Strength is Simple, But Not Easy
The internet has done to lifting what science has done to culture—paralysis via information overload. One decade eggs are bad, the next decade eggs are good based on brand new study. Science has made society forget common knowledge and tradition. You might not think that important, but you should reconsider.
Ideas and works that have passed the test of time don’t need to be subjected to scientific inquiry. The Iliad is still being read, so is The Bible—for good reason. Our ancestors knew what we have forgotten or attributed to their barbaric nature.
There’s so many training programs out there. Instagram trainers are a dime a dozen. You can find all sorts of routines from simple to complex. For someone not accustomed to lifting, it can be down right confusing. Scientific inquiry calls out your name as you spend hours looking at a screen in search of the best, most advanced program to pack on muscle and lose fat.
Back in the pre-internet days, training was so much more simpler. Men would buy a magazine and follow the routine in there for months. If they wanted a big bench, they would bench press every day. These men wanted to be big and strong with their primordial will. They were devoted to the iron. You on the other hand are just looking for the most efficient way to muscle paradise.
Quit looking for the best program and just train.
There’s no 30 day cure to your life of comfort. You have to put in the work, over years, trying out different strategies. The bodies you see and want to emulate didn’t get that way by the Muscle & Fitness workout they published. No these men trained for years. They were strong men of devotion—devotion to strength. You must find the same devotion.
Train the basic barbell lifts: the squat, bench, deadlift, and shoulder press. Pick a weight and a rep range. Train at that weight until it’s easy and add more weight to the bar. My favorite is 6-10x5. If I can bust out 10 sets of 5 in a half hour, I need more weight on the bar.
Include bodyweight movements like pull ups, dips, and lunges. It can be argued that bodyweight exercises should be the foundation of your routine. I would not argue with this. Weighted dips and lunges did more for my chest and legs than benching and squatting.
And for god sakes, do the mirror lifts so you look like you lift. Do your curls in for the girls. Don’t tri and get bi or you will be delt with and trapped.
Most importantly, train your fucking neck so you don’t get knocked out like a bitch. Get a neck harness. Do plate front and side neck raises until you’re yoked.
Strength is simple, but not easy.
Your body doesn’t get stronger on your schedule. You will have bad days or even bad weeks. Stay strong. Stay savage. Bad workouts aren’t cause for you to reevaluate your training. If you want to look and be strong, you must grind away at the lifts I’ve mentioned until your numbers are where you want them.
Even after a decade of lifting, the iron is still teaching me lessons. The most recent is the absolute power of the walking lunge. Back pain forced me to sideline the squat and deadlift. After a month of lunging, I tested the squat again and had a 30lb pr.
Remember, your goal is to make your personal bests your new work sets. Master a weight, then add more. A man who uses 315 for bench work sets looks far better than the man who can bench 315 one time.
Devotion, always devotion. Become intolerant to failure.
If you want to learn more about how I train, I have an ebook called Barbaric Strength which goes into more detail about my 10x5 method. Purchase it on Gumroad.