Training and programming can become very complex, very quickly. It can be fun to immerse yourself in the complexity for a while, even when it’s confusing and unproductive. At a certain point, though, you might start to yearn for simplicity.
Complexity fatigue
Sometimes we are unconsciously drawn into complexity. After all, we live in an information-rich environment. Videos, in particular, are optimized to compete for our attention while we scroll websites. For the intellectually curious who is newer to training, it is likely that they are indulging in a disparate collection of competing training approaches. It has been my observation that young men in particular can suffer from a fear of missing out on the greatest, latest, or most optimal combination of programs. Odds are that they are creating their own hybrids using two or three systems at a time. At the very least they may be choosing a time-proven program, and then making their own bold changes to it. They are probably doing this without having a thorough understanding of any of these systems. This rarely works out well.
After delving in like this for some time they may come out the other side. They get to the point where they experience some kind of complexity fatigue. Irrepressible questions arise: Do I need to consume endless videos and articles about what I am missing out on in my training? Can’t training be simple?
It doesn’t have to be this way.
You can simplify the structure of your training. You can reduce the complexity of your decisions when you make your training plans or make training decisions in the moment.
However, before you can have simplicity, you need clarity.
Clarity can come through experience, but experience takes time. Clarity can also come by asking yourself questions. So, start asking some questions.
Large, medium, & small questions
What kinds of questions do you ask? Let’s keep this simple and think in terms of scale: large, medium, and small.
Start with the large scale. What big concept questions can you ask yourself? Begin with considerations like:
Big questions like these will lead to more moderate-sized questions. To generate medium questions, you might go through various physical qualities and ask yourself the relative importance of each, in relation to the goals and needs that you have already identified. General qualities might include:
After going through general qualities, you can then move to the small questions. Examine each quality that you’ve identified as important and put it under the microscope. Analyze in greater detail just how you need to use it. Some examples might be:
Methods
Finally, once this three part needs analysis is done, move on to considering the methodsof how you will train. You can apply the same principle of asking good questions to this step as well.
As one example, reflect on your conditions for training. What are your personal parameters? You will want to consider such things as:
Once you have asked the right questions and have developed some clarity, it will then be time to either choose a program or develop one to meet your needs. Remember what you learned during your self-questioning, and stick to your plan. As the philosopher of strength, Dan John, has said,
“The goal is to keep the goal the goal.”
The simpler the approach, the more likely that you will execute on it well. Training can be made too simple. It shouldn’t be too simple, just simple enough. So, ask good questions.
—--
For related thoughts, please see my piece on efficiency vs resilience: https://thepathofstrength.substack.com/p/how-to-find-balance-in-training
Complexity fatigue
Sometimes we are unconsciously drawn into complexity. After all, we live in an information-rich environment. Videos, in particular, are optimized to compete for our attention while we scroll websites. For the intellectually curious who is newer to training, it is likely that they are indulging in a disparate collection of competing training approaches. It has been my observation that young men in particular can suffer from a fear of missing out on the greatest, latest, or most optimal combination of programs. Odds are that they are creating their own hybrids using two or three systems at a time. At the very least they may be choosing a time-proven program, and then making their own bold changes to it. They are probably doing this without having a thorough understanding of any of these systems. This rarely works out well.
After delving in like this for some time they may come out the other side. They get to the point where they experience some kind of complexity fatigue. Irrepressible questions arise: Do I need to consume endless videos and articles about what I am missing out on in my training? Can’t training be simple?
It doesn’t have to be this way.
You can simplify the structure of your training. You can reduce the complexity of your decisions when you make your training plans or make training decisions in the moment.
However, before you can have simplicity, you need clarity.
Clarity can come through experience, but experience takes time. Clarity can also come by asking yourself questions. So, start asking some questions.
Large, medium, & small questions
What kinds of questions do you ask? Let’s keep this simple and think in terms of scale: large, medium, and small.
Start with the large scale. What big concept questions can you ask yourself? Begin with considerations like:
- What are you training for?
- What do you need or want to accomplish?
Big questions like these will lead to more moderate-sized questions. To generate medium questions, you might go through various physical qualities and ask yourself the relative importance of each, in relation to the goals and needs that you have already identified. General qualities might include:
- Aerobic fitness
- Strength
- Speed
- Durability
- Duration
After going through general qualities, you can then move to the small questions. Examine each quality that you’ve identified as important and put it under the microscope. Analyze in greater detail just how you need to use it. Some examples might be:
- How long do I need to carry out bouts of aerobic work and at what intensity?
- How exactly will I need to use my strength? For how long and how often?
- What are the most common injuries in my occupation or sport?
Methods
Finally, once this three part needs analysis is done, move on to considering the methodsof how you will train. You can apply the same principle of asking good questions to this step as well.
As one example, reflect on your conditions for training. What are your personal parameters? You will want to consider such things as:
- Time available for training
- Equipment / environment
- Training alone or with others
- Personal experience level and training knowledge
- Physical condition and injuries
- Current fitness
- Timelines
Once you have asked the right questions and have developed some clarity, it will then be time to either choose a program or develop one to meet your needs. Remember what you learned during your self-questioning, and stick to your plan. As the philosopher of strength, Dan John, has said,
“The goal is to keep the goal the goal.”
The simpler the approach, the more likely that you will execute on it well. Training can be made too simple. It shouldn’t be too simple, just simple enough. So, ask good questions.
—--
For related thoughts, please see my piece on efficiency vs resilience: https://thepathofstrength.substack.com/p/how-to-find-balance-in-training
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