Build - Getting stronger requires stressing the system. We apply stress to the areas that we want to grow. Contrary to popular belief, the reason why technique matters the most is for two reasons. The first is that good technique targets the muscles that we are looking to change. The second is that good technique allows for efficiency and proficiency in the movement. Those are the 2 biggest reasons why doing something correctly is so important. Notice that I did not say injury prevention. There is a reason for that, just because you lift something with incorrect form, does not automatically mean that you will get injured. Maybe there is correlation, maybe there is not. Anyone who says if you lift something incorrectly you will get injured, is either fear mongering or ignorant. Even if you lift with perfect form, there is possibly a risk, and even if you lift with poor form, you may never experience an injury. The reason to pay attention and strive for better form is to be able to lift more weight and therefore apply more stress to the system to drive more muscle stimulation and recruitment, resulting in more muscle growth. Yes, we want good form, but setting up the mental framework of lifting correctly to not get injured is a misplaced way of looking at it, get good at moving weight, to be able to get stronger and build more muscle, which will in turn help you avoid risk of injury by having more body armor in place if or when something unexpected does happen in life.
Charge - Very hard and uncomfortable efforts, not always sustainable. Short work periods require more intensity to drive adaptation. If you are only doing something for a couple rounds of 30 seconds, you can imagine that to get a worthwhile stimulus, the output must be very intense. If you jog for 30 seconds, great. But did you give your body enough of a shock for it to change in any meaningful way? Probably not. Unless you have not jogged in 30 years. But if you sprinted as hard as you possibly could for 30 seconds, you most likely stressed the system enough for it to realize some measures need to be taken, so if it happens again, it is better prepared. Short work periods require higher intensity for changes to occur.
Grind - Hard and uncomfortable, but sustainable. Unlike Charge, Grind efforts should be repeatable. Think threshold level intensity. Not easy by any stretch, but not death either. Somewhere in-between. These are hard, but always repeatable. These can be intervals, long or short. Continuous work or mixed model. Loading should account for the individual's current abilities to be able to do the work in a manner reflecting the objective of the session.
Sustain - Longer efforts, always repeatable. Not easy. Take our 12 Round day as an example. It is not easy, but it is very much a Sustain effort. If we only did 3 Rounds total, you would not feel that you got a good stimlulus, but because we are extending the work over 12 rounds, now the stimulus is very rich and rewarding. This is the goal of all our conditioning, we use different tools and styles to drive adaptations in the areas we want to improve. It is not mindless, and not without direction.
We build strength and capacity through the fundamentals that are measurable, observable and repeatable.
Be capable, move with purpose, and ambitiously apply stress to the system to force growth.
Left to its own devices, the human body wants only to survive, with as little amount of energy expenditure as possible. Don’t let nature take its course. Fight tooth and nail for every inch.
Live a healthier and more robust life.
Josh
At Targhee Athletics, we believe in empowering individuals to achieve their best—whether you're stepping into a gym for the first time or you're a seasoned athlete looking to push your limits.
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