You’ve all read my thoughts on the basic principles of training. I believe in them strongly. I am a person who believes that following principles will bring about more success than some pat formula. So what about people who claim to have a program that defies principles?
Defying Principles
I was reading through a fitness program recently and the author proudly proclaimed that his methods defied all fitness principles. My first thought: this is not such a bad thing as long as the author is introducing new principles himself. Was this the case? No! The author was making the point that he does not believe in the progressive overload principle. As I read his description of what he believed it dawned on me that he was pushing progressive overload disguised as something else. Is this a bad thing?
Confusing the Masses
I believe that people need to avoid confusion. Taking the time to learn principles and apply them is going to lead to success. When “respected” fitness “experts” say they don’t believe in a certain principle, but then teach that exact principle with a different packaging, it is a bad thing because it causes confusion. Is it our job to confuse or to teach? I would suggest that we should never publish something that is going to confuse people, especially when you are charging $60 for that information.
Your Response
When you read something that is clearly misleading, take advantage of that refund policy immediately. Don’t let the “expert” get away with their tactics. It is wrong at one level and deceptive at another. The only response to deception is to express your dissatisfaction. That’s why the guarantee is there. It is a guarantee that you will be satisfied with the product. When you are not satisfied you must execute on the refund agreement. It benefits you and many others like you because the more of us who return these programs the louder the message will be.
Apply the Principles
You’ve taken the time to learn the principles, so apply them. Don’t let some new system change what you know works. There’s nothing wrong with trying things a different way, just don’t let yourself be swayed into thinking that the principles don’t apply any longer. The basics will always be the basics. While there have been scientific advancements in the understanding of training principles, it is mostly in the area of understanding why those principles work. The basics that worked for Arnold years ago will work for you today. Always remember that.
