Mindset Articles

The Law of the Farm

In strength training and in life, patience is a virtue. It’s also a necessity.

One analogy I keep coming back to, both for myself and my clients, is something known as “The Law of the Farm.” It’s not my own concept, it’s been used in business, leadership, and personal development for decades, but it applies perfectly to coaching and training.

Much like my friend Jon Boyle’s “Stonecutter” idea (keep striking the rock, even when nothing seems to be happening), The Law of the Farm reminds us that results take time.

There are no shortcuts, only consistent, diligent effort.

Let me explain.

Author: Adam Johnston

Reading Time: 5 to 6 mins

Date: 18th July 2025

Tags: #Training #Strongman #OlympicWeightlifting #Strength #LawOfTheFarm

Key Points:

Training progress, like farming, requires consistent effort, patience, and belief in the process.
There are no shortcuts, results come from stacking small efforts over time.
The “Law of the Farm” metaphor helps reframe slow progress as part of a longer, natural growth cycle.
Avoid the trap of quick fix programs, long-term consistency wins.
Personal example: 18 months of no deadlift PBs, then a sudden 15kg gain—progress often happens all at once, after long-term work.

What Is the Law of the Farm?

Farming requires patience, diligence, and a strong belief in the process. You can't sow seeds one day and expect a harvest the next. You put in the work day after day, often with no visible progress, trusting that eventually your efforts will pay off.

The process looks like this:

You plan the land
You till the soil
You plant the seeds
You water, feed, and protect the crop
You wait… and wait… and wait some more

And eventually, if you’ve done all the right things, the crop grows.

This is exactly how training works.

Whether you're chasing a new deadlift PB, trying to lose fat, build muscle, or improve your sport skill, the results don’t come immediately. They come from stacking up small, seemingly insignificant efforts over time.

Modern Fitness Has a Quick Fix Problem

We live in an industry that constantly sells speed—30-day transformations, 6-week fat loss challenges, one weird trick to build muscle faster…

But here’s the truth:

There are no quick fixes.
There is only the process.
And the longer you stick with it, the bigger your results will be.

That’s not to say you can’t make solid progress in 6–12 weeks, you absolutely can. But the real changes happen when you commit to training like a farmer, not like someone looking for the next hack.

My “Law of the Farm” Moment

From March 2018 to October 2019, I didn’t hit a single PB in the deadlift. Nothing. Not a kilo. Not even a fluke gym lift.

But I didn’t stop deadlifting. I didn’t switch to a new program every 4 weeks. I didn’t abandon the plan, or tell myself I’d plateaued forever.

I kept showing up, kept tweaking things, and kept believing.

Then in the space of three weeks, I hit a big PB triple and added 15kg to my max.

That’s how it works. It feels like nothing is happening, until suddenly it does and everything clicks.

Practical Application, Takeaways & How to train like a farmer

Strength is grown, not given. Like farming, it’s about consistency, timing, and not losing your head when the results don’t show up straight away. Here’s how to train like a farmer.

1. Plan what you want to achieve
Farmers don’t wing it. They know what they’re planting, when it needs to grow, and when to harvest. You should too. Set a long-term goal. Break it into blocks. Know when you’re building, peaking, or pulling back.
Training without a plan is like sowing seeds in concrete.

2. Sow daily, not occasionally
Farmers don’t skip planting because they’re not “feeling it.”
Same with training, show up consistently, especially on the days you don't want to. Progress is built one session at a time.

3. Work with the seasons
Farmers know there’s a time for planting, growing, and harvesting.
Structure your training the same way:

Build strength in the “off-season”
Peak when it matters
Recover before the next push

4. Don’t dig up the seed too early
Stop program hopping! If a farmer dug up every seed a week after planting to check progress, they’d never grow anything.
Stick with your training plan long enough to see it work.

5. Tend the soil
You can’t grow strong crops in poor soil.
Make sure your sleep, nutrition, hydration, and recovery are supporting your training. That’s your "soil health."

6. Use hard work and stop looking for ‘hacks’
Farmers don’t chase shortcuts. They put in steady effort day after day.
Train with intent. Focus on the basics. The gains come from consistent graft, not novelty or trends.

7. Accept that growth is invisible at first
Crops don’t sprout overnight. Strength doesn’t either.
Sometimes it looks like nothing’s happening, but underneath, your body is adapting. Be patient.

Final Thoughts

Repeat. Be patient. Stay consistent.

That’s it. That’s the secret.

It’s not always sexy, and it definitely isn’t fast—but it works. So the next time you’re frustrated with your progress, remember:

You’re still in the field.
The seeds are still growing.
The harvest is coming.

You just have to wait long enough for it to show up.