What are you training today?

Sincerely.

What the fuck are you training today?

 

You have heard the question numerous times.
You have likely asked the question numerous times.
Yet, what the fuck are you training? Have you ever thought to dig deeper to this question?

 

john romanowski, powerlifting; focus, self reliance, angry gigner ;

During my previous front squat session, this question came fucking hurling through my head.
What the fuck am I training today?
You, as well as I do, typically answer this question with some physical feature or technical answer (e.g bodybuilding, powerlifting). Yet, though my internal reflection, I begin to realize that what I am training has minimal relevance towards the overt physicality of powerlifting. In fact, “getting stronger” through powerlifting, for me, is an effect and not the cause. Powerlifting is a tool, just as a socket wrench or a screwdriver. I would go as far to say “getting stronger” is an obnoxiously general goal/objective

So, what the fuck am I training?!

My personal approach to powerlifting refines 4 key “tenants”:

1. Focus
2. Self-reliance
3. Efficiency
4. Symbiosis of planning/execution/adaptation
5. Aptitude

Focus should be fairly straight-forward. I need an absurd amount of focus for powerlifting because I simply to not have the body or sheer “talent” alone. In addition, training exclusively alone reinforces that (it also carries over to competing in meets completely alone; whooped-fucking-doo).
Training alone bleeds directly into self-reliance.
There is no group. There are no other entities to depend on (I prefer this).

john romanowski, powerlifting; focus, self reliance, angry gigner ;

Thus, I rely on myself to get the work done. Being self-reliant reinforces the ever-present focus of efficiency. I practice this specifically with 60-minute training sessions:

  • 10-minute warm-up
  • 20-30 minute compound
  • 10-20 minute small muscle work

The days of putting in 2-3 hours into each session are done. If I only get my squats done in the 60 minutes, that’s it. Onto the next day. Being efficient assists in executing my plans as well as adapting said plans (this goes for everything in general).

Keep it simple.
Keep it precise.

No need for a fucking novel if a short story will suffice. All of these feed into the monster that is aptitude. The game is put forth quality.
That is it.
Fuck the records, the medals, the bullshit politics between various federation, all of it.

SO. The next time you walk into a gym, ask yourself: what the fuck am I training today?

About John:

John Romanowski

John is a former in house TPS Method coach who is now working for us remotely from the backwoods somewhere.

He is a competitive powerlifter with best lifts of:

  • 1224 total at 82.5 kg.
  • 430 squat
  • 254 bench
  • 540 deadlift

He’s also wicked smart with an in M.S biology

Concentration: Microbiology, cellular and molecular biology, phylogenetics.

 

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