Training Consistency: The True Variable

Every few months, a new training method or programming style becomes popular and people abandon what they've been doing to try it. I've watched this pattern for years. Here's what I've concluded.

The most effective training program is the one you will consistently do for a long time. Not the theoretically optimal program you abandon after six weeks because it's not fun. Not the advanced program you start at the wrong level and fail. The one you'll do.

Consistency over 12 months with an average program beats 3 months of the optimal program followed by 9 months of nothing. The math is simple: more total practice time drives more adaptation, regardless of the sophistication of the program.

This doesn't mean any program will do — obviously the fundamentals of progressive overload and adequate recovery apply. But within reasonable approaches, the behavioral factors (enjoyment, scheduling fit, training partners, equipment access) matter more than the programming details.

Find the movement forms you enjoy. Schedule sessions you'll actually do. Keep a log so you can see progress. These aren't motivational platitudes — they're the practical inputs that determine real outcomes.