It's been close to six months since I wrote a blog surrounding the emotions of training. This is probably because of time and fatigue but after finishing a five hour session today, I think there's a good point to be made.
As far as I've seen in the sport of weightlifting and in the sport fitness there are two theories out there surrounding work. One is that you can "train smart" and in so doing proceed to be so precise that you hit exactly the right percentages with exactly the right volume with exactly the right intensity in exactly the right way causing the exactly perfect response to training. There are some coaches out there who believe this is possible and there are some athletes out there that believe that if they "listen to their body" they can create this response. Disclaimer: I'm not saying this is impossible. I'm also not saying that there are coaches out there capable of doing this. What I am saying is that there are no coaches and no athletes capable of doing this every workout, week in and week out without error. I'm also saying that often the "listen to my body" excuse is exactly that. An excuse to get out of training that would cause adaptation allowing you to progress through the volume and intensity written. It's called adaptation not because you're already prepared and capable of the volume written but that by completing the programming written you will adapt to the volume and intensity and grow in that process. Much of this "smart training" is based around the theory that less is more. That by doing less work with the right exact manipulations and calculations you can achieve better results.The problem with this "smart training" is reality. Nobody ever made it to the top by resting. In fact, rest is often the catalyst for stagnancy in your growth and digression in your results.
Disclaimer: I'm not downplaying the need and great truth that rest is critical. I'm just saying that there is such thing as too much rest and there is such a thing as resting when you should be working.
The other theory behind training is that hard work means progress. This is the basic premise that progress comes through adaptation and adaptation comes through the means of pushing past what is comfortable and making yourself comfortable with the uncomfortable. It's the old idea that nothing beats work like work. The idea that smart training is hard training. This theory is backed up by reality. The best athletes in the world train until they can't stand up. They run and run and run laps and laps and laps until they're walking like a baby giraffe. They lift and lift and lift until somebody has to pick them up and put them in their car at the end of the day. This theory is where I land. This theory believes that hard work produces aches and pains and fatigue but also results and constant progress. This idea promotes the reality that inside of a hard training cycle "amazing days" happen very rarely. In fact, you may only feel amazing on competition day, when it matters most.
Athletes, remember, nothing great comes without hard work. Nobody moves from mediocre to elite by resting. Find one case where that is true and I will find ten to prove you wrong. Hardwork matters and even the most gifted athletes in the world stay gifted through consistent, tenacious work regardless of whether they are "feeling it" that day.