It’s funny in the social media era of health and fitness, where everyone is a “bodybuilder” or “powerlifter” or “weightlifter,” that some people can’t fathom that most folks are just going to the gym to be healthier/maintain health. People have kind of lost sight of what the actual prize of going to the gym is. For 99.9% of gym goers, the prize won’t be a podium spot, so go ahead and throw in some jogging into your rigid SBD program. Your heart is screaming for it and your modest numbers will be fine.
Having a semi-long term goal like "I want to add 5 kg to the bar in the next 1-2 months" or "I want to add 5 reps to my pull ups in the next 2-3 months" is great. A goal does not have to be grand in a scale like competing.
Being goal-oriented and competitive is extremely culture-dependent and very typical of American culture. (Not only, obviously! But internet fitness-adjacent culture is very Americanized) I am Polish-born, recently naturalized American, and it still puzzles me when friends here ask me, "why do you do x/y, do you plan to compete/achieve z?" What do you mean by why do I do things in my spare time and as a recreation? I do it because I enjoy it, it's a habit, I've been doing it for 16 years, and it's so fun! :) It brings a smile to my face, allows me to unwind, feel happy about myself and putting the effort after an otherwise worse day, and it's something I look forward to - even after a heavy workout, I am already excited about and waiting for the next one. This applies to many other things and hobbies - I DJ for myself, produce music for myself - people ask me if there is some "end goal"/"achievement" I have in my mind, but there is no other goal than excitement and enjoyment of doing it, being creative, and learning/getting better (subjectively and only compared to myself).
I've come to realize this over the past couple of years. My only "goal" is the process of getting stronger and building muscle itself. People always look confused when I tell them I don't have any "grand plans" with lift/training. A lot of people just don't understand it. When you truly fall in love with the process of something, in my case; strength training, the end goal becomes irrelevant. Whether I end up squatting 600lbs or 300lbs doesn't really matter at the end of the day. What matters is the commitment to the discipline and sacrifice required to continue making progress and growing not only in the gym, but as an individual in all aspects of life.
Really resonate with the aspect of treating the gym like play, took up that mentality earlier this year and honestly it's the best my sessions have been for a long time, I want the gym to enhance my life not become another burden
This was the game changer for me. I'm so much more consistent now that I look forward to the gym. Rather than "I need to do ABC so I can get XYZ" it's more like "oh it arm day I get to do ABC exercises, oh but maybe I feel like doing CDE exercises instead that'll be fun."
It feels like saying "if you don't have career goals, what's the point in going to work?" That might help, but you're not accomplishing nothing. In the meantime. Keeping your body in generally a healthy state is the physical equivalent of just paying your bills
This book is a wake-up call! ‘You Are Stronger Than You Think’ by Borlest dives into natural ways to improve testosterone levels, and the results are amazing. It’s perfect for anyone wanting to take their health to the next level
Been watching this channel for 8+ years and its still getting better. This is very refreshing to hear, I've been training without a goal for the past 1-2 years after getting burned out on training and its refreshing to not have to fret and worry about not making scheduled weight increases on a program or hitting rep goals. Just keep grinding at whatever pace works for you and the weights will increase in time. I mean for most of us this a hobby anyways, no reason to make is stressful.
I find it strange that people need to be entered in a competition to be motivated to train. It's like saying getting stronger for your own good isn't worth it, only if you can beat others. Nothing against people competing but you should love training for yourself first and foremost.
Bro this resonates wit me so hard. I’ve never had a set program. I try and be eclectic in my excercises but I’ve basically whittled my routine down to two different days. I do upper and I do lower. It is so freeing. Sometimes back feels good and I hit it harder. Sometimes hammies feel like shit so I back off. But I just go, I have fun, I don’t go apeshitnon every set, I mix up explosives, high rep, and pretty high weight depending on movement and day and how I feel. I go in and wing it EVERYDAY. And it’s FUN. Ppl don’t get how important that is.
Dude, i have been having this feeling with a year. I actually did a strongman technique session with you in 2019 and really got into it. Did nationals and next step everyone around me is assuming is trying to make the arnold/osg. Ive kept trying and just not emotionally into it. Appreciated hearing this right now
Sounds like we're discussing the difference between Goals and Intent. You can intend to do something without having a set timeline or endpoint (which would be a goal.) The line gets blurred when the goal is vague, like instead of "I'm going to bench 225 by X date" it's "I'm going to see how much I can increase my bench by X date."
