Choose One Thing and Good Luck : Perfection is the Enemy of Progress : Program Progression : Nutritional Protocol

Choose One Thing and Good Luck

Perfection is the Enemy of Progress

Program Progression

Nutritional Protocol

By Adam Mundorf

Choose One Thing and Good Luck

This was an email I received from an elite level strength coach who I corresponded with.  This advice is extremely apt and wise. Sometimes, the less I knew it seemed the better off I was.  Choose one book/program, make no alterations or substitutions.  Life is peaceful this way because you don't have anything to think about.  All you do is follow the program to a T.

Choose One Thing!

Perfection is the Enemy of Progress

Being an adult means life can sometimes be unpredictable.  We have unreasonably long days (especially in my profession), things come up and sometimes you just can't get your session in!  Do not change course!  A change in course only causes an illusion of progress.

If you don't have time due to work or true societal obligations, just skip that day and pick up where you left off the following day.

Don't let perfection be the enemy of progress.

This comes with a caveat, the only time to skip a session is if you simply don't have time.  Being tired or lacking motivation is never an excuse.

Program Progression

This is the path forward that makes the most sense to me, these programs are tried and tested with concrete goals to achieve.  

1. Rite of Passage (Muscle Rejuvenation)
1. Goal
1. 1/2 Bodyweight Press
2. 200 Snatches in 10 Minutes with 24kg
2. Reasoning
1. This will build upon your kettlebell foundation and build more strength through the press, chin up, swing and snatch.
2. Return of the Kettlebell (Muscle Build-Up)
1. Goal
1. Bodyweight Press with Double Kettlebells
2. Long Cycle Clean and Jerk with 32kg
1. Goal Dependent on Bodyweight.
1. If you're 200 pounds you'll have to put up 20 reps.
2. Reasoning
1. This will give you a solid hypertrophy and strength plan to build upon your Rite of Passage foundation..
3. Kettlebell Axe and One Arm Push-Ups (Muscle Rejuvenation)
1. Goal
1. 40 Sets of 6 h2h swings with 48 kg
2. One Arm Push-ups 
1. Naked Warrior Style
2. Reasoning
1. This will build your power with your new found strength and hypertrophy.  Kettlebell Axe will give you power and endurance while the one arm push-ups will give you some different pushing power.
4. Quick and the Dead with Kettlebell Muscle Rotated in 12 Week Blocks (Muscle Rejuvenation and Muscle Build-Up)
1. Goal
1. Keep on Rotating until 32kg is Reached in Kettlebell Muscle.
2. Reasoning
1. Kettlebell Muscle is a legacy program of hypertrophy.  This will allow you to build solid amounts of muscle and q&d will provide you with conditioning/power.
5. Time for Barbell Training
1. Probably something StrongFirst related like Reload or Power to the People.  Kettlebells possibly will be included as an accessory.

Nutritional and Health Protocol

As you can see above there are two separate program classifications : muscle rejuvenation and muscle build-up.  These both require different kinds of eating styles.  I deploy an eating style that has much inspiration from Ori Hofmekler who wrote the Warrior Diet and a few other great books on intermittent fasting.  He is the godfather of intermittent fasting and brought it to prominence in the early 2000s.  In a nutshell it looks like this : Eat lightly during the day or not at all and eat heavier at night when the days battles are done.  This looks different depending on your job, lifestyle and current situation.  It's highly flexible, intuitive and simple to adhere too.

Muscle Rejuvenation Eating Style

• Day-Time
• Water
• Zero Calorie Caffeine
• Fruit with Simple Protein Drink on Working Days
• Nighttime
• Salad
• Steamed Vegetables
• Protein Source
• 5 Days a Week (Any other Day)
• Eggs and Rice
• 2 Days a Week (Day before Day off of Work)
• Eating Out
• Avoid sugar and sugary drinks.
• Supplements
• MultiVitamin
• Fish Oil
• Creatine

Muscle Build-Up Eating Style

• Day-Time
• Water
• Zero Calorie Caffeine
• Simple Protein Drink with Fruit on Working Days
• Nighttime
• Salad
• Steamed Vegetables
• Protein Source
• 5 Days a Week (Days When Working)
• Eating Out
• 2 Days a Week (Days off From Work)
• Eggs and Rice 
• Supplements
• MultiVitamin
• Fish Oil
• Creatine

10,000 Steps

In addition to the above, I believe there are some things that are non-negotiable for health.  Steps are the one thing, I would want everyone to include in their daily regimen.  Reaching 10,000 steps per day is an important thing to do and is in my opinion, non-negotiable.

Thank you for reading!