If It Works It Works

If you’re like me and you spend a fair amount of time in the gym, I’m sure you frequently hear folks arguing about the merits of this or that exercise, body part split, or diet.  Many of the people arguing often even refer to clinical trials, or cite a study written up in a magazine article to back their claim. And, while these trials and studies are certainly valid, when well constructed, and offer guidance to the population as a whole, they sometimes don’t apply to that most important trial of all, that test of one, which is you.


For example, it may be stated in some article that the use of 5 grams of creatine before and after a workout results in a certain percentage increase in strength, in the population being studied.  But if you get no results from creatine, like my buddy John at the gym, you get no result. It doesn’t matter what the study says, John doesn't and shouldn't be using creatine. It's just a waste of his money as a "non-responder."

In a similar vein, MRI images of working muscles may show that certain exercises elicit more activity in a target muscle than others, yet you find some of the “lesser” rated exercises work better for you. My friend Jason for instance gets better mass producing results from triceps kickbacks, of all things, than either pushdowns or narrow grip bench presses. In other words, his one person clinical trial, has produced results counter to those of most MRI based studies.

My point is, everyone should learn from these studies, read as much as you can, exchange ideas with others at the gym, use these studies as a guide and, at the same time, recognize that if something works for you, it works;  and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. 

There’s enough bio-mechanical, body chemistry, and motivational differences within the population to account for a significant number of anomalies. In the final analysis, there is enough individual diversity that it requires each athlete do at least a small amount of experimentation and adapt generic findings to their own genetics and circumstances. There is simply no substitute for taking the time to learn about yourself if you truly want to get to the next level.

I'm usually the "go to" guy at my gym when people have questions about exercises, training protocols, or nutrition. I make it a point to do a fair amount of reading every day and so am up on most of the latest findings. As well, I've been at this for just shy of 40 years and have either seen, heard about, or read most exercise and sports performance theories of the last 50 years. As such, I can make well informed recommendations that work. That's why people keep coming back.

At the same time, I make it a point never to argue with someone who's getting results from an exercise or diet strategy that runs counter to everything I've learned. Even if that person is merely taking advantage of a placebo effect, if it seems to be working I'm not going to try to dissuade him or her from their chosen path.

The gym should be the ultimate temple of pragmatism. Everyone is in pursuit of demonstrable results. If you want to argue high carb vs. low carb or high intensity vs. volume, go ahead But remember, when all is said and done, "if it works, it works." Case closed.