"people overestimate what they can do in a month and way underestimate what they can do in a decade" Like if someone gets discouraged and quits because they didn't get to their 275 bench in 3 months Maybe they would've gotten to a 405lb bench in 6 years
I especially agree with the blurry and vague point. My first reaction was I don't do anything without a goal or intent. I breathe because I have a good reason to
I've been training close to 60 years because I enjoy it. I enjoy camaraderie and I enjoy solitary workouts. I've learned sound principles over many years and I'm grateful for all the teaching and coaching I've received. Thanks Allan.
Hah, I love hearing old tales of sprints after heavy leg workouts. Here's another fun one I've heard of from a coach at my old track club step 1) looking the other way when the teenagers decide to sneak out for some underage drinking on the first night of the trainingcamp, step 2) waking them up early as F- the next day for sprints and plyos going up the skislope! :D... step 3) enjoying the quiet time in the evenings because you know they will behave themselves the rest of the trip.
9:06 thank you for testing the handle out! I agree with you on goal setting. Everyone often lets goals be hijacked by others. I had the same issue when I started lifting. I thought I just wanted to be strong. So I just did squat bench and deadlift. But I fell in love with training when I did the movements I enjoyed, felt like I needed and kept me wanting to come back. Even if everyone was blind I would still train the way I do!
I used to be a wrestler and was training to lift as much weight as possible while gaining as little size as possible. I lived in 3-5 rep sets and was chasing numbers every week/month. Now I go to the gym and do whatever I feel like doing, love it.
@watsonkushmaster3067 My diet back then was trash (still is). I was lean because I trained hard and was naturally a thin person. I did a modified version of 5x5, full body 3x per week, most workouts ending with some kind of HIIT. The lifting usually lasted between 45 minutes to 1 hours. I almost never went above 5 reps with the compound lifts and did very few isolation movements. During the actual season I would only once per week.
this is so relatable. Feels like I've been going through the exact same process as you have. Used to be extremely focused on numbers and upcoming competitions, even though I was actually tired of having such a narrow focus in my training. Also tried to integrate running into my weekly routine because I just like it, but always ended up cutting it out because I was afraid of slowing down my squat progress. Now I'm free of that and I feel more motivated to train than before. I still train hard and focused, but I choose what I want to set my focus on.
Going to the gym without goals is fine, because one day you might actually find a physical goal that you want to chase and thankfully, because of your goalless training, that foundation will already be there to start from.
Alan, this felt like a godsend. Thank you for sharing your experience with the gym. I'm currently exhausted prepping for my first strongman comp. I feel like this video doesn't work as an instant pickup. But it opened my eyes towards how I'm supposed to view training and how to actually live better. again, thank you very much for your wisdom, I wish you well.
What helps me is having goals that I stick to for a couple of months, then switch it up after with other goals, this works if you have lots of goals that you aim to get one day. There's been times where life has got in the way and during those periods, all I think about for training is to stay healthy, all my other goals don't exist. Staying healthy with what fits within my time frame f.ex 10 min HIIT session, 30 min jog/run, quick calisthenics basics session. I've had sessions where I've just gone by feel and it's liberating. I should incorporate more fun training days. Thanks for an insightful video Alan! 💪🏽
You hit the nail on head Alan. If you have nothing else in life it's good to have goals and give yourself something to chase. But chasing a stupid number in the gym while you're trying to juggle life, doing 8 to 8 shifts and nights all while taking care of your family life just gets you burnt out and make you hate lifting rather than help things.
really good timing for this video. i had a similar epiphany recently. i‘ve been lifting weights for a couple of years now and i‘ve had phases in that time frame, where i had specific goals, whether body composition or strength numbers. but in the past couple of months i‘ve had some life/ schedule changes and in a way priority changes as well i guess. i still loved lifting weights, but i kinda felt „uninspired“ and i didn‘t have specific goals and i was sort of beating myself up over it, because i felt like i had to have them to become better. but i realized that i don‘t. not at the moment at least. so i started to implement other forms of exercise like swimming and basketball. things i‘ve wanted to do for a while but didn‘t out of fear of it „interfering with my training“. it‘s a ridiculous thought in retrospect as i wasn‘t planning on competing. not in bodybuilding or powerlifting or any sport for that matter but i still felt in an odd forced kind of way that i couldn‘t do these other forms of exercise because i had to focus on lifting. anyway, it feels sort of freeing to do other things as well now. i still love lifting but i‘ve changed up my programming to accomodate for other things as well. it turns out i don‘t need to restrict myself, it was all just in my head.
