The path of progression is rooted in focusing on multi-joint movements that can be heavily loaded. There are no official lists, but a rough sketch of qualified culprits is: squats, deadlifts, presses (overhead, bench, dips), and pulls (chins, rows). Move more than one joint while handling something heavy, and you’re not wasting time. A frail [...]
The path of progression is rooted in focusing on multi-joint movements that can be heavily loaded. There are no official lists, but a rough sketch of qualified culprits is: squats, deadlifts, presses (overhead, bench, dips), and pulls (chins, rows).
Move more than one joint while handling something heavy, and you’re not wasting time. A frail body that struggles to hold 135 lbs will undergo significant changes if it wants to hold 315 lbs. But should you completely ditch isolation and accessory work for a handful of exercises?
CASE STUDY
The easiest way to describe Mark Rippetoe’s attitude towards training novices would be, forget the small stuff. His novice program is built around the exercises that, he feels, cause the most drastic changes—squats, deadlifts, power cleans, overhead presses, bench presses, and chin ups.
But the minimalism isn’t just Rippetoe. It’s Bill Starr. It’s Alexander Faleev. It’s Pavel Tsatsouline. It’s Dan John.
It’s a lot of people. Most, more qualified than me.
“For a sharp increase in muscle mass and [strength] results you must do only three exercises: the bench press, the squat, and the deadlift…If you bench 330, the muscles of your arms, chest, and the front delts will be so developed, than any bodybuilder will be envious.”
-Alexander Faleev
“I love this article! …most of the people I work with can’t focus for eight days, much less eight weeks. They will see a shiny new penny at the gym or on late night TV and go from training for the Olympics to getting “ripped.”
-Dan John
But doing a program that doesn’t address specific wants and desires causes questioning. I got one last week:
“I feel that to neglect additional isolation work such as lateral raises and calves is a little, heh, negligent. If those four lifts were all needed for a good physique, would Rippetoe’s disciples not have normally proportioned bodies?”
-Forum Member
How can you question getting strong in basic movements that produce the greatest results?
I, for one, will question it. And unless you’re one of the few, I’ll tell you why you’ll always fail when adopting this minimal mindset.
WE’RE ALL MENTAL
Contrary to what your brain tells you, no one lifts weights without having a screw loose. There is a deep psychological motivation that goes into lifting heavy things, that reaches back to the first time you touched a barbell.
Is it normal to lift weights?
I’m willing to guess that, competitive athletes aside, 90% of the population has an aesthetic goal before stepping foot in a gym. It may not be winning Mr. Universe, it may not be being thong-naked on stage, but it’s something. Yet, it would seem, this vanity is hard to accept.
“I train for strength,” they’ll say, avoiding aesthetic motivations as if admitting it is qualification for mental help.
If wanting to look good is the epitome of a mental disability, then placing 600 lbs on your back isn’t far behind. And I hate to throw you strength lovers under the bus, but most of you honor those with large, strong, imposing physiques (70’s Big, for example)—regardless of what you try to portray.
It makes total sense to hate on people that train for looks, while honoring those with a certain look. Yeah, total sense.
70's Big idol - Doug Young
And it’s not like bodybuilders are weak. Maybe not as strong as Powerlifters, or as fast as Olympic Weightlifters, but they certainly aren’t useless asteroids floating in space waiting to collide into other masses.
Stop the hate. If you see someone working hard in the gym, respect their effort. Don’t clown on them for having different goals. We’re all in this together.
PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MIND IS
When you approach the internet for advice, there are a lot of extremists. Rippetoe’s following (not necessarily Rippetoe) will crucify you unless you’re doing his program, bodybuilders will poke fun at you for being interested in Farting Strength (their cute name for Rippetoe’s program), and god forbid you use a dumbbell around a kettle bell nut.
Every clique tries to pull you in their direction, which comes with a philosophical adoption. Some Powerlifters only care about putting up a certain amount of weight. Some bodybuilders only care about physical appearance.
Deep down, I know you’re going to fall somewhere in between, regardless which side you take. Most elite athletes are the same—they’d rather get jacked with isolation lifts than do squats, I’ve seen it over and over.
No matter how much someone tries to pull you in one direction, remember this:
Doing a program that neglects your psychological needs will always fail.
I’ll admit it; Starting Strength is a damn good program. But if you’re worried about its minimalism, it’s not going to suit you very well.
Succeeding with Starting Strength depends on two things:
A) Truly, you only care about strength
B) Truly, you don’t care about aesthetics
Starting Strength won’t fail you if your only concern is your performance on squats, deadlifts, power cleans, overhead presses, bench presses, and chin ups. There’s no way it can.
Occasionally, someone that has the specific needs ends up on a general program like Starting Strength because they have been convinced of its effectiveness by people that thrive on that kind of training. But because they aren’t psychologically invested in it, they fail. This creates an even bigger gap between the Rippetoe lovers and Rippetoe haters.
THE SHINY PENNY THEORY
After trying on some recently purchased t-shirts, you look in the mirror and gasp at your apparent man boobs. You’re not fat, it’s just that you have no upper chest to fill your shirts with.
Severe man boobs
On your quest for pectoral renewal, you read that the bench press is a heavy compound lift that targets the chest, done by most athletes, and commonly recommended.
But there is a problem.
Your previous benching expeditions did nothing for your upper chest though. You follow along with the advice though, doing only flat bench presses and neglecting additional exercises to keep your focus and recovery pinpointed.
Eight weeks later, you’re up to a C cup and more emotionally taxed than you were before. The failure makes you look for super secret upper chest exercises—the shiny penny. Soon, you’re doing nothing but isolation exercises with light dumbbells. This doesn’t change anything, and you’re back at the starting line, questioning whether or not you should have abandoned the bench press.
You’re stuck in this cycle until you accept and plan your psychology into your program.
EMBRACE YOUR TATTOOS
Take a minute to tap into your inner narcissism. Say it to yourself: I care about my physical appearance.
Lifting weights has its external rewards. There isn’t much difference between posing on stage in front of a crowd, and squatting on stage in front of a crowd. Both display physical skills for others to witness. And if you try to say you’re only out there for personal reasons, it’s a lie. The very act of competition is to show, or compare, your skills.
It’s like getting a tattoo. You don’t get a tattoo that won’t be seen and, barring a night in Vegas, you get something that holds meaning. They are badges of honor that symbolize who you are.
This might be taking it too far
This is why I have a lot of respect for a guy like John Romaniello. There’s no need to hide the motivation to physically look and feel good. If you’re having a hard time rationalizing this, read Nate Green’s, For the Guys Who Don’t Work Out. (A 400 Word Rant.)
Caring about aesthetics doesn’t mean you like to pose on stage. It doesn’t mean you bulk and cut. It doesn’t mean you weigh your food. It doesn’t mean you measure bicep girth. It doesn’t mean you take naked pictures of yourself. Your muscles aren’t your personality.
It doesn’t define you.
WHERE TO?
I’m setting myself up for a stage that praises isolation exercises and mainstream bodybuilding methods, but that’s not true. The next question would then be, how do I create a program that tailors to my psychological needs?
You can come to terms with your inner narcissism while I get to work on that one.