“For everything, there is a season” (Ecclesiastes 3:8)
Of course, I mostly remember the song by The Byrds. Dan John has written about this– park bench workouts and bus bench workouts. A time to push and a time to pull back.
I look at the year through this lense- take time to do more bodybuilding type work. Focus on getting a pump and build the muscle. Have some fun in the gym and try new things. Pick up a different type of lifting- maybe olympic style weightlifting, strongman, or even crossfit. Combine a few- mix back in some barbell lifts in conjunction with the bodybuilding type work, what people call “powerbuilding.” At some point, take a few months and push up your strength.
Or, dare I say, do some more cardio.
Right now I’ve been pushing my strength up. It’s been the focus for over a month, and something I’ll continue to push up over the next 5-6 weeks. I remind myself during this time that the focus is on strength.
And when the season is over, I’ll pivot to something different. I’ll have some fun Olympic lifting and doing some cardio.
There is an ebb and a flow to training- a time to push hard and a time to ease up. If your progress is stalled, ask yourself how your time is being divided. Is it too random? Does it need more focus and continuity? Or, are you continually beating yourself up into the wall, grinding yourself to a pulp and spinning your wheels?
