Betcha any money,
you can’t do that again
The ability to
repeat efforts is what differentiates a ‘one trick pony’, from someone who can
prove that they’re not just a fluke. As it relates to strength training, work
capacity (the ability to repeat efforts in a set amount of time), and your
ability to build upon it, can be the catalyst for newfound progress when it
seems like all else is failing.
The ‘results chain
of events’ typically sees trainees making strength gains first, followed by
increases in muscular development (this happens because it’s a lot easier for
the nervous system to become more efficient than it is for the body to slap on
pounds of muscle), but after that gains taper off. While you could ‘switch it
up’ and continue to see small increases in strength (primarily as a result of the
nervous system adapting to the new stimulus), the gains are generally minimal
at best. There comes a time when getting stronger becomes seemingly impossible,
especially at a given bodyweight, and when that happens, the only way to see
your strength go up is to simply gain more weight (easier said than done,
otherwise everyone would already be packing on pounds like nothing).
For most, gaining
more weight isn’t an option (if it was, it would already have happened, and
would still be happening), and when strength gains have pretty much been maxed
out at a given bodyweight (as we can only deadlift, squat, or bench press so
many times our bodyweight), you arrive at a crossroads and are left with a
decision to make – do you keep doing what got you to where you’re at, with the
hopes that the progress you once experienced will magically pickup where it
left off, or do you re-evaluate the situation and use the strength you’ve
acquired to your advantage?
