There are 2 other aspects to becoming a better client: first, things take time.
I’m sure you’ve heard someone say “I want to bench 315 in 6 months” -or- “I want to lose 40 pounds by *enter some arbitrary date*”. Far too often, we use these time qualifiers that end up limiting our scope and oftentimes acts as a disservice to our ability of staying on track. Benched 300 in 10 months instead of 6? Shit, looks like all this work was useless. Only lost 15 pounds in 16 weeks? Damn, I’m terrible at this weight loss thing.
You also may have heard of Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000 hours”. But, for those who haven’t, Malcolm Gladwell referred to this idea in his book called “Outliers”, describing those who are great at their craft have spent an enormous amount of time practicing and perfecting their field, a majority of the time, over 10,000 hours. Although this has been debunked and argued for its utility, one thing is undeniable - to be great at anything, we must intentionally practice over a long period to master anything.
If you trained 4 days/week at 2 hours per session. You would need to train 24 years to be “great”. Some of the Tik-Tokers we see lifting aren’t even 24 years old! Even if you wanted to be “good”, let’s be lenient and say that it takes only 5,000 hours. We would still need to train for 12 years at the above mentioned rate to be “good” at powerlifting. Yet, we want to bench 315 lbs in 6 months… And yes, muscular hypertrophy, technique refinement, and the process of getting strong does not operate on this same timescale, but suffice it to say: it will take a long damn time.
So, does it mean we shouldn’t have a goal and time in mind? No, this isn’t a wrong mindset to have, but, the priority should be placed on falling in love with the process. Let’s use a different example: becoming a physician. Below is a general diagram showing that it takes 11-14 years to become a fully-boarded physician in the US. What this diagram does not show is the nitty-gritty day to day and week to week process.
There are hours and hours of learning, speaking with standardized patients, speaking with real patients, answering tough questions in front of colleagues, presenting medical topics to groups, sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression, feelings of inadequacy, etc etc. If someone embarks on this journey and does not find something to embrace about this journey, they’re doomed to fail. And if a student is unable to become process-oriented (see more below), it will always be an uphill battle. The same goes for training - years of lifting, months of plateaus, fighting injury, mental blocks, etc. If an athlete fails to embrace this similar process, success in powerlifting will also be an uphill battle.
In an episode of Coaches Corner (https://www.youtube.com/@CoachesCornerUniversity), the long-time and esteemed powerlifting coach/athlete, Trevor Jaffe, explains that when you’re warming up at your next powerlifting meet, look around and within 2-3 years a majority of these competitors will not be powerlifting at all. Basically reiterating, to have any success in powerlifting, you have to just be around for a long time.
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Maybe you’ve read up to this part and already know and/or have embraced the process. I can leave you with something practical to use and is something I use with my patients who are trying to make lifestyle changes. Define your goal and “process-ify” everything to the smallest, most simple components while also avoiding roadblocks. What do I need to do in this month > week > day > hour, in order to reach my goal?
Goal: I want to bench more.
Action: Optimizing my nutrition will allow me to bench more.
Roadblocks: I’m too tired after work. My parents are in charge of food. I hate eating the same thing over and over again.
Process-ify:
I am going to eat “X” carbs during work in order to fuel my workouts.
In order to maintain a regular eating schedule, I need to plan my weekly meals.
In order to plan my weekly meals, I will explore recipes and macronutrient breakdown
I will make 2 different recipes with the same protein -or- use a different sauce -or- use a different starch so my meals are not stale
In order to make these recipes, I will go with my parents to the grocery store and buy the necessary ingredients
I will offer to cook meals myself
The more personal and detail-oriented you can be, the better.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE
Action: Optimizing my sleep will help me bench more.
Roadblocks: I don’t know how much sleep I get. I can’t fall asleep easily at night.
Process-ify:
I will record how much sleep I get from night to night and plan to sleep at least 7-8 hours on average, every week
In order to help this, I will improve my sleep hygiene:
I will shower every night, no TV in my room, reserve my bedroom only for sleep and sex (no studying, working, eating, phone time), make sure the ambient temperature is lower, and install blackout curtains
I will limit going out and minimize alcohol intake close to bedtime
To ensure this, I will remove alcohol from my house and share my goals with my friends so they understand my intentions
Getting back to the main point of this blog: understanding that long-term dedication is needed, will help you become a better client As your coach, we can help “process-ify'' your undertaking, but if you are not ready and willing to hack away, day-after-day, the process will be tougher and longer than it needs to be. Whether it's a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon or your favorite elite USAPL lifter gone social media influencer, devoting time and a lot of it is a necessity.
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