Strength. The great equalizer. So you want to get stronger. How do you do it? There is a lot of detailed work that can go into getting stronger. It's almost a limitless pile of strategies to choose from, but in that limitless pile most people get lost. They either get lost because there is simply too much information or they get lost because they over analyze. Let's be honest, unless you are doing strength for a living, you probably don't need or aren't ready for the advanced and detailed techniques that are offered out there. Let's remove the multiple layers of confusion and go back to basics for a few minutes.
How to get stronger: Eat, sleep, train, supplement. That is written in a specific order, but we will get to that in a moment. These are the basics of strength. Don't get lost in the rabbit hole of different diets, training programs or lifting techniques, stick to the basics. Lets go through them.
Nutrition. You MUST eat to your goals. If strength is your goal, eat for it. Pay attention to what you're eating. How much protein and what kinds of protein are you eating? How many carbohydrates are you having and are they the right kind? Are you eating enough veggies to support your protein, carbs and fats? Are you taking in enough fats? Are they proportionate to your carbs? They are basics of nutrition for strength training.
Without proper nutrition to support your strength goals, you will simply plateau and tread water until you are either frustrated or hurt. Put in the simplest of terms, nutrition supports muscle growth, connective tissue, fat gain or loss, energy levels, your Central Nervous System, brain function, your mood, hormone levels ... these are all key components to you getting stronger.
Secondly, sleep. Go the fuck to sleep. If you have a real goal of getting stronger, you need to sleep. Take a look at your sleep schedule now, most of us don't get enough, not nearly enough. Are you on a schedule of what time you go to sleep and what time you wake up? What is your food before you sleep (yes, you need fuel to sleep)? Sleeping is where you recover. There are a million things that happen when you sleep for recovery but to keep this post simple, sleeping is recovery. Why aren't you doing it? You train like a crazy person in the gym and then you forget to recover from it? Why do all that work without proper food and sleep? Are you really getting the benefit from those insane workouts?
Third, and here's the fun part, training. Your training should include one or two compound lifts and auxiliary lifts. Switch your weights and rep ranges each week to keep your muscles responding and change up the exercises every couple of months. This will allow you to constantly challenge your muscles and connective tissue while continue to hit each area with different angles and intensity. Don't make this harder than it has to be! Once you reach an elite level, then start researching advanced programming, lifts and techniques. Or hire a KNOWLEDGEABLE coach to help you. Training is obviously the fun part about getting stronger so train smart with good form. You can't train if you're injured!
Supplements. What supplements are you using? Did you go to your local GNC and have a commission paid 16 year old tell you that you needed everything in the store? Have you researched brands and products that are suited to your specific goals? We can tell you from 21 years of experience, all supplements are not created equal! Our advice is to again, start with the basics.
MooreProtein,
MooreRecovery and
MoorePump. Then start to look at more individual needs. Do you need
joint support? Do you need
hormone support? Start to look at what may benefit your individual strength journey and choose from there. Supplements have become more advanced and more effective over the years, DO NOT leave them out of your training routine, the competitors at your next Meet sure aren't forgetting theirs.
