Let’s talk about the biggest mistakes people make in the gym.
The first one is confusing complexity with progress.
They show up to a class, or a trainer puts them through a workout with a lot of complex exercises balancing on those balls, and they get sweaty and sore. The next time, they show up and do totally different fancy exercises and get sweaty and sore again.
A year later, they realize they haven’t grown muscle and they’re lifting the same weights.
What happened?
All that complexity made them feel like they did something big.
But doing their fancy exercises meant they were lifting less weight than the person doing the basics: row, squat, chin-up, deadlift, press, lunge.
And changing it up every week made them feel like they were doing more than the person who just stuck to the foundational movements, but it also meant they were sacrificing the key to muscle and strength growth: progression. Adding 5 pounds to the same lift a week is going to make you stronger. When you do something new every day, you miss that.
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It’s why when people join the Pump Club app, they do a Foundation program customized for their level and equipment. Beginners and intermediate members love it. Some people who think they’re advanced feel attacked - at first.
“I need a specialized program just for my arms.” (I have never seen someone who can row heavy with small arms).
“I need to train every day.” (Most people need to learn to train hard enough that they need rest before they’re ready for every day, which we do have after the Foundation.)
“I’m too advanced for this.” (I just watched a guy at an app meetup who did the Foundation deadlift 770 pounds in front of me, I guarantee no one complaining can do that).
People want to skip the basics because they’re hard and seem simple. Simplicity is the fastest path to progress.