Follow the plan. Grow the man.
by- Josh Bryant
Any talk about ‘training optimization’ without addressing adherence is just an intellectual circle jerk.
You can have the most scientifically sound, data-backed, PhD-approved training plan in history—but if you don’t follow it, it’s about as effective as 15 minutes on the elliptical after gorging on pizza and Tootsie Rolls at Planet Fitness.
Meanwhile, the lifter who shows up, executes, and sticks to the plan—week after week—will bury every overthinking spreadsheet warrior.
Consistency beats complexity.
Adherence beats perfection.
Follow the plan. Grow the man.
Now let’s examine the biomechanics of buy-in—because without it, your plan’s just paper maché cosplay.”
Reality Over Fantasy
Training twice a day might sound “optimal” on paper—until life hits. If you’ve got four kids, a full-time job, and pending legal drama from that backyard boxing fiasco behind Allsup’s, you’re not training twice a day, cowboy.
Three focused sessions a week will move mountains. But all that sporadic chaos CrossFit-style LARPing—just leads to the parking lot effect: a lot of noise, sweat, and no real progress. Consistency builds strength; cosplay builds delusion. At the end of the day, showing up and stacking training sessions—just like clocking in and stacking money in your 401(k)—builds wealth and strength the same way: steady deposits beat sports betting slips and fantasy-daydream delusion every damn time.
Trends are Truth
Training results are like compound interest—they come from consistency. One session won’t make you, and one won’t break you.
Stack enough quality sessions over time, and you’ll create a trend that builds strength, muscle, and momentum.
But if your only goal is to feel wrecked walking out of the gym, congratulations—you’ve got the parking lot effect.
That dopamine hit feels like progress, but it’s the training equivalent of thinking the topless dancer is really in love with you—she’s just dancing to pay for her methadone… I mean PhD in psychology.
Both leave you broke, tired, and chasing the next fix.
Strength and fulfilment are built the same way—through consistent behavior, not emotional impulse.
Set Real Goals, Not Fantasy Timelines
A dream with a deadline is a goal.
A dream without one is delusion.
Dropping from 30% to single-digit body fat in 12 weeks while still drinking at your kids Little League games and doing Taco Tuesday with margaritas? Fantasy.
Set a realistic timeframe based on your genetics, psychology, and schedule. That’s how you build momentum—and stay in the fight long enough to win it.
Build stronger programs with purpose.
Enjoyment Fuels Execution
You don’t have to love every set, but if you hate your training, you won’t last.
Enjoyment fuels adherence.
For example—if long, slow cardio makes you feel like a hamster on a corporate treadmill and you already spend your week trapped in a cubicle, get outside and ruck.
You’ll get the same training effect and actually enjoy the process.
Show Up and Stick to It
Most lifters don’t need a new plan—they need a spine. You can debate linear vs. undulated until your pre-workout wears off, but the guy who hits his three sessions a week like clockwork is going to win.
You don’t need to optimize. You need to execute.
The plan that gets done will always outshine the “perfect” one collecting digital dust in your Google Drive.
Balance Enthusiasm with Awareness
The lifters who come out hottest usually burn out first.
Being fired up is great—but it’s not sustainable if you mistake hype for discipline.
Balance your fire with awareness.
If you’re on a deload week and passing through Terlingua during the annual chili cook-off, don’t let a night of two-steppin’ and long-neckin’ cloud your judgment and trick you into maxing out—just because the bartender with enough heat to win the cook-off walks in the gym.
If you wake up in County every time you “go out with the boys,” maybe skip that until after the meet.
In a world full of filters, self-awareness is your strongest muscle.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, strength isn’t built from perfect spreadsheets or fancy theories—it’s built from showing up, executing, and sticking to the damn plan. Follow the plan, grow the man—everything else is just noise from people who lift with their mouths.
Get off the sidelines and into the strength game—your program’s waiting
