In the modern fitness industry, social media facilitates influencers, trainers, and fitness enthusiasts sharing detailed workouts, cutting-edge exercise science, and flashy programming designed primarily for capturing attention. Some of you may even be reading the free articles we produce to help you understand exercise better. Democratising fitness information in this manner has its benefits, but it also comes with a significant downside: overthinking exercise.
This paradoxical trend, where individuals become so engrossed in
the minutiae of training that it hampers their progress, is something our followers may be particularly vulnerable to (because you're clever and interested!), so let's take a moment to think about this...
One of the primary reasons individuals gravitate towards complex programming and detailed exercise science rationale for such programming is the allure of
sophistication. The belief that a more intricate program must be superior is compelling, especially because there is at least a grain of truth in this. People assume that the more advanced the routine, the better the results.
The concept of analysis paralysis is well-known in decision-making psychology, where overanalysing a situation can be a barrier to action. This
phenomenon is increasingly prevalent in fitness, both with respect to training and nutrition. When individuals are bombarded with a constant stream of information and options, they can become paralysed by the need to find the "perfect" routine.
Rather than sticking to a simple, consistent plan of action, many people jump from one trendy workout to another, never giving
any single approach enough time to produce results. The constant search for optimisation leads to inconsistency, which is the enemy of progress in fitness.
To overcome this, it is essential to pursue consistency with something that is "good enough". Effective training does not have to be overly complicated. In fact, some of
the most successful training systems by the best coaches are built on simple, time-tested principles.
Most training decisions that people stress about are actually fairly inconsequential.
Whether you do 8 reps or 12 reps is more or less
irrelevant. Rep targets / ranges are more similar than they are different, so if you find yourself debating the "optimal" target, you're probably overthinking.
Similarly, the differences between exercises that train the same muscle(s) are often so small as to be of little consequence for most trainees. Does it really matter if you do a machine chest press or bench
press to grow your chest? Not really. We might encourage one or the other for a given client based on preference, reported subjective stimulus, or injury history, but in most cases, it just doesn't matter much.
I understand the desire to seek complexity, but if you have found yourself constantly programme-hopping, now is the time to simplify and get real results!
Then again, if you want to avoid all the noise and decision-making, and instead just focus on improving your health, performance, and body composition, hit us up to chat about coaching.
If you have any further questions about this topic, you are welcome to respond to this email and I will get back to you.