Training Accommodation is when you adapt to a training load or stimulus and you stop seeing growth.
Therefore, if you don’t change your training, you stop getting better. You actually go backwards.
This is what happens for a lot of gyms and people. You can’t just do the same type of work all the time. Our bodies are smarter than that.
Anyone who spent the last 6-12 months on a treadmill at the big box gym can tell you that they stopped seeing progress.
Anyone who does the same strength routine over and over at the curl rack can tell you that they stopped seeing substantial growth.
Even a lot of CrossFit gyms fall into the trap of doing the same movements over and over. They fall victim to repeating the same 6-week back squat waves. Or they hyper-focus on the sexy movements when what their members really need is to develop unilateral balanced strength and learn how to hinge appropriately. Unfortunately, they’re intention has become less about building the strongest and most resilient body and more about competition based movement that leads to overload, breakdown, and stagnant results.
That’s why better programming matters.
But here’s the secret that our members know…
By balancing simple movements with complex movements and providing proven training methods, not just Instagram sexy, it actually builds stronger and more able bodies that leads to improved performance. But cognitive dissonance is real y’all and too many of us out there are not willing to back off the complex a little in order to gain a lot.
Take box squats for example: by beating your 1 rep max back squat to a box, that translates to a PR in your classic back squat lift. But in the process you’ve also developed a better squat by recruiting the glutes (not just the quads), built a stronger posterior chain (hamstrings, ass, and back), strengthened your core, and developed greater leg muscles that are better prepared to ski, hike, swim, bike, run, jump, snowboard, and sprint; all the things we love to do in CO!
Box squats to a box is just one example of unpopular strength exercises that we use to build stronger bodies. But even within the realms of a box squat you can vary the angles, planes, and demands on the muscles by using a narrow stance, wide stance, back rack position, front squat position, below parallel, parallel, above parallel, heavy weight, dynamic weight, speed weight, etc.
This is next level strength science used by the world’s top strength and conditioning coaches. Proven. Repeated.
At Level Up Fitness it is our responsibility, scratch that, it is our duty to apply these best training principles in our coaching and provide the best training methods in our programming.
Principles are the approaches and ideas of exercise and nutrition. Anyone who has spent time at Level Up has heard us speak on this at one time or another…
- You can’t out train a bad diet.
- Chase the stimulus not the bar weight.
- Consistency is greater than intensity.
- Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
- Master the basics.
- Even “CrossFit” is a principle: constantly varied, functional movements performed at high intensity
Methods are the nuances in the programming that focus on tempo, speed, stimulus, volume, load, angles… Great gyms utilize the best and most proven methods such as:
- Max effort training – maximal load against maximal resistance
- Dynamic effort training – submaximal weight with maximal speed
- Explosive/Fast Velocity training – speed strength training
- Accommodating Resistance (bands and chains)
- Conjugate method
- Waveloading
- Periodization
Unfortunately most people, gym owners, and coaches don’t realize the difference between principles and methods. Or they have a limited experience. They function under what they know. They’re not wrong. They’re just not optimal.
I’m not claiming to be the strength and conditioning guru. I’m far from it. There are men and women out there that dedicate their education, minds, and lives to the science of strength and conditioning. I’m not one of them. But I follow them. I listen to them. I trust them. And I apply their methods. And our members are better for it.
In a recent survey, our members where asked a blanket question: “What do you love most about Level Up Fitness?” The #1 most recurring answer was “programming.” Members described our programing as:
- efficient*
- amazing
- consistent
- effective*
- smart approach
- great balance
- non-specific
- great
- great variety
- exciting*
- well-rounded
- gains busting
- better than my old CrossFit gym*
*indicates multiple occurrences in the survey
So there you have it. Whether you’ve been a member of a big box gym, another specialty gym such as HIIT/OTF/F45, a member of another CrossFit gym, or currently don’t exercise at all, if training under the best principles and most effective methods for your fitness is important to you, we’ve got you covered. If exciting, efficient, and smart programming is high on your list then join us.
We make it easy for you to start building a better version of yourself.
1. Book a No Sweat Intro so we can learn about your health and fitness goals
2. Connect with your own personal coach through our new member integration On Ramp membership
3. Show up. Every week. Every month. Every year.
4. Trust AND Enjoy the process.
Our most recent member to complete his On Ramp integration membership, Kyle A., had this to say about his first week: “Loved it. So much fun… Addicting!”
We couldn’t agree more Kyle.
Friends, to utilize the most proven and effective methods for building the best you, book your No Sweat Intro HERE.