I once had a gym owning knuckle dragger "Joey Bagadoughnuts" guy ( who p'd me off) tell me; "You gotta have a goal!". This was after asking me what my goals were which weren't anything specific at the time. I don't recall what I specifically said because I can't remember everything but I responded with something like; "My goal is to do my workout that day the best that I can do it". Whoop there it is!
I went through a huge psychological transition when I was 22 or 23. I went from being over stressed, depressed, always worrying. My mindset changed and now I live in the present. I have no long term goals. I don’t worry about anything, I don’t stress. I just let life happen and I embrace it. In my personal experience, having no goals means no stress and leads to overall happiness. Now that doesn’t mean I am lazy, don’t do anything and don’t care about anything. It’s the opposite. I try to make the most out of every moment of everyday.
@@chrismurray5343 Thank you. I have been pretty happy to see the response to it. I am hopping to make it more widely available soon. I want to see bigger forearms in the future💪🏽
I dont have a specific goal. I just like training. After a couple injuries I now appreciate having strenght and mobility with no pain. I kinda have a base I always do and then I try new stuff every now and then. I would like to do competitions but that would be for social aspect of training and meeting with a group.
My face began revealing a high number on the Baraki Exertion Scale just by watching you doing those barbell jump squats. Must be nice having that conditioning.
I learned many things from your about exercises and sport science. I agree that sometimes not having goals is the best thing for your mental health. I chased a big goal for long time and got exhausted. Now a little bit less ambitious but still going gym and **actually** having fun with the process. Is it optimal? maybe not. Is it fun and good for me? hell yeah!!
to be fit and healthy is a goal in of itself. only not well defined. i dont think its the goal you drop, but specificity and efficiency. because you could be fit and healthy in many different ways even without lifting weights altogether. as a father of 2 below age of 5 and all the everyday chaos that comes with it, iam thankful for a well structured and predictable workout. i dont have time to "waste" to check which exercises i want to do, which weights/sets/reps. but on the other hand, my goal is to add strength to my body, not necessarily have fun doing it. on the other hand i look forward to every workout and have fun in the process. i wouldnt know what would happen if i handsdown hated to move my body at all but wanted to add strength so that the burden of moving would be easier. but thats a corner case.
Goals are great, I have goals set and work towards them, but not everything I do in the gym has a goal or is towards the main goal. I also train to have fun, mess about and enjoy myself. And even when I have no goal I am working towards I will still get in and get something done. Goals are a great motivator but they are not the be all and end all of going to the gym.
Needed to hear this. AT has consistently been one of the best voices out there in a world full of snake oil salesmen. Just a hardworking, genuine dude. Sincere thanks.
Alan I’m around the same age as you and I’ve been lifting since age 20. It’s been fun to follow you because we have had extremely similar trajectories when it comes to training approach.
“He who enjoys walking will travel farther than he who has a destination,” goes the saying or something like that. I am trying to focus less on getting to a particular place with my training and become like you and learn to enjoy the walk. P.S. I had an opportunity to visit Untamed Strength a few years ago with the Chico State barbell club and passed because of “homework.” Really regret that. Love your videos. Train Untamed.
I made the exact change this year. Was always strictly training in the gymn after plans and running up to 6 times and 90km in total just for certain times and weights. In the end it always got more and more frustriating and also the first injurys seemed to try to creep in. So i completly changed it. Running less and when i feel like it and lot shorter distances which made me able to take my son more often with me. Feels so freeing, refreshing and made me enjoy it all as playtime :D
i have competed before in powerlifting, and everytime i have been asked what my goals are. i always have a couple goals/weights that i want to achieve, but when i tell people those, i always say to them afterwards that my true goal is to get last place, because getting there and being able to do the lifts is always the true goal. anything better than last place is just icing on the cake. i think frequently of what alan said previously, that we get to lift and many others do not - so why worry about "placing"? i get to do this and participate in a sport with other people, and train and potentially get stronger and have fun doing so. many people do not.
I kind of feel like “goals” are unavoidable when you go to the gym. For instance- you lift a certain weight, even if it’s the same for the whole week, but then it’s too light and you’re like, “ok, I want/need a challenge, I’m gonna increase my reps or load by 5 (reps/lbs)”. You’re still going with an objective each time, but it doesn’t have to be this huge overstated thing, it’s just natural for humans to want a challenge, big or small, as we progress in anything we do.
