In reading Ironmind magazine, I came across the following from Brian Shaw, in an article by Thomas Van Vleck.
If you’re not familiar with Brian Shaw, he’s been dominating the World’s Strongest Man competition in recent years, with four wins.
He’s also twice won the Arnold Strongman Classic.
So, yeah, he might be worth listening to if you’re into getting stronger.
Anyway, here’s the bit from the magazine…
He said that you have to know when to push hard and when to back off. If you don’t listen to your body then you won’t last long. And heavier weights aren’t always better. Other guys are constantly showing him videos of max attempts in training, and he told me, ‘I don’t feel like I have to prove to myself that I am strong in training, I use training for training. Always save your best for the contest.’
I think this is important because so many people get wrapped up in the idea of always pushing hard, always pushing to the limit.
It’s a recipe for failure…it’s only a matter of time until it happens if you don’t know when to ease off.
It’s true for competitors of the world’s strongest man, and it’s also true for you.
Of course, hard work is an important piece of the puzzle, but it’s only a piece. If not properly modulated you’ll end up hurt.
Do you know who else was a proponent of listening to your body?
He stated, “Carefully adjust your work to your condition at the moment. Ask yourself each time you lift, ‘Am I in good form today?’ If you feel yourself in good form—specially ‘fit’—then that is the time to try a ‘limit’ lift. “
If you want to learn a lot more about how Saxon recommended you do this, and plenty of his other ideas on training, make sure to sign up for the Strength Health Mind Power Inner Circle before 2016 is over.