In the world of strength training, it's easy to get lost in the complexity of programming, with
endless variations, techniques, and strategies being thrown around. Many athletes and coaches
find themselves tangled in a web of overly complicated training plans, leading to frustration,
stagnation, and burnout. The truth is, oftentimes more complexity doesn’t necessarily mean better results.
In fact, the most effective training programs often center around simplicity — a clear focus on
progression, key movements, and proper recovery.
But what does it mean to keep training as simple as possible, but not simpler? It's about
stripping away unnecessary distractions while still respecting the science of strength training.
Training programs should be rooted in the basic principles of specificity, overload, and recovery.
When followed correctly, they prevent athletes from wasting time on exercises or methods that
don’t directly serve their goals, while still challenging them in ways that promote growth.
The goal of simplicity isn’t to make training easier, but rather to make it more efficient and
effective. Simplified training hones in on what works, removes the fluff, and ensures athletes can
consistently make progress without overcomplicating the process. By understanding and
applying fundamental concepts like progressive overload, fatigue management, and phased
programming, athletes can focus their energy where it matters most — building strength and
improving performance. So, instead of doing 12 variations of hamstring work to get those
hammies to grow, maybe just find a couple that work well for you and allow you to connect
physically with the movement. Since shifting to a more refined and shorter list of accessories,
my lifters have found it easier to execute and capitalize on those accessory gains, which has
directly translated to better performance in their competition lifts.
Trust me, I’ve been there myself and most lifters I know have been as well. So, the takeaway
is…”Keep it simple, stupid.”
Author information
USAPL Coach Christopher Hanley has been a strength coach since 2007. Originating in the General strength and bodybuilding world, he has competed in that arena and produced top 3 competitors in multiple organizations at national events. From there, the transition came to focus on the Raw Powerlifting world, where he has produced top 5 finishers at USAPL Raw Nationals. The cumulative sum of these endeavors has allowed Chris to run the powerlifting program and assist with the development of the high school athletes On top of this he also adds valuable insight into out Olympic weightlifting program.
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