HardCORE, Spock!
The surest way to gauge progress is to have a log you can refer to. You check today’s numbers against a previous workout and they’ve either gone up or down.
If they’ve gone up, you celebrate and keep going forward. If they’ve gone down, you can reevaluate and take a tour of your training log and see if you can figure out what’s going on.
What I track
- Exercises performed
- Weights used
- Reps/exercise
- total time spent during the workout.
Note: There is no entry for “hardcoreness.”
Sometimes I’ll also rate the amount of effort I feel like I expended, but I don’t always remember. Just keeping track of these four simple things is enough to let me know if I’m making progress or standing still (getting worse).
Why doesn’t everyone do it?
After spending a few years training, and being around people who train, it’s obvious to me that not enough people track their training. Maybe they make progress, maybe they don’t. If they enjoy what they’re doing and aren’t goal-oriented, I say more power to them.
But when someone is unhappy with their results and they’re not keeping track of their training, that’s on them.
It doesn’t take a whole lot of commitment to keep a training log. It does, however, take some commitment to get started and make it a habit. And then, once it’s a habit, you’re on autopilot.
Asking better questions
If you’ve been training with biofeedback and Perpetual Progress–if you’re hitting PRs every day as so many of us here are–then you know how exciting it is to see constant progress. To see the numbers rise and rise and rise and know that time is our only limiting factor.
At the library recently, I took home a few copies of Muscle And Fitness. I’ll admit it: I love to read them. I get such a kick out of reading the ads and the articles. Of seeing the vein shots and the ALL CAPS AD COPY. Of seeing a supplement that was apparently created in the center of an Arctic glacier, fed to a unicorn, ground up with 100 ccs of rainbows, and served up just for me at a surprisingly non-affordable price. I love it.
Any supplement worth taking fills the room with smoke.
Just for fun, mind you. Hyperbole always puts a smile on my face. If you can’t smile when you see a grown man screaming his way through a hanging leg raise, you’ve got a hole in your soul the size of a grown man screaming his way through a hanging leg raise. That’s not living, my friend.
This past weekend I was flipping through the mass programs of recent issues. I started adding up some numbers.
For the numbers in the magazines, even the strongest guys would be falling far short of 20,000 lbs moved in a workout. Sometimes closer to 5,000, and that’s if they’re moving really big weight.
An experiment
Yesterday I moved over 150,000 lbs during my workout. And it was easy. And fun. And painless. Who will be stronger after a few sessions? The person who measures their workout in tons or the guy who does 3 sets of 10 on 3 movements?
If neither of us was tracking progress, however, we wouldn’t know just how drastic the difference can become.
This isn’t a knock on what anyone does. Just an observation and something for us all to think about. If that guy was hitting a PR every time he trained with 3 x 10, 5×5, 5/3/1, P90X or whatever program it was, I could shake his hand and wish him well.
It’s just not how it is. Does that make anyone a less worthy human being? An object of my scorn? Absolutely not. Training is just an activity. But seeing what passes for typical results just makes me want to do that much more to spread our message so that more people can see the results we are seeing.
We just want to ask better questions. Why would someone choose not to improve every day?
Note: volume should not be your goal, unless you want it to be your goal. I love chasing volume. I think it’s fun, and that’s my clue. It makes me bigger and stronger. Those are two of my goals and this works for me. Nothing I’m saying is based on fact, just my observations and associations in my own training. Do what makes you happy.
How good can we be?
How good can we be? Nobody knows, and that’s why this is so fun for me, and hopefully for you. To expand the limits of our potential without ever butting up against those limits. Without being forced to acknowledge that they are there.
Nothing keeps me going like curiosity. And nothing makes me more curious than constant progress. Yours, mine, Adam’s–I don’t care who it is. This is fun and it is fascinating stuff.
Find what you enjoy doing, and then biofeedback and perpetual progress will help you do it better. That’s really all this is about.
Josh
PS: Here’s Part One of an interview I did for Yusuf Clack. He writes a great blog called A Better World Through Strong Dads. He also has an awesome beard.
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{ 39 comments }
Superior write up
Yes.
I’m enjoying your blog for its no b.s. approach. Im curious though how you get the volume that high.
