How long do you think it takes to fully realize the gains of a fitness program? Weeks? Months? Years?
This is a hypothetical question, of course, and there is no single answer. It will depend on you, the athlete -- your recovery, your innate capacities, your consistency, your attention to detail, your mindset -- and it will depend on the program -- its balance of stimulus and recovery, its progression, its design to ward off accommodation, its all-around sustainability. The answer that I think could suffice for this question 95% of the time, though, is “longer than you think.”

People tend to focus on progression in days, weeks, and months. They look for the program that will give this result in 4 weeks, or that result in 4 months. But 4 months is barely even scratching the surface. Think of yourself as a driver just 4 months after sitting behind the wheel for the first time. Were you anywhere near your peak? Or even anywhere near learning to be a competent driver?

The timeline we ought to be operating from in our approach to fitness looks at years, not a handful of weeks or months. This factor alone is as significant as the program. The athlete who fully commits to a mediocre program for 2 years will yield greater results than the athlete who jumps from program to program every 2 months, regardless of the quality of each program. Our timeline looks at the lifetime of an athlete, not a blip of time here and there. This is where true change and lasting results lie.

The well-designed program should suit the committed athlete for a lifetime, limited only by changing interests or focus. We expect to see change and progression 2, 5, even 10 years in. And in the same way that I would not estimate a driver with 4 months of experience behind the wheel to be anywhere near fully realized potential, I don’t expect your or my gains from a well-designed program to reach full realization until years in, if ever. We’re here to make change, not make you sweat for a few months and send you on your way.

- PS

6/23/17

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  Hang snatch - 2,2,2,2,2

  
  

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  RDL - 2x10

  
  


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  Snatch-grip bent over row - 2x10