Fitness Myth: Train HARDER Than Last Time

Is this the greatest fitness advice of the 21st century...or is it absolute rubbish?


Somewhere in the middle, obviously. In reality, whether you should train harder than last time is not only complicated, but it's very much individual. Some people will absolutely benefit from training harder, and I'd say that this is actually the majority of people. Probably close to 90% will see improvements in their physique just by putting more effort in. (:35)



Plus, training HARDER than last time is a very simple mindset. No numbers to worry about. No RPE. No RIR. No reps or sets. Just work harder. (1:38)



Plus, (2:04) the memes and jokes are excellent. That alone is fantastic.



However, there are certainly big potential negatives.

First, (2:36) you should generally train for performance over effort. It's better to get better than just to give a better effort.



Second, 4:02, it's harder to measure. So...how do you know you're really trying harder? Hard to tell, eh?


Third, 5:05, the injury risk does go up at least a bit, especially on heavy compound movements. This isn't huge bit worth mentioning, as some people are more risk averse than others.



Fourth, 5:29, it can limit volume. Volume is crucial for growth, and anything that severely limits it can potentially impact your results.



Fifth, 8:05, it can also impact technique quite a bit. This is especially important for weightlifters and powerlifters who are specifically focusing on a handful of lifts.


Sixth, 9:08, it ignores the stimulus to fatigue ratio. Just training harder certainly isn't always optimal.



Seventh, 10:05, it also glosses over deloads or any kind of periodization at all.


All in all, it's not a bad mentality to take, but it needs to be tempered with wisdom, knowledge and intelligence, otherwise it won't be near optimal.


Timestamps:
00:00 Geoff Says Hello
00:35 Effort
01:38 Simple
02:04 Jokes and Memes
02:36 Getting BETTER is Key!
04:02 Measurability
05:05 Injury Risk
05:29 Volume
08:05 Technique
09:08 Stimulus to Fatigue Ratio
10:05 Do You Even Periodize?

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