3 misconceptions that prevent you from getting stronger #fitness #workout #bodyposition #gym

When I first started training, I was doing it to alleviate chronic pain. My physical therapist told me the reason I was in pain was because I was hypermobile and weak.

So I went to a personal training institute and got a diploma. I was armed with knowledge of rep ranges, energy systems, and exercise selection/program design.

But I also developed the mindset that working more and harder was better. So in 2 short years, I went from not lifting at all to deadlift 400 pounds at ~150 pounds body weight.

But I was strong and still in pain. So I went back to get a doctorate in PT to figure out why. And in that process, my pain got worse, so I blamed lifting, muscle imbalances, and quit.

Looking back, my pain wasn’t due to muscle imbalances, but rather, unprocessed emotions related to childhood trauma. And in the gym, I was beating my body up and working against it rather than working with it.

So in 2020 when I got back into lifting, I was scared and micromanaged my programming. I thought I had to have perfect form, accumulate a lot of volume through multiple sets, and needed to stick to a rep range. I also thought I needed a lot of exercises, including tedious mobility drills.

I ended up creating a lot of fatigue without much progress. I wasn’t lifting heavy enough to see the changes I wanted but was accumulating more fatigue than my nervous system would tolerate.

Since then, I’ve hit my stride by applying the following principles:

1. Work hard - go close to failure at least a few times per workout 🏋️‍♀️
2. Minimum necessary volume - 5-10 sets per muscle group per week to minimize fatigue 🥱
3. Keep it simple - no fancy drills or repetitive exercises, just the basic movements with high effort 💪
4. Let the weight determine the rep range - do your program, don’t think it 💭

Since then progress has been happening in a sustainable way. If you need help creating a sustainable program, DM me!

#fitness #chronicpain #chestworkout #chest #benchpress #upperbodyworkout #strength #athleticdevelopment #athlete