Mike, it changes every time. Also, it took two hours last night, which is way longer than I usually spend training. The consistent points for my volume are:
–low effort, meaning I’m always in a calm state
–only working the movements that test well
Last night I did five movements. I literally walked from heavy deadlifts to chinups to kettlebell long cycle to barbell rows to floor presses. I stopped sets when I needed to, and I didn’t start new sets until I was testing well. That said, I only needed to quit once, to make a quick trip to the restroom.
Big weights, low effort, constant testing. It’s that simple. And if anyone’s curious, I’m not sore today. In fact, I was doing a long cycle session at 6 AM this morning. And I hit a PR.
Great post Josh. The supplement part really made me laugh.
Josh so when u start your training session are u moving from you set to the next without rest , and resting later if u need to. Since I have been testing more it has been slowing me down. We sholuld always test better is what Frankie said, but I am resting way me then I use to. I guess that will change though.
Frank, it’s different every time. Testing is starting to be replaced with intuition. I rested as much as I should have and no more. Remember, speed isn’t your goal, unless it is. What I’m doing may not ever have any bearing on what you’re doing. Hell, what I did yesterday might not have any bearing on what I do tomorrow. That’s why this is so good. I may find out that I was wrong, but it just means a change in direction, not a step back.
Great article, Josh. This almost exactly echoes my current methodology. Concerning volume, which I enjoy chasing as well, IT GOES UP FAST.
on march 16th, I recorded a total volume PR with 14,000lb in a little over an hour.
on sunday, doing only short-cycle with 20kg bells and 32kg swings, I recorded 33,000lb in the same time.
volume and density for all movements seem to go up very rapidly, especially considering that I put in no excess effort. Better movement allows better movement, allows more movement.
Word. Just put in 31k myself yesterday in 36 minutes, and I went right back in today and hit several PR’s. When people ask me how I workout, I tell them. When they ask if I get results, I tell them every single day. And then go on walking back to the eliptical and doing 21′s with 25 lbs. Oh well, have fun being garbage…
I believe every person is worth as much as the next. Lifting is just an activity. A good one with benefits that can’t be overestimated, but simply an activity. Nobody’s method makes them “garbage,” but it can definitely hurt their results.
josh great piece man, i am processing everything so clearly now and intuition is a big part of that it so funny how are body will lead us if we just let it and if we just listen. gym movement is the only way i will ever train , things are progressing so easily just because i am letting them. like you guys say stop asking and start doing you will benefit i have outstanding work .
Mike, I think you should reconsider the move up to 260. I think you’d make a fine-looking bowling ball!
josh
perhaps i will rethink lol, its funny since the gripnrip i have put on 18 solid pounds. tell you the truth it has never been easier. i was 220 then. i used this exact protocol adam has been talking about. test movement specific to my goals let my body lead the way. Everything he taught me i have tested and everything he said has come true. My training starts and stop with gym movement if you really want better stick around and test everything it really is the best way pr everyday
Josh,
Do you log your sessions online? I’d love to see what you’re doing.
Also, for anyone, my twitter updates don’t seem to be going to the “preveryday” thingy – I think I have the hashmarks right. Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Boris,
Your tweets don’t even show up in the search for #preveryday. That’s quite odd. I’m guessing it’s something broken with twitter’s search, but I don’t know what the fix is.
That’s really odd. A couple of times I’ve actually seen Boris’s tweets, so I know they’re out there somewhere.
I have seen a few in the last 10 days, Boris has the blue avator with the little guy squatting
Boris, I’ve been keeping a few things on a tumblr blog, but the real specifics that matter to me are just in my notebook. I’m thinking about just doing a shared Google Doc.
Great post Josh!
Tons moved in a workout is a valid measure. It can become unwieldy. Some coaches in WL use this method. Most have gone to using reps above a certain % of 1RM to plan and track working volume.
If your 1RM = 100kg in the squat and you do 3 sets of 5 reps at 80% , each set is 400kg of work x 3 sets = 1200kg. Or 3 sets of 5 at 80% 1RM.
Depends on what you want to track. I don’t care about reps under 70% so I don’t count them.
There is a term in distance running and cycling: garbage miles. Those are miles you put in on top of the quality miles that really don’t contribute anything, except maybe psychologically. I wonder if there is a similar phenomenon in weight training if we pay too much attention to accumulating tonnage: “garbage tonnage”.
