by Dunte Hector

“We trained hard … but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.” – Charlton Ogburn, Jr.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

Folks, you’ve been paying attention. We love that.

Some people have remarked that their deadlifts are improving — just 3 weeks of posture and alignment work, hamstring training, and frequent deadlifting can do wonders for your lift!

Some others have mentioned that their abs feel stronger (bodyweight rows and ab work), that their flexibility is improving (consistent Fusion sessions), or that their pushups feel better than ever (has anyone counted up the pushups?).

This is exactly the kind of progress we want for you.

So far, classes have focused on deadlifts, kneeling presses, and pullup progressions.

Remember the Pullup Workshop: Saturday at 8am!

Three weeks doing only movements from those categories — “same” — with subtle position, alignment, or set & rep changes — “different.”

But our larger goals for this program are to make your legs and hips as strong as possible, to make your shoulders more mobile, and to improve your posture.

Next week is a sort of mini-Stamina Week, which will be a special treat after 3 weeks of deadlifts & presses. Then, we shift our focus — but only slightly! Get ready for squats and rows, plus more pullup work. Expect to spend 3 weeks advancing the range of motion, amount of work, and quality of lifting in each movement.

“I need consistency to make me strong and variety to keep me sane.” – Rob Lawrence

In other words, expect your training to be same but different: a familiar format with a related set of movements. Some of you have already noticed how much more valuable improvement and measurable results are than random variety.

We’ve trimmed our skill and lifting focuses back to the absolute minimum. We’ve selected only the safest, most productive exercises to make you as strong as possible. And we’re going to progressively intensify your conditioning work.

We just need you to keep showing up with great enthusiasm and faith in the process. We just need you to keep making progress. We just need you to keep paying attention.

And, of course, repeat until strong.

Don’t forget to register for your next workout!

by Dunte Hector

I have had the unique pleasure in the last few weeks, as the strength and agility test phases of our Community Gains Project have passed, to relay advice given to me by Dave Whitley, Master StrongFirst instructor: “You’re thinking too much and lifting too little. Just get stronger!”

Frankly, folks, you need to get strong. Although everyone has different reasons for attending classes at the Shop, becoming stronger simply must be one of your goals.

And, to that end, we’re here to help you.

You have stuck with us while Matt and I have modified and toyed with the daily programming. We like to joke that DBS sometimes struggles with “random acts of variety” in training, and that struggle is why some people may not make the gains we expect.

No more!

Programming at the Shop is making a transition. Stated better: your workouts are evolving.

Beginning today, you will see a new format in classes that emphasizes skill work, a strength component, and some basic conditioning work. Every day. Every week. The skills will change periodically, but no more bouncing between focuses from week to week.

You will notice — though you might have seen this in the previous three weeks — that Fusion is longer and more involved and that warm-ups are shorter and more technical.

You may notice — though you might have guessed it from our recent testing — that training focuses on doing fewer things better.

And you may initially be flustered that classes are shorter — just 50 minutes of training instead of 60+…

And all of this is with the singular goal of making you stronger. A few notes about our goals follow. I look forward to having you along on our journey toward better training.

**

Everyone loves some conditioning work. A little stamina in the daily workout gives you that panting, sweaty, “worked out” feeling. We love it, too.

But the question about training, and conditioning especially, to be asked is, “For what?”

Frankly, about conditioning, we haven’t been sure in several months. Now we have an answer: “To be able to move safely, effectively, and powerfully while fatigued.”

That answer is entirely an injury-prevention approach. You’re a working professional with a family or friends who want you to be healthy and safe. Our job is to preserve the integrity of your body, even to build it up. So conditioning and Fusion will be focused on durability.

That said, conditioning work will be shorter because we still want you to pour your heart out during it. Let’s redefine “intense” work: shorter, faster, better.

**

Strength training can sometimes be boring, as our newly-minted powerlifters and weightlifters can attest. But regarding strength training, the “for what?” question is answered simply: For everything.

Getting stronger is the surest path to nearly every physical goal in existence. Want to run faster? Get stronger and run. Want to jump higher? Get stronger and jump. Want to lose fat? Get stronger and eat sensibly. Want to lift more? Obvious…

But strength is more than force production and lifting ability.

Want to feel more confident in social or professional situations? Channel your mental state when struggling under near maximum weights or when pushing for that extra rep in a set of squats.

Want to find the motivation to make a lifestyle change? Remember the slow, difficult process to building muscle or boosting your deadlift.

Want to deal with stress better? Remember how soreness is temporary but the lessons learned and gains made are durable and resilient.

We will narrow down our strength training focuses. You will train the same movements and their subtle variations nearly every day for 4-8 weeks at a time. And, if you honestly try to improve your form, try to perform an extra rep, or try to put more weight on the bar every time, you will absolutely get stronger.

It will be boring at times. Rejoice! You know the movement well enough to put energy into perfecting it.

It will be difficult at times. Celebrate! You are challenging yourself to do more or do better.

It will be frustrating at times. Smile! You are practicing patience and taking the long-term view to improving yourself.

**

We promise to be thorough about educating you in exercise and to provide a venue in which you can train safely and for a long time. We promise to hold you accountable to your goal in coming to us — to build a better version of yourself. We promise to give you the most direct path to that goal.

Folks, that path is through strength. Strength built with focused, planned, technically perfect training. Our programming is evolving to meet that criteria. In class today, you we ask you to take part and trust the process; then repeat until strong.

Let us know what you think.

Register for classes here.