Pop Quiz, Hotshot

Tom just increased his three-rep deadlift by 25#. Michelle by 5#. Who did better?

While most would immediately look at this and scream out that Tom was the landslide winner, they would be doing so because they are looking at the measurement in isolation. They are not considering relativity and the surrounding data points.

What if I told you Michelle has only been lifting for a year, meaning she is still in a state where she’s hyper sensitive to stimulus and Tom has been training for fifteen years so PRs only come once in while?

Now, which is better?

Hopefully – your answer is….

“Neither.”

Tom doesn’t know what Michelle’s goals or expectations are, and Michelle doesn’t know Tom’s. They are both excellent progressions worth of individual celebration for a job well done. To increase five pounds in a top set for an advanced athlete through hard work and smart frequency is just as celebratory as a new member going up twenty pounds purely out of motor learning, consistency, and the sheer willingness to be open to it.

Same can be said for weight loss. Beginners will shed quickly and with little effort while those whose bodies are more trained for the stimulus will have a harder time shedding those last few pesky pounds. It’s why a ten year athlete will not achieve the same results as a first timer in a nutrition coaching program, nor should they.

Never examine your data points in isolation. Always consider your trajectory and where you are on the curve.

-Dave