Yeah. Seems important to have goals that can be scaled up or back as you need it and where you actually enjoy the process. It's the "I must do X amount of sets of Y exercise every session at Z weight for W months or else I'm a failure" that grinds people down.
I like the discussion for sure. I take “anarchy weeks” periodically just to mix things up. I’ve been on a “goal break” for about 2 months now. I still train consistently, but it’s more of an exploration of movements and activities I’ve wanted to do, but didn’t because of contest prep.
I like the sound of that.... "anarchy week".... hmm.... I've been wanting to muck about with a bit of odd lifting for some time now, I think I'll declare anarchy weeks for that.
I think goals are really helpful. But yes it’s okay to not have goals. Goals should help motivate you. And they don’t need to be massive long term ones either. I try to give myself small goals. “Let me try to do this for november”. “Let me try to hit 5 more pounds here”. “Let me try to gain/lose a few pounds this month” We have our entire lives to train. Its often the small goals that help give that tiny nudge. Big goals are just unrealistic for most people. You will lose the motivation if you don’t feel like your achieving goals regularly. It’s all a mental game. Am I actually achieving anything? Probably not really but I am getting to the gym and that’s going to pay off when I’m older
So relateable. I quit the gym for months after forcing goals/routines on myself for ages and being miserable. My new "rule" is just (1) show up 3x a week (2) do 1x hard set from my routine. Then, either do: (A) go home, (B) continue with routine if enthused, (C) 'play' with whatever lifts I want. Liberating.
A few days ago I had an epiphany of "what's the point of all these goals I've set for myself?" - I used to compete in bodybuilding, powerlifting and strongman but haven't competed since 2020 yet I still imposed these random goals which added stress on top of what's truly important (family, work etc) Don't get me wrong, when I train, I still train hard. But now there are no set days or being hyperfocused on progressive overload etc. Like you said Alan, I want this to be a break and have fun. Cheers
Some people just wanna go to the gym for the eye candy 😅, belong in a community or just to move and get out of a sedentary state… going to the gym is all subjective.. youre absolutely right..some people feel Like the gym is just a safe place to keep thier sanity and mental health, which is a goal in itself
@@pinchpeak5203 I designed that and asked Alan to test it out for me. you can email me and we can work out sending you a prototype if you are interested.
5:40 yes but Alan you put the time in via traditional methods and frameworks and you earned the right to conduct "free form" training. I feel like I'm still an (old) noob and if I go off script then I'll be kinda lost time inefficient. Is this warped thinking/mindset? Would love to get to the "flow state" you have unlocked.
For me, the best thing about having goals is rewarding yourself for achieving them. For example, when I first started lifting, I bought a cheap weightlifting belt from Amazon. Once I was able to hit my squat goal, I rewarded myself with a fancy new lever belt. It’s something so simple but it makes me feel good.
I need goals to stay consistent. When i'm not playing a sport my goals are more around just strength goals. My son does not need goals. He has his set routine. He had a goal of benching 225, once he hit that he had no motivation to push himself but he still works out regularly.
I entered a Powerlifting competition a number of years ago and reflecting back, I was doing it for the wrong reasons. I was doing it to 'impress' some of the other gym users and 'prove' to them that all my training was worthwhile and had a purpose. Reflecting back, I was miserable doing that prep and hated the event as well. Having said that, the other competitors were genuinely very nice people and that was the one positive part as everyone roared each other on.
I workout at home, I don't post about it on social media aside from some discussion on reddit for funsies and I don't really have anyone in real life to talk to about it all. Safe to say I'm doing it all for myself. I have a couple strength goals I want to reach and I'm pushing my running times and distances, but overall my goal has always been health oriented.
Ive always had "get better" for a goal really. That's it. Progressive overload. Any progress is good progress. Need to lose weight ? As long as you're losing overall, no reason to rush. Started olympic weightlifting, it's cool, getting better at it. Any progress is good progress. Same thing for the big 4 lifts (big 3 + strict OHP) that were my go to for 5 years. Always really "did whatever the hell I wanted" in the gym. It's more enjoyable that way.
I'm not trying to read your mail, but I've been training since the early to mid 90s, "seriously" since 95. It's cyclical for most of us. I went through phases of 4 to 5 years of hypertrophy, short periods of hard endurance training, weightlifting, and powerlifting. I always go back to powerlifting. The constant, no one cares, but you. If it isn't something you like you will turn into one of those guys that disappear for years, train hard for a while, drop off, repeat.
