Getting Stronger - Joe Matthews

It's important to first identify 'why' getting strong or stronger is a worthwhile pursuit. Lets highlight the benefits and the pitfalls:

Benefits:

Improved body composition - increased lean muscle mass and decreased body fat percentage.

Increased bone mineral density - great for fighting osteoporosis, and strengthening bones for higher intensity activity. 

Improved posture and athletic performance - one lends itself well to the other. Being strong is a major injury risk mitigation strategy when it comes to sport and life in general.

Improved mental well-being, mood, and resilience - simply the act of completing a session generally puts you in a positive and optimistic head space. A lot of issues can be managed more effectively when you are in a better head space. 

Increased muscular strength and endurance - you will become stronger and fitter. This opens life up for you and allows you the privilege to engage in life rather than pull out of it as you age. 

Pitfalls: (pre-frame: if not done correctly)

Injury, however it's more of a risk not to train than it is to train, especially if there's no medical reason to stop you from training. 

Addiction - especially if you have an addictive personality. You have to manage your expectations and understand that it's not a quick fix. Take your time and create long term, sustainable habits. 

Get stronger in 3 simple steps!

If strength training came in pill form, it would be the most prescribed pill on earth. Alas it is not...Getting stronger is a skill and it takes time to develop. It can be a subjective process as everyone is at different stages of awareness when it comes to being strong. (Unconscious incompetence- don’t know that you don’t know, conscious incompetence- you understand that you don’t know what to do or how to do it, conscious competence- you know how and what to do but it’s not second nature yet, unconscious competence - it’s now a habit). It can be very useful to understand where you fall in the stages of competence when it comes to strength training and being strong. 

If you don’t train:

1. Be ready to change and willing to invest time in a worthwhile pursuit.

2. Seek out the right mentor or coach for your personality.

3. Turn up, and be consistent with that.

If you already train:

1. Eat clean, sleep well, and reduce alcohol intake.

2. Target rep control in your sessions- slower your eccentric speed and focus more on compound (multi-joint movements) as the main component of your sessions.

3. Turn up, no matter how you feel, turn up.

"The fastest way to get to where you want to be, is slowly". Illia Topuria