5 COMMON ROAD BLOCKS IN YOUR STRENGTH TRAINING JOURNEY
Whether you’ve recently started strength training or have been doing it for a while, you’re looking to improve your performance or come back from injury, we regularly have athletes come to us who are making some clear mistakes with regards to their training approach. They can’t seem to put a consistent routine together, lack motivation and subsequently they aren’t seeing the results they want.
Below we’ve narrowed it down to the five barriers we come across most often, and have highlighted how to overcome these issues and get back on track with your strength training.
1. Overcomplicating Things From The Start
It might sound obvious but it's amazing how many people can overthink and over complicate their strength training journey.
It's very easy to find yourself doing too much, too often, lifting too heavy or moving too quickly, but this is only going to increase the likelihood of injury, or create enough muscle soreness that we lose confidence and motivation to keep going back.
Whilst many of you will compare yourselves with what other athletes are doing (perhaps training partners or others in the gym) don’t forget they’re likely at a different stage in their training journey. If you’re just starting out, you’re at chapter one, and they could be at chapter 25 - they've been doing it for a lot longer.
This is where calling upon a qualified and experienced strength coach can help, someone to help you tailor your approach and prevent you from getting carried away.
Remember 2-3 x 45 minute sessions a week, that work on your weaknesses, is perfect for the results we’re looking for without compromising your other training demands.
2. Not Identifying Your Individual Needs
By this we mean your hierarchy of needs as an athlete, the gaps in your physical strength and what you need to be working on right now to get the most out of your training.
With all our clients here at Strength For Endurance we begin by getting each client to go through a Movement Screen; some basic bodyweight tests to see how you move and where any imbalances lie.
Finding out what you need to work on allows you to start applying some of those key exercises that are going to give you the biggest return. If you're too general with your approach, you’ll get general results and will likely miss the key areas you need to focus on.
So find out what you need to work on and dial in on it. Is it your mobility? Is it your posterior chain? Is it your single-leg strength? etc etc.
3. Poor Integration
How many times have you stood in front of a health professional who has told you exactly what rehab you need to do, what exercises, how many reps and how often. But how often have you then let your good intentions slip, you’ve found yourself running out of time again and your exercises have gone to the bottom of your priority list.
The problem is that you haven’t established something key from the outset and it’s one of the most common stumbling blocks that prevent consistent/sustainable work.
How is this going to integrate into your life?
How are you going to make it a bi-weekly habit?
How is it going to fit into an already busy work, training, family life?
The environment you’re training in also needs to be a big consideration - are you going to be most consistent at home or at the gym? Where is going to give you a place of purpose, focus and minimal distraction? Not only do we want to be giving people the right exercises but it is equally important to make sure they are actually integrating it into daily life with success.
If time is a real limiter then it might be necessary to break down your sessions into shorter bite-sized chunks, where you're still hitting those key exercises that are going to help you get stronger, fitter, faster across the week.
Don’t forget creating the optimal routine, timing and setting may take a little time so don’t be afraid to adapt and evolve especially if things aren’t working. Aim to work out what it's going to take to actually make your strength sessions happen two or three times a week for the next 4, 8,12,16 weeks.
4. Having No Accountability
One of the most essential components of a good program (especially when coming back from injury) is having the accountability of maybe one, two, maybe three people around you. This might be a coach, training partner, family member or mentor.
These are the individuals who aren’t afraid to be honest, tell you when you might need to step up or back off and support you when things aren’t perhaps going as smoothly as planned. They might be the ones who don’t always tell you what you want to hear, but you know they have your best interest at heart.
Essentially accountability enables momentum, it maintains momentum, it drives adherence to training and it provides the motivation needed. Accountability plays a big part in the relationship we have with our clients here at SFE; having the ability to exchange feedback in a mutual way on a daily, weekly, monthly basis is essential to the success of your program.
Who’s in your corner?
5. Not Having A Reason ‘Why’
Like with anything in life, It’s really hard to expect yourself to stay motivated if there’s not a strong enough reason to keep going. As we all know, sports performance isn’t a linear pathway and it’s during the setbacks and low moments that you need to call upon this purpose more than ever.
Whether you’re looking to optimise performance or return from injury, strength training will commonly come second to getting out and about on the trails. However if 2-3 x 45 minute slots a week are going to guarantee an injury free, strong and successful season ahead then that should be motivation enough.
We work with a lot of people who love to race and compete but also many who just love the adventure of getting out and about without thought (be it on two foot or two wheels). By establishing an effective, sustainable strength training routine they are able to stay injury free and keep doing the things they love.
So, what’s your why? What’s your reason for staying consistent with your strength work when you aren’t feeling motivated? Whatever it is, write it down, keep it at the forefront of your mind and call upon it when needed!
If you’re feeling stuck, wherever you are in your strength training journey, reach out and we can work out a plan to get you back on track.