A fair criticism laid at my door is that I only deal in “The Basics”.
By that I mean if you see me promoting anything other than…
1) Lifting weights a few times per week with workouts centred around compound barbell movements (squats, presses, rows, deadlifts), and,
2) Running/cycling/whatevering a few times per week for manageable distances at a comfortable pace,
… you can safely conclude that I have been brutally murdered by a psychopath who is now wearing my skin.
Onward.
I say it’s a fair criticism because I really don’t have anything else to teach.
Maybe I could go out and learn all the “new” and “exciting” ways of getting strong and in shape, but, frankly, I cannot be bothered.
Why?
I’m yet to be presented with any evidence that this stuff is more effective than The Basics in the population I train (ordinary, hardworking people whose lives cannot revolve around the pursuit of fitness). If anything, I’ve witnessed them do more harm than good, causing boundless frustration (as they’ve many moving parts which makes progression a nightmare) and serious injuries in some cases (from the soul-sucking and totally unnecessary degree of intensity).
More:
Everybody knows that basically anyone who does the two things I described a moment ago with discipline and intent for five years will look utterly unrecognisable compared with how they look today, not to mention the vast increases in performance (strength, endurance, etc) they will enjoy that will have a profoundly positive impact on their lives in manifold and wonderful ways.
So why don’t more train in this manner?
A handful of reasons:
* Seldom do you leave the gym or finish a cardio session feeling hot, sweaty, and sore which when combined with how slow results come makes people “feel” like the training is ineffective (when it is actually far more effective than the stuff that makes them hot, sweaty, and sore).
* Training in this way is very boring because you do broadly the same things week in, week out for many months with little variation.
* Learning the barbell lifts can be humbling at times, plus it often highlights musculoskeletal dysfunction that needs fixing before you can proceed in earnest.
* Nobody is comfortable with the idea that their heart and lungs are so flaccid a mile run at a slow pace is all they can manage safely and sustainably.
And my point?
There isn’t one.
Although I will close by saying that while The Basics are easy to get your head around, actually implementing them in a balanced fashion is very tricky if you are a serious person with one or a combination of a job, family, and interests beyond training.
Probably another reason why those who know they should be doing them aren’t doing them.
If you would like to learn, my biased recommendation is my three month programme called “Sliver Era Secrets”.
It is not cheap, so please make sure to read the sales page in its entirety before proceeding to make sure yours is a properly informed decision.
You will find all of the details below:
https://philtyreman.co.uk/programme
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman