Progressive Overload

Progressive overload is the principle of training which states that progress is made through consistently increasing the difficulty of the training over a period of time. This can be the weight lifted, the repetitions performed, the distance run, etc. Progressive overload is absolutely crucial to long-term progress, but progressive overload without patience is doomed to failure. I have written an extensive article on progressive overload , so I will not go into depth here.

Honeymoon Phase

When we start a new activity and move from zero to one, there are some pretty magical changes that take place rapidly. Our bodies change fast as we adapt quickly to the new stimulus. In physical training, this is known as the honeymoon phase, obviously referring to the first few months of a romantic relationship. This phase is really fun, but it is important not to get too used to it because there is a long road of slow progress ahead.

Watching Paint Dry

Gaining strength, muscle, or mitochondria in well-trained individuals is akin to watching paint dry. It takes time and can be considered boring. I like this analogy, but actually, it is a lot harder than watching paint dry because it requires a great deal of physical effort. If you have more than five years of consistent training under your belt (well-structured training with appropriate rest and recovery), then making progress in your physical endeavour will be a serious challenge—one that will take both time and dedication.

Being Aware of What’s Required (Stimulus + Patience)

When things take time, it is really important that your brain knows you’re doing something effective and that you believe in your plan. If you feel like you’re wasting your time or your efforts are in vain, you will eventually drop off your training. This is why you need to be aware that the amount of stimulus you are providing is effective and that you believe in the work you’re doing. Not only do you need to be aware of what is required in terms of how much training is needed to create adaptations, but you also need to be aware that it takes a long time. If you are not aware of the patience required, you will become very frustrated very quickly. You need to accept that patience and progressive overload go hand in hand—that progress is hard fought and easily lost.

Realistic Expectations

Having realistic expectations of the amount of progress you are likely to make is also important. People can often create goals that are far beyond the realm of possibility in terms of adaptation. This, again, is a road to frustration and cessation of training. Setting realistic goals that can be achieved within the given time frame is a great way to create continual progress year on year rather than just disappointment and stagnation.

The Importance of Enjoying Elements of Your Training

It is really important that within your training week, there are some elements that stand out as fun or exciting if you are looking to create progress over the long term. Patience is crucial, but in order to be patient, we need to make the process enjoyable and fun at times. Unless you are training for the Olympics or are a professional athlete, this is a crucial part of training programming.

Accepting Mundanity

However, this doesn’t mean that you’re designing fun sessions on a daily basis. That’s just not how this works—there are less enjoyable sessions and fun sessions. Personally, my Sunday long run is my favourite training session of the week; I love it and genuinely look forward to it all week. My Tuesday horizontal pulling, injury mitigation, and grip strength session is the inverse—it’s relatively boring, but it allows me to prevent injury and therefore avoid a cessation of practice. You need to be a grown-up about this. You’re going to have to do some behaviours that aren’t fun in order to continue doing the ones that are. If you cannot accept that, then you’re probably not going to be doing physical training for a sustained period of time. Just as you earn the right to intensity through performing lower-intensity training, you earn the right to longevity of practice through accepting the mundanity of some of your training. You cannot have a fun Sunday without having a boring Tuesday.

Learning to Enjoy and Respect the Training Process

Developing a deep respect for the body’s process of adaptation can help foster patience and enable you to become better at performing the mundane tasks that are required at certain points in the week. Through performing these tasks, you are being a patient person who is willing to sacrifice time for the longevity of your practice.