Here’s a question: Is there a qualitative difference between moving 150,000lbs in sets of 5 reps with 80% of of your 1RM versus moving 150,000lbs in sets of 10 reps at 40% of your 1RM? Depends on your goals, right? The latter scheme in a strength building program would likely qualify as “garbage tonnage”, PR or not.
I’m sure there is. Or not. I don’t know. All those numbers made my eyes glaze over and I quit reading, Randy. Sorry:) Some nights I’m just in the mood to kick up my heels and chase it and don’t care what the weights are if they test well. Like last night.
All those numbers? Jeez…it was just your 150,000lbs looked at two ways.
Two ways is one too many for this old soul, sassy pants. I spent the entire day helping people research do rags on the Internet and pointing towards the professional wrestling DVDs. My brain was a catastrophe when your comment showed up.
You’re probably right, though. My number one priority is always that things are fun for me. After taking another look at things last night, I was over 60% intensity on all of my lifts, and at 80% on 3 of 5. Not a bad showing. Garbage or not, it was a jolly old time in ye olde Crossfit Gym.
We call it “garbage yardage” in swimming, but even the garbage yardage serves a legitimate function, just not all the time.
btw, apparently preveryday hates me, but I youtubed a few sets if anyone’s interested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usN0j_aHb_E
I’ve thought about this too Randy. Total tonnage CAN be a useful indicator but its not the end all be all.
As you said its way easier to move more or a lighter weight. Squatting 100 lbs ten times is much easier than squatting 1000 lbs once.
I tend to look at volume in comparison to volume when I’m lifting the same weight. It can be fun to calculate total tonnage though as everyone like big numbers.
“If you can’t smile when you see a grown man screaming his way through a hanging leg raise, you’ve got a hole in your soul the size of a grown man screaming his way through a hanging leg raise.”
…Priceless!
By the way, I don’t know what this means but I thought it was Adam writing this post until about 3/4 of the way through.
It either means that Adam’s writing is getting better or mine is getting worse. I’m giving him the nod:)
Rainbows..unicorns…I knew it was you Josh.
Hey! Oh, wait, you’re right…
please may i ask what “gym movement” is, and more importantly, what you mean by “testing”
Mike, it’s a big question. Spend some time reading the archives and comments and you’ll get a glimpse. I’d also get on the waiting list for Adams grip n rip DVD, which will be available sometime in the future. http://www.grip-rip.com/?AFFID=29925
It’s the best distillation of the method to date.
I too thought that Adam wrote this article, LOL. Keep up the good work, Josh!
thanks josh, I have spent all night reviewing the archives and watching the sample video. I have to say I am very impressed. the idea that one movement or system works for everyone is of course, insane. we are all wired differently, our bodies will inform us of where they want to go.
my one question is, can this idea of testing with simple bio-feedback be applied to GS training? for instance, I got up this morning and tested pull ups, snatches, jerks and cleans. only the jerks improved my ROM with a little improvement from the cleans. so today I should work on jerks, yes? or maybe long cycle?
I look forward to the DVD
Short answer because I’m at work and pressed for time:)
Always work what tests best. According to what you’ve written, today jerks would have made the most sense, based on the movements that you tested.
Mike,
yes it applies to GS, and every other human movement. I know there is a lot of BS surrounding everything from Russia…GS is not mystical and every element of it can be tested. Should I train swing, Snatch, clean, jerk, long cycle or do assistance work today such as bumps or squat jumps? All these are basic movement tests.
thank you!
Good stuff Josh! At first I was thinking it was Adam too and scrolled down to the bottom to check.
In regards to volume, it will follow a dose/ response curve just like most things and there are data to support it (most recent is,”Single vs. multiple sets of resistance exercise for muscle hypertrophy: a meta-analysis”. Krieger JW.)
In English that means, some is better, more is better, but lots more is a little bit better.
Again, this assumes that quality is always high.
Here is a graph just for Josh!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/DoseResponse000.jpg
Keep up the good work everyone!
rock on
Mike T Nelson PhD(c)
Thanks Mike. I’m honored to be worthy of a graph feature the word potency.
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