Ironically, the advice of "set goals" and the "SMART" method of goal setting, actually stopped me being consistent, and making ANY gains for the first like, 10 or so years of my training life. For various reasons, it just kills my motivation, and I just stop training instead. I prefer to just get out there, and do the stuff, with a loose idea of where I want to take things, in a very flexible timeframe, while enjoying all the little "wins" along the way, rather than targeting specific goals or steps/milestones.
I was really shocked at how much I’ve appreciated the hour 5x a week I spend working out recently. Very mentally focusing, even without a specific goal beyond trying to get healthy.
Alan, I think you are currently in a maintenance phase of life, if you reach a point where you begin chasing something again, I think your opinion on goals and results oriented endeavors might change again. The chasing of results is very important, at least for me, when I'm chasing I'm progressing and my life is stable, when I'm in maintenance I generally pick up comfortable yet unhealthy habits, which has a Yo-Yo effect on my business and health. I'm currently 29 and that's at least my experience so far.
Saying "it's useless to go to the gym without goals" is like saying "it's useless to adhere to a diet if you aren't tracking macros" or "it is useless to sleep every night if you don't have an alarm set"
Going to the gym is the goal tbh. Exercise in general is a goal in today's world. We are designed to push ourselves and if you do nothing, you're just hurting yourself.
Training w/out a goal is like being in a boat w/out a rudder. And that's fine if you're happy being on the water and going wherever the current takes you. I prefer to have control of my direction .
I set generic goals and structure workouts towards them. I feel free to have fun days and go back to program once I get it out of my system. If I was going to compete I probably wouldn't do that, but if you aren't competing with anyone besides yourself, why stress over it?
Cool video. For me there is definitely wanting to be stronger, loose some belly, have more muscle on me as motivation, but my main motivator is more powerfull than that: Depression.
I actually get less motivated by goals. To me theyre just a reminder I havent reached them yet. For me Im better off with having a process to follow. Just do my thing and eventually I realized Ive reached such and such result.
They gym MUST be your fun time. It's not optional. You need to play around with heavy/light/speed training because YOU DON'T KNOW what you like, initially. Many people decide what they want to like. I used to always fixate on things, which dragged me down and made me skip workouts. Now I play around with 20lbs and accept my mediocrity in this game.
Process goals are still goals even if you don’t recognize them as goals, or specifically state them. In other words, the means themselves can be the ends.
It’s funny in the social media era of health and fitness, where everyone is a “bodybuilder” or “powerlifter” or “weightlifter,” that some people can’t fathom that most folks are just going to the gym to be healthier/maintain health. People have kind of lost sight of what the actual prize of going to the gym is. For 99.9% of gym goers, the prize won’t be a podium spot, so go ahead and throw in some jogging into your rigid SBD program. Your heart is screaming for it and your modest numbers will be fine.
those last two sentences should be posted on the walls of every gym. that is proverb material
holy based batman
Weak
and you go to a bar and everyone's an mma fighter😂
Having a semi-long term goal like "I want to add 5 kg to the bar in the next 1-2 months" or "I want to add 5 reps to my pull ups in the next 2-3 months" is great. A goal does not have to be grand in a scale like competing.
The only goal that matters: fahve more pounds
And tires that weigh ONE THOOUUUSAND POUNDS
Not without hip drahve
Applicable to many facets of life beyond the gym too
Why are Alans nipples hard? Is he some kind of pervert?
And GOMAD
Being goal-oriented and competitive is extremely culture-dependent and very typical of American culture. (Not only, obviously! But internet fitness-adjacent culture is very Americanized)
I am Polish-born, recently naturalized American, and it still puzzles me when friends here ask me, "why do you do x/y, do you plan to compete/achieve z?"
What do you mean by why do I do things in my spare time and as a recreation?
I do it because I enjoy it, it's a habit, I've been doing it for 16 years, and it's so fun! :)
It brings a smile to my face, allows me to unwind, feel happy about myself and putting the effort after an otherwise worse day, and it's something I look forward to - even after a heavy workout, I am already excited about and waiting for the next one.
This applies to many other things and hobbies - I DJ for myself, produce music for myself - people ask me if there is some "end goal"/"achievement" I have in my mind, but there is no other goal than excitement and enjoyment of doing it, being creative, and learning/getting better (subjectively and only compared to myself).
