Training Differences between Novices and Experts

November 8, 2015 - Rest Day

Happy Sunday, friends! I have been reflecting on my general strategy for getting fit. It can be summed up fairly easily:

1. Set goals I feel I can reach in 1-3 months. When I hit a goal, I set a new one.
2. Practice and work on those goals fairly frequently - at least once a week or more. Try to improve in some way every time I work on a specific goal.
3. Practice other exercises and skills frequently enough to maintain those skills and for variety - at least once every three weeks or so or more. These exercises provide more variety as well as supporting the goals directly or indirectly.
4. Eat reasonably well. I'm keeping this simple as well - more fruits and vegetables, less fast food, eat enough to support exercise but not too much.
5. Get enough sleep. I am aiming for at least 7 hours a night.

This basic plan should help me to progress steadily for a while. However, there may come a point where I will begin to plateau or stagnate in my progress. This is natural and to be expected. There is a difference between the training for novices and beginners and the training of more advanced athletes. I've been watching a few videos and reading a lot over the years for this. Here are some key points.

1. Beginners and novices improve fast at the beginning because they are going from a low or no frequency to more frequency. Basically, a person (like myself) who hasn't worked out in a while or not often benefits greatly just because of increased frequency. Right now, my body is adapting because I am working out 4 or 5 days a week as opposed to 4 or 5 days a month - I know, embarrassing to admit, but it's the truth.
2. Beginners and novices do not need complicated programs for any type of training. Because their bodies are going from not training to some training, the strength or endurance gains are easy. For all types of training, performance improvements from refining and perfecting technique during this phase is also the greatest. For example, I am currently able to improve my deadlift and squat weight in part because I'm improving my form and technique from watching videos (both of myself and of expert or high level practicioners). So beginners just need to practice frequently, improve form and technique, and increase the resistance until they this doesn't work anymore.
3. As athletes progress, they will need to adapt their programs to account for their limiting weaknesses. Let's use a running example. Right now, to improve I mainly have to just get out there and run. Then the next time try to either run a little faster or a little further. I can repeat this for a while, but as I get more fit, my progress will slow for a few reasons that I will need to address in my training. For example, I may have technique flaws that prevent me from getting the most output for the energy I'm expending. It might also be something like flexibility or mobility imbalances that cause injury, therefore limiting my ability to train. It could be that I need to put more speedwork or sprints into my training to improve the anaerobic capacity of my body. The point is that I will need to adjust my program to make further gains. The same goes for strength training, martial arts, or any other athletic attribute I'm trying to improve.
4. As athletes become more advanced, their gains will come slower. This may be because of point number three, but also as the athlete approaches their genetic potential in an area, their progress will diminish. 

So consider your level of training when you are developing your game plan for training. If you are a beginner, keep it simple and strive for improvement in every workout. As you progress, you may need to change things to continue your progress. At that point, the help of a skilled coach or experienced training partners may be necessary to help point out your weaknesses and keep you accountable. As for me, my focuses are on consistency and constant improvement. When my progress starts to plateau, I'll have to make a plan to get to further levels of progress.

Train hard and smart. Remember to have some fun as well. God bless you!