Improve Your Training for 2023

The New Year is upon us, along with another 52 weeks of training and the opportunity to become a better athlete. As a coach or an athlete, it should always be your goal to improve the quality and efficiency of your Conjugate Method training. The years pass by quickly, so we must make as much progress year to year as possible.

Each year, we must examine our training from both the mental and physical side, looking for the places we can improve to take our training and sports performance to the next level.

Does this mean making drastic changes and changing up your entire approach? No. This means being honest with yourself about your training effectiveness over the past year and focusing on the areas you can improve to walk the shortest path that leads to the next level. We are looking to make adjustments that will enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the methods.

These improvements can range from becoming more or less specific with your main exercise selections, adding more volume during your accessory work, or drinking more water daily. You want to avoid focusing on only one aspect of your life and training. We must review our methods, mentality, and discipline in and out of the gym.

Methods

If you want your training to be maximally effective, it is essential always to seek knowledge and improve your programming to deliver the specific results you or your athletes require at the fastest rate possible. The first thing you need to do is ensure you have a solid understanding of the Conjugate Method.

The Conjugate Method features the simultaneous use of multiple training methodologies, so it is vital to fully understand each method individually and how the methods interact with each other. This knowledge will allow you to design specific and efficient programming, the most critical aspect of training for any coach or athlete.

Failure to properly organize your training will lead to decreased performance, lowered rate of improvement, or, at worst - injury. A complete understanding of the Conjugate Method will allow you to design a program with max effort and dynamic effort work that interact correctly, along with accessory exercises programmed with the right amount of specificity and volume to correct weaknesses and increase muscle mass.

Mentality

No matter what you do in life, your mentality will play a tremendous role in the outcomes you experience. On social media, you will see many folks providing content on training mentality. Unfortunately, some of this information can be misleading and ultimately set you up for failure if you choose to follow it.

Training mentality, or mentality in any endeavor for that matter, is a very individual thing. No matter what a group of humans is doing, working, training, or learning, each individual has their mentality or mental state they prefer that allows them to perform at their highest level.

So, as an individual, you need to find ways to bring yourself to your highest level mentally to take your training to the next level. For some, this may mean losing the cool factor and becoming more intense and engaged in the gym. For others, it may mean quitting screaming and smacking your head off the bar before a set.

Examine your thoughts and focus, and ensure that you can lock in and focus on your training. A large part of training success is training with intent. While intent manifests itself in physical movement, it all begins with the mind. Instead of being lazy with your weights, move like a freight train.

Mentality changes can ultimately be some of the most beneficial changes you make. No matter how excellently written a program is, an athlete with the wrong mentality will surely fail.

Discipline

No matter the endeavor, discipline almost always plays the most significant role in deciding success. As a coach or athlete, the amount of discipline you possess and display daily will tremendously impact you and the people around you. Your level of discipline ultimately decides what kind of athlete you will be.

Can an undisciplined athlete have success? Sure, but only for a short time. Without discipline, consistency is not achievable. Athletes who live without mental discipline eventually lose their physical discipline and begin training less effectively. As time passes, skill and physical capabilities decrease, and performance flatlines.

The disciplined athlete follows a better path. Not only will disciplined athletes succeed, but they will also have sustained success without a significant loss of performance. This means a more fulfilling competitive career and the ability to continue training and competing for an extended period of time.

Discipline means maintaining proper hydration levels, consuming an adequate amount of calories and macros each day, getting the appropriate amount of sleep each night, showing up for all of your scheduled training sessions, and training with complete focus and intent each training session.

No Excuses

If you have to make one resolution for the new year, we suggest vowing to make no excuses. On the path to accomplishing goals, often only one thing stands between the individual and success; the excuses made as to why it can't or won't happen. Don't sabotage yourself; always hold yourself accountable and to a high standard. Confidence and focus are necessary if you want to win.

Your success and future are in your hands. No coach, teacher, mentor, or anyone else can take you to high levels of success without you committing all of your mental and physical effort to the goal. Our intent and mental focus will determine how successful we become and the types of experiences we have.

It's a new year, sure, but the year's quality will be determined by the knowledge you possess, the mentality you choose, and the discipline you exert. Success is expensive, and payment is due daily.

Are you interested in starting a Conjugate Method program in 2023? Check out our Starting Conjugate series.