“Avoid Random Acts of Variety” – Mark Reifkind

 

 

 

Variety is the spice of life, so the saying goes.  But variety can be a double-edged sword.  It can become a distraction all of itself.

 

We chase variety because it somehow feels productive.  We chase variety because it’s what we think we should be doing.

 

The truth is, variety can just take us further from done.  A path that meanders doesn’t necessarily represent a clear way forward.

 

Lessons from Pavel – Focus on What Matters

In the strength training field, Pavel Tsatsouline has made the case for narrowing our focus in terms of exercise selection.  He believes there are only a few exercises that really matter, so he encourages us to dig deep on them in relation to our goals.  His approach is centered on the tried and tested, over the new and fashionable.

 

The results speak for themselves.  He is considered one of the world’s foremost strength training authorities.  He has worked with elite athletes, military operators and everyone between.  He is often quoted (and more often copied and poorly imitated).  If your goal is to get strong, there are others you could listen to that offer other ways to get there, but few with a track record as impressive.

 

While the analogies we use in this article are focused on strength, make no mistake about it, these random acts of variety play out across our lives.  They can cloud our focus, stop us reaching our goals and keep us in a cycle of ‘distracted’.

 

What Variety Is Good For

Variety is great when we become stale and need fresh stimulus.  A change of focus can often reinvigorate us on some level.  This can be physical and it can also be mental.  Old problems suddenly find a solution.   The well-worn feels fresh again.

 

In Pavel’s style of strength programming, this is where ‘same but different’ and ‘specialised variety’ come in.  Perhaps we alter our grip to avoid overuse injuries but still hit a groove that supports our indicator lifts.  We introduce exercises that enhance our ability to bump up performance in our key moves, while staying healthy.

 

The goal decides the tools and the exercises we use but a focus on digging deep on the basics remains consistent across Pavel’s approach.  “Low tech, high concept” is embraced.

 

“Variety for variety’s sake is discouraged.”

 

This approach also forces us to ask some hard questions of ourselves.

 

If fewer exercises get the job done, why introduce more?

 

If simple programming and consistency beats complex routines and ‘going hard or going home’, why complicate?

 

If we can ‘practice’ our strength, why do we need to ‘work ourselves out’ at every session?

 

Variety for variety’s sake is discouraged.  It’s called out as a way of distracting ourselves from what matters.  This approach has no place if we wish to get (and stay) strong as efficiently as possible.

 

Spread Your Focus Thin or Concentrate Effort

In an age where distractions are more plentiful than ever, many of us end up spreading ourselves wide but rarely to any depth.    In the case of strength, Pavel tells us this is a mistake.  Digging deep and concentrating effort is where the champions of strength roam.

 

Broader than this, elite performers in all fields have a deep appreciation, and even love of, routine.  Focused effort on a few key moves/skills/habits, while avoiding unnecessary distraction is often the bedrock of their success.  In 80/20 speak, they focus on the vital few, at the expense of the trivial many.

 

What does elite performance have to do with most of us?

 

While we may not all be shooting for Olympian like lifting totals or looking to be the next Roger Federer, or Bill Gates, we can still learn lessons from the masters.

 

If a narrow focus and dedicated work ethic gets the elite to elite, then it can surely help us get closer to our own goals in life.

 

Whether our goals are tied to physical performance, mental performance, emotional intelligence, our careers, our families, or a mixture of all is a personal matter.  Chasing all things at once will not work.  We have to focus.

 

Reconnecting with our ability to narrow our aim and dig deeper becomes ever more important in a world where distracted is so commonplace.

 

If we want clearer and more efficient results from our time, chasing variety is not necessarily the way to get there.  In life, as in strength training, it’s often a nail in the coffin.  Instead, we can focus our effort and maximise our chances of achieving our goals.  Leave the ‘random acts of variety’ to someone else.

 

 

 

Notes:

• While this post is written with a deep respect for Pavel’s work and writings (I’m a big fan), any misquotes, or misinterpretations are mine alone.
• A preference for calisthenics over iron means most of my own strength training goals relate to boosting performance in bodyweight classics (chin ups, dips, single leg squats etc) and the odd bit of play with hand-balancing. I have written about this love before in articles based around another of my strength mentors (Danny Kavadlo). 
• This article is as much a reminder to me as the reader, to focus on what matters most. That so often comes back to the basics, in any endevour. 

 

 

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