The Best is the Enemy of Good
…
There is a lot of discussion about strength training these days. It seems to have finally carved out a place for itself in our cultural zeitgeist. I love to hear the chatter. And if you’re someone who has been lifting for a while, you probably do too. It’s fun to debate the merits of different approaches for various end goals.
But if you’ve never engaged with strength training, all the different approaches (and opinions) can cause confusion rather than clarity. So we sometimes get stuck asking the wrong question.
The question goes something like what is the best way to… ?
We ask the internet in hopes that google, or whatever AI platform you use, will provide you with an accurate response, synthesizing all the information online into a straightforward answer.
And hey! I too have googled this phrase many times. Deep diving on a specific topic introduces ideas, opinions, and helps identify common themes. But endless queries can lead to decision paralysis, inaccurate conclusions, and inaction.
So I’m here to remind you of Voltaire’s old aphorism:
‘Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien’
‘The best is the enemy of good’
Colloquially, ‘Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good’.
You could spend months reading about strength training and the many ways to approach it. All that time spent considering can be productive, of course. But it can also be way to avoid doing in the face of uncertainty. Rumination can make you think you know what the end result will be before you make an actual attempt.
So, if you feel defeated before you’ve even tried, I encourage you to take action instead.
To help nudge you along, I’ll leave you with a few opinions informed by research, a decade of experience, and my own personal bias.
There is no best for everyone. There are many approaches to strength training that could be right for you.
If you’re figuring things out on your own, my advice is as follows:
start slow and build confidence through doing
gradually challenge yourself as you find success with previous efforts
But if going it alone feels daunting due to past injury or current circumstance, find a professional whose approach resonates with you. Their recommendations should sound reasonable and incorporate your preferences, habits, and history.
Either way, take action (I double dog dare you!). Future you will thank you for it.
