On fundamentals and effort.

You're doing it wrong.

I’ve worked as a sports performance coach for 18 years.

I’ve been a professional athlete in two different sports for a cumulative 30 years.

I have seen and worked with athletes of all backgrounds, ability levels, ages, genders, weight and goal orientations.

And the one constant, amongst it all, is that just showing up, doing the fundamental work your objectives require and doing it with intensity, will consistently beat micromanaging and over complicating the effort put in.

Does it matter if the angle of your lat pull down is absolutely perfect if you go home after the gym and only sleep 3 hours a night? Does the structure of your squat session need to be precise down to the rep if you’re going to hit the vape on the way home and knock down 6 beers that evening? Do you need 16 different exercises in your pull day when you’re miles off your macros and can’t hinge correctly? Should you really be doing some weird ass movement on a BOSU ball when you can’t squat to depth or press overhead correctly?

The point is, I see far too many people obsessing over shiny objects in training and nutrition while completely neglecting the fundamentals. For 99% of us, doing the foundational work…directed toward your training goals…well…with intention and intensity…consistently, will take you where you desire. Stop wasting your time looking for quick fixes, shortcuts and magic pills.

Move, well.

Fuel, correctly.

Recover, completely.

Build, progressively over time.

Repeat.

I promise you, this is all you need.

Every minute you spend arguing about which nutritional trend or training philosophy is “best”, are missed opportunities to do the work that will truly make you a better human. There is no one size fits all, hell there’s not even a one size fits many. And whatever works for you now will stop working one day and you better not be too attached to your current identity as an athlete because you’re going to have to pivot and adjust or be left to talk about the glory days as you wither away.

Ignore the influencers throwing the flashy answers to what you’re “missing” at you, they don’t know you so fuck em’. Analyze your own needs, be clear with your objectives, show up day after day after day, and you will win.

The process of growth and development will never end, because you will never arrive. That can feel defeating for some, but those people lack awareness and are delusional to reality. How could any of us arrive? Has any human ever reached an end point in their potential? No, and you aren’t special so you won’t be the first.

Honor your existence, make the most out of what you do. Nobody ever looked back and regretted absolutely red-lining their potential in life.

Onwards, Always.