become very complex, very quickly. It can be fun to immerse yourself in the complexity for a while, even when it’s confusing and unproductive. At a certain point, though, you might start to yearn for simplicity.
Complexity fatigue
Sometimes we are unconsciously drawn into complexity. After all, we live in an information-rich environment. Videos, in particular, are optimized to compete for our attention while we scroll websites. For the intellectually curious who is newer to training, it is likely that they are indulging in a disparate collection of competing training approaches. It has been my observation that young men in particular can suffer from a fear of missing out on the greatest, latest, or most optimal combination of programs. Odds are that they are creating their own hybrids using two or three systems at a time. At the very least they may be choosing a time-proven program, and then making their own bold changes to it. They are probably doing this without having a thorough understanding of any of these systems. This rarely works out well.
After delving in like this for some time they may come out the other side. They get to the point where they experience some kind of complexity fatigue. Irrepressible questions arise: Do I need to consume endless videos and articles about what I am missing out on in my training? Can’t training be simple?
It doesn’t have to be this way.
You can simplify the structure of your training. You can reduce the complexity of your decisions when you make your training plans or make training decisions in the moment.
However, before you can have simplicity, you need clarity.
Clarity can come through experience, but experience takes time. Clarity can also come by asking yourself questions. So, start asking some questions.
Large, medium, & small questions
What kinds of questions do you ask? Let’s keep this simple and think in terms of scale: large, medium, and small.
Start with the large scale. What big concept questions can you ask yourself? Begin with considerations like:
What are you training for?
What do you need or want to accomplish?
Big questions like these will lead to more moderate-sized questions. To generate medium questions, you might go through various physical qualities and ask yourself the relative importance of each, in relation to the goals and needs that you have already identified. General qualities might include:
Aerobic fitness
Strength
Speed
Durability
Duration
After going through general qualities, you can then move to the small questions. Examine each quality that you’ve identified as important and put it under the microscope. Analyze in greater detail just how you need to use it. Some examples might be:
How long do I need to carry out bouts of aerobic work and at what intensity?
How exactly will I need to use my strength? For how long and how often?
What are the most common injuries in my occupation or sport?
Methods
Finally, once this three part needs analysis is done, move on to considering the methods of how you will train. You can apply the same principle of asking good questions to this step as well.
As one example, reflect on your conditions for training. What are your personal parameters? You will want to consider such things as:
Time available for training
Equipment / environment
Training alone or with others
Personal experience level and training knowledge
Physical condition and injuries
Current fitness
Timelines
Once you have asked the right questions and have developed some clarity, it will then be time to either choose a program or develop one to meet your needs. Remember what you learned during your self-questioning, and stick to your plan. As the philosopher of strength, Dan John, has said,
“The goal is to keep the goal the goal.”
The simpler the approach, the more likely that you will execute on it well. Training can be made too simple. It shouldn’t be too simple, just simple enough. So, ask good questions.
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For related thoughts, please see my piece on efficiency vs resilience: https://thepathofstrength.substack.com/p/how-to-find-balance-in-training
Q&A
Last month I asked readers to submit questions for a long form question and answer segment. Here they are.
“I wanted to ask you, my son has been begging me to take him to the gym. He’s a fit soon to be ten year old. Is he too young and if so or not can you recommend some exercises he can do for increasing speed and explosive first steps? He’s a soccer player. Is he too young to lift? If we do it together that would also help me.” - Mike
He’s not too young. He can start to learn good training habits now. I think that weight training should not be the focus yet but we’ll get into that.
The gym can be useful if you make it a special environment for serious focus. You can start taking him to the gym to work on building lifelong habits, focus, and technique. This is also a great opportunity to get yourself healthy and be a solid role model for your son, and to build that all important bond with your kid.
Priorities at his age and experience:
Develop positive health and fitness habits and lifestyle
Learn to work smart
Develop basic proficiency and physical literacy starting with bodyweight exercises:
Recline rows
Chinups
Squats
Lunges
Pushups
Step-ups
Planks and other midsection exercises
Jump rope
Callisthenics such as burpees, and jumping jacks
Make sure he becomes proficient at all of these exercises before he gets into more complex movements and begins to use weights. He will need constant supervision, and most gyms will require it.
Have him work on his running outside of the gym. For now, don’t worry so much about his speed and explosiveness. That will come as he develops his strength and efficiency.
Depending upon his maturity and commitment to good technique, at some point, using your judgement, you can start introducing him to light weights for high repetitions. Stick to simpler tools like medicine balls, dumbbells, kettlebells, and a stick or pvc pipe. Begin by having him apply these weights to the fundamental movements that he has already been practising. Let him develop further maturity, experience, technique and strength before introducing him to more complex movements.
Throughout this process the focus should remain on lifestyle, learning, and his relationship with you.
Keep the sessions short, varied, and fun. Take the opportunity to teach him about nutrition and sleep.
This simple approach can take you both a long way.
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“Is collagen in a supplement nonsense or real life?” -Michelle
I am not a big supplement user, so I went to my four go to nutrition guys to see what they had written.
Neither Peter Attia nor Andrew Huberman seem to have much to say on collagen. Nor does Lonnie Lowery.
I looked on John Berardi’s site and found one article, which wasn’t positive on collagen. The article did present a few points to ponder, which I outline below.
If you are considering taking collagen for connective tissue health, keep the following points in mind:
It seems that most research has been funded by related industries.
There is a general lack of good information and research.
There are some lifestyle steps to take care of and I think that these should be considered before supplementation:
Eat a healthy diet with lots of quality protein. A good balance of amino acids will likely benefit your connective tissue.
Get adequate sleep.
Don’t smoke.
Don’t drink to excess.
Exercise.
If you are taking care of all of the above, and you want to delve into collagen or other supplements, then keep abreast of the research and proceed with due consideration.
Thanks to Mike and Michelle for sharing questions this month.