Mindset Articles
‘Soon Ripe, Soon Rotten’
That old proverb applies to strength as much as it does to fruit.
When you force progress too quickly, it often spoils just as fast.
Author: Adam Johnston
Reading Time: 5 mins
Date: 2nd February 2020
Tags: #Strongman #CompetitionPrep #Deadlift #Intensity #SmartTraining
Key Points:
Short-term intensity spikes can work, but they rarely last
Gains built under high fatigue often fade fast post-comp
Sustainable prep builds strength you can repeat any day
Know when to push, and when to build steadily
There are times, especially as a competitive strength athlete, when an intense push on a particular lift is the right call.
That was the case for me leading into Strongest in the North 2019.
It was my first Opens competition, and my deadlift was lagging, badly. So badly, in fact, that the opening deadlift was a 13kg PB.
Not ideal.
So I made the call to push it.
It paid off. I pulled the lift. That single effort was the difference between placing 2nd and 3rd.
But there was a cost.
The training became hard to recover from. It wasn’t sustainable. Even after a deliberate post-comp phase focused on restoration and recovery, I detuned quickly.
I haven’t tested my deadlift since that day in October, but I know I wouldn’t hit the same number again, at least not yet.
The progress didn’t stick.
By contrast, every other event from that competition I could replicate today if needed.
This classic Hettinger (1966) study shows how rapid strength gains from high-frequency training can disappear just as quickly as they come when frequency drops back to normal levels.
Why? Because I was already close to the weights going in. The training was manageable, the prep sustainable, and the strength more repeatable.
That’s the difference between performance that peaks for a moment, and performance that lasts.
Practical Application & Takeaways / How to Run It
Push when you need to, not because you want to.
If a lift is holding you back from placing, go for it. But know the cost.
Save high-intensity blocks for when they matter.
You can’t train at 100% forever. Use intensity spikes sparingly and strategically.
Final Thoughts
If you want to perform at a high level across a full season, not just peak for one day, you need to think beyond just what gets results now.
Be selective and save the big pushes for specific movements at specific competitions and only when necessary.
In the long term, you’ll retain more of what you build allowing you to have a better base from competition to competition and ultimately will lead you to perform at a higher level.
About the author
Adam is a strength coach and the Head Coach of Savage Strength.
He helps lifters get brutally strong through simple, effective training with a speciality in Olympic Weightlifting and Strongman.
If you want coaching tailored to you and your goals, let’s get started with personalised programming designed to get you stronger.