Small Changes, Big Gains
by: Josh Bryant
Josh explains the 7 Grandaddy Laws
In an era where every gym bro and pseudo strength coach is inventing the next “sport-specific” exercise, let’s get one thing straight—just because something looks cool doesn’t mean it works. No matter how flashy or fun a movement is, if it doesn’t transfer to real-world strength and performance, it’s a waste of time. If your training looks like a cross between a Cirque du Soleil act and a TikTok trend, it’s time for a wake-up call.
That’s where dynamic correspondence, a concept established by the late Soviet sports scientist Yuri Verkhoshansky, comes in. If an exercise doesn’t check these boxes, you’re just playing pretend in the weight room. If it doesn’t make you stronger, faster, or harder to kill, then it’s about as useful as a diet soda while cutting fat while pounding down Allsup’s chimichangas—pointless.
The Parking Lot Effect: Small Adjustments, Big ProgressVerkhoshansky laid the groundwork for training transfer, but how you apply it matters just as much.
Pillars of Training Transfer
First is accentuated regions of force production—where in the range of motion the greatest forces are produced or incurred. Strength built with 1 and ¼ squats transfers over better to a full squat better than a half-rep leg press. If you’re training weak points, train them where they actually exist.
Next is amplitude and direction of movement. The movement’s range of motion and the direction in which resistance is overcome determine how well it carries over. Pushing a sled at a 45-degree angle mimics sprint acceleration. A random “functional” movement on an unstable surface? Probably just a circus trick.
Dynamics of effort means motion should be specific to the sport or goal, whether considering force or not. You don’t always have to lift maximal loads, but you better be training within the speed and force demands of what you’re trying to accomplish.
Then there’s the rate and time of maximum force production. Strength isn’t just about how much you lift, but how quickly you generate power. A 600-pound deadlift in 10 seconds is different from exploding through 600 pounds in one second.
Lastly, the regime of muscular work matters. Strength training isn’t just lifting up and down; different muscle actions create different adaptations.
If your training isn’t hitting these factors, don’t expect much carryover beyond the gym.
This is where the Parking Lot Effect comes in—a concept that separates effective training from chaotic, gimmicky nonsense.
Picture a crowded parking lot. If every car tries to move at once, you get a disaster. But if one or two cars shift at a time, everything flows smoothly. Training is no different.
A good program looks 80-95% the same week after week, with subtle adjustments to load, speed, range of motion, or movement emphasis. If you’re overhauling everything constantly, you’re just confusing your body instead of building strength. If you’re never adjusting anything, you’re plateauing. The sweet spot is small, strategic changes that keep progress moving forward. Think of it like perfecting your Waffle House order—tweaking a little here and there until you find that golden balance of protein, fat, and delicious grease.
The Granddaddy Laws of Strength Training: Strength training isn’t a free-for-all—it follows fundamental laws that dictate results. Break too many, and you’re locking yourself in a prison of stalled progress. Follow them, and you keep getting stronger.
1. Individual Differences Matter: No two lifters are the same. Hip structure affects squats. Recovery ability varies. Past injuries change movement patterns. A program that assumes everyone should train the same way is doomed from the start.
2. The Overcompensation Principle: Your body adapts only if it’s forced to. You stress it with training, it overcompensates by getting stronger. But without steadily increasing demands, you’re just maintaining, not improving. If you’re coasting, you’re losing, stagnation is a myth.
3. The Overload Principle: If you’re lifting the same weights for the same reps every week, you’re wasting time. Overload isn’t just about adding weight—you can manipulate tempo, increase reps, shorten rest periods, or alter mechanical advantage to push adaptation. It’s like how much more exciting county fair funnel cake is when it’s washed down with moonshine—small change, big payoff.
Josh discusses this principle in detail:
4. The SAID Principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand):You get better at what you train for. If your goal is max strength, you have to lift heavy. If you train slow and light all the time, don’t expect to develop explosive power. You wouldn’t train for a hot dog eating contest by sipping protein shakes—same logic applies here.
5. The Use/Disuse Principle”Use it or lose it”: isn’t just a saying—it’s biology. Stop training a movement, and your strength and skill in that movement fade. The good news? Once a foundation is built, regaining lost strength is much easier.
6. The Specificity Principle : Machines and isolation work have their place, but if you want to get brutally strong, your training must emphasize real-world strength movements. Big lifts like squats, presses, pulls, and carries transfer far better than fancy machines.
7. The GAS Principle (General Adaptation Syndrome):Training too hard for too long will wreck your progress. You need structured reloads/deloads and recovery phases to avoid burning out. Strength is built by pushing hard, then backing off to let adaptation occur. Ever tried eating Allsup’s burritos three meals a day? Eventually, you hit a breaking point. Training is no different.
How to Spot a program that is as useless as tits on bullfrog?
If a program overhauls everything constantly, it’s not training—it’s random exercise. If it lacks a clear structure for progression, you’re just spinning your wheels. A good program prioritizes overload, specificity, and recovery while allowing for individual differences.
The best programs don’t look flashy. They look simple, consistent, and based on principles that actually work. If something promises “insane results in six weeks” with wild variations and gimmicks, it’s a waste of time.
Final Thoughts: Strength training is simple, if you let it be. Strength isn’t built by chasing novelty—it’s built by smart programming, consistent execution, and strategic adjustments. These Pillars of Training Transfer ensure your training carries over to real-world performance. The Granddaddy Laws make sure you’re training, not just exercising.
Next time you’re tempted to jump to the latest trendy routine, ask yourself if it follows these principles or if it’s just another distraction.
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