How Should You Train?

I have always said that training with consistency with intention is the number one guarantor of results. What does this mean? Consistency is " a harmony of conduct or practice with profession" according to Webster's Dictionary. This means that to achieve a goal, we need to align our desires with our actions. Our desires being goals and actions being what we need to obtain them. The intention is where the effort of our actions comes in. Is your effort in your actions  matching the intensity needed to go towards your goal?

In working out, we want to achieve something. That something varies from individual. For some, it is to feel better, get stronger, play with grandkids, set a personal record, and more. It can be very overwhelming to choose where to start and how to start. Then we get into "what resources should we use" or "what materials do we need?" and that creates choice overload. Fear no more and question no more because the best thing we can do is start, be consistent, and intentional.

Recently a meta analysis looking at changes in strength and muscle mass across different training programs (essentially exercise routines) from ones that would look similar to those strength and conditioning coaches at elite institutions would use to basic old school 3x10 programs found that essentially your exercise program did not matter, your effort and intentionality did. If you want to get heavier, lift heavier, if you want more muscle, lift more sets. It does not matter how often you train, if your exercises are from the strength and conditioning version of Rosalind Franklin or from just doing 5 machines in your gym, as long as you are being intentional towards your goal.

The big takeaway for me is, lift as frequent as you want and in a manner that fits going towards your goal. Do not worry as much about where to start, just start and do whatever you choose to start with well. Obviously, this is for resistance training, but, I think there are some basic tenets that could be applied with any other form of exercise (with caution and accounting for the differences in activity).