“We’re Doing [Movement Pattern] Again?!”

The mental stages of training age must progress something like this:

Step 1: I’ll do anything you say, I’m so motivated! 

Step 2: I love this! It’s changed my life – Thank you!

Step 3: I have a few suggestions about the training.

Step 4: OK, back to the basics. 

It’s a phenomenon repeated all around the world and it makes perfect sense. In the same way that we have preferences in music, food, and fashion, we also have preferences when it comes to movement. That said, even a career making music becomes work if you do it long enough. Baking cakes is one thing, but becoming a baker is far from enjoying whimsical novelty. Sadly, fashion icons lose the tingle for the runway and become entrenched in the design room. My point is that fitness follows the same arc.

If you’re getting bored (and opinionated) about your training, you’re likely in a beautiful transition from hobbyist to career mover. And, that’s a beautiful spot to be in. It’s one worth celebrating, in fact. That said, here’s the punch line:

There just aren’t that many high return movement patterns. 

If you’re upset that your main move for the day is a squat pattern again. I’ve got news for you. The lower body is going to look like a hinge or a squat pattern with a carry or a lunge on a rainy day. The upper body is going to be a push or a pull. And, that’s not because we aren’t creative. It’s because we’re here to develop performance.

Get stuck in it. When you can love the basics, the world of performance opens for you.