The notion
of the “intermediate” lifter is poison.
The very premise is vastly more destructive than it is beneficial, and
it needs to be wiped out if we have any hope to progress in our training.
The
intermediate is the safe space for a lifter’s ego. It provides solace, allowing one to stake a
claim of experience without having the actual success necessary to back up
their words. It is the banner of the
lifting bookworm, well read but poorly trained.
We must declare war on this holy ground and allow no quarter to those
seeking its sanctuary.
Ok....maybe one of the FEW times where worrying about your posture is justified
We all
understand what a beginner lifter is, at least in theory. A beginner is someone starting out, learning
the basics, developing some fundamental strength and technique, and just
beginning their journey. An advanced
athlete seems equally easy a concept to grasp, as these are those individuals
that have achieved a high level of performance and clearly demonstrate a
mastery of their craft.
But the
intermediate? There is no clear
definition, so many have taken it upon themselves to come up with bizarre standards
based on a handful of lifts. Strength
standard sites and lifters comparing numbers in an insane chase to be crowned
the title of “mediocre”, yes! And these
stats are constantly discovered to be laughably low, a reflection of the
trending low standards we as a society maintain as part of our physical
decline.
However,
what becomes even more destructive WITH these standards it the tendency for
trainees to engage in an aggressive campaign of number chasing in order to “earn”
these titles. When told that all one
needs to do is deadlift 315lbs at 200lbs bodyweight to be “intermediate”,
trainees decide to dial in their form, shorter their ROM, buy a belt and the
right shoes, and do whatever it takes to get this number as fast as
possible. That way, they can tell
everyone “yeah, I’m an intermediate lifter”.
This is meaningless: you have gotten no bigger or stronger in your
pursuit for a title.
Which I suppose is only slightly worse than trying to find a fed with no current records so that you can win a plastic trophy
Others wish
to believe that an intermediate trainee is one who progresses at a rate
differently than a beginner trainee.
Once again, we run into the issue where one falsely conflates number of
pounds moved with amount of strength possessed/gained, but, for the sake of
argument, let us suppose this argument has merit. What now becomes contentious is this notion
of “intermediate routines” wherein one believes that the routine dictates the
rate of progress. A beginner routine
progresses every workout, whereas an intermediate routine is once a week…but
wait, I thought it was the TRAINEE who progressed, not the routine? Wouldn’t it be the case that, so long as the same
intensity of effort is applied by the trainee, their body will make the
necessary growth at the necessary rate?
Are we honestly of the belief that, through the power of mathematics and
alchemy a training routine will dictate the rate of biological adaptations and
transformations within the body, or is it the case that, irrespective of the
routine, a trainee progresses at the rate that one’s body is able to progress?
And for the
love of God, why would there even be such a thing as an intermediate
program? Wouldn’t one, by the very
nature of their “intermediateness”, have enough awareness of their own body to
be able to do what it takes to continue to make progress? Don’t we tend to call the people who are
STILL learning the basics “beginners”?
This is the issue
with the language employed by those so eager to categorize: they want to
quickly be granted a title for their efforts but in the same breath they claim
that they are merely the results of sets and reps applied mechanically. The human element has been removed, as though
the outcome of training is the same regardless of the amount of blood, sweat,
tears, and skull rupturing intensity is applied.
I propose we
eliminate the intermediate term from our lexicon and understand trainees as
simply belong to one of 2 categories: beginners, and non-beginners. This will force more honestly and
self-reflection, while at the same time offering little reward for self-promotion.
We will know when we are beginners, as we are still asking questions, learning
and growing. We will know when we are
not beginners as we will have the basics figured out, know how to train
ourselves to keep growing, and have some results to show for our efforts. Hitting certain stats like a high score in a
video game will be inconsequential to our standing, as our ability will be
reflection in our actions.
And,
ultimately, if people can’t tell that you lift, you’re a beginner.
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