I've come to realize this over the past couple of years. My only "goal" is the process of getting stronger and building muscle itself. People always look confused when I tell them I don't have any "grand plans" with lift/training. A lot of people just don't understand it. When you truly fall in love with the process of something, in my case; strength training, the end goal becomes irrelevant. Whether I end up squatting 600lbs or 300lbs doesn't really matter at the end of the day. What matters is the commitment to the discipline and sacrifice required to continue making progress and growing not only in the gym, but as an individual in all aspects of life.
This right here.
Really resonate with the aspect of treating the gym like play, took up that mentality earlier this year and honestly it's the best my sessions have been for a long time, I want the gym to enhance my life not become another burden
Wait until you try new gyms for fun and new equipment
This was the game changer for me. I'm so much more consistent now that I look forward to the gym. Rather than "I need to do ABC so I can get XYZ" it's more like "oh it arm day I get to do ABC exercises, oh but maybe I feel like doing CDE exercises instead that'll be fun."
Train Untamed
Trääännn untäämdd
Really digging this more mature Allan. Family really centers you toward what’s important. Thanks for the content, dude
It feels like saying "if you don't have career goals, what's the point in going to work?"
That might help, but you're not accomplishing nothing. In the meantime. Keeping your body in generally a healthy state is the physical equivalent of just paying your bills
Nice analogy
Goals are pretty overrated. At this point my main motivation is that nice feeling you get after a heavy workout in the morning.
This book is a wake-up call! ‘You Are Stronger Than You Think’ by Borlest dives into natural ways to improve testosterone levels, and the results are amazing. It’s perfect for anyone wanting to take their health to the next level
Been watching this channel for 8+ years and its still getting better. This is very refreshing to hear, I've been training without a goal for the past 1-2 years after getting burned out on training and its refreshing to not have to fret and worry about not making scheduled weight increases on a program or hitting rep goals. Just keep grinding at whatever pace works for you and the weights will increase in time. I mean for most of us this a hobby anyways, no reason to make is stressful.
I find it strange that people need to be entered in a competition to be motivated to train. It's like saying getting stronger for your own good isn't worth it, only if you can beat others.
Nothing against people competing but you should love training for yourself first and foremost.
Bro this resonates wit me so hard. I’ve never had a set program. I try and be eclectic in my excercises but I’ve basically whittled my routine down to two different days. I do upper and I do lower. It is so freeing. Sometimes back feels good and I hit it harder. Sometimes hammies feel like shit so I back off. But I just go, I have fun, I don’t go apeshitnon every set, I mix up explosives, high rep, and pretty high weight depending on movement and day and how I feel. I go in and wing it EVERYDAY. And it’s FUN. Ppl don’t get how important that is.
Dude, i have been having this feeling with a year.
I actually did a strongman technique session with you in 2019 and really got into it. Did nationals and next step everyone around me is assuming is trying to make the arnold/osg. Ive kept trying and just not emotionally into it.
Appreciated hearing this right now
Sounds like we're discussing the difference between Goals and Intent. You can intend to do something without having a set timeline or endpoint (which would be a goal.) The line gets blurred when the goal is vague, like instead of "I'm going to bench 225 by X date" it's "I'm going to see how much I can increase my bench by X date."
"people overestimate what they can do in a month and way underestimate what they can do in a decade"
Like if someone gets discouraged and quits because they didn't get to their 275 bench in 3 months
Maybe they would've gotten to a 405lb bench in 6 years
I especially agree with the blurry and vague point. My first reaction was I don't do anything without a goal or intent. I breathe because I have a good reason to
I've been training close to 60 years because I enjoy it. I enjoy camaraderie and I enjoy solitary workouts. I've learned sound principles over many years and I'm grateful for all the teaching and coaching I've received. Thanks Allan.
Being average in any gym puts you above the 90+% of humanity that do absolutely nothing to improve their overall health. Be awesome!
Hah, I love hearing old tales of sprints after heavy leg workouts. Here's another fun one I've heard of from a coach at my old track club step 1) looking the other way when the teenagers decide to sneak out for some underage drinking on the first night of the trainingcamp, step 2) waking them up early as F- the next day for sprints and plyos going up the skislope! :D... step 3) enjoying the quiet time in the evenings because you know they will behave themselves the rest of the trip.
9:06 thank you for testing the handle out!
I agree with you on goal setting. Everyone often lets goals be hijacked by others. I had the same issue when I started lifting. I thought I just wanted to be strong. So I just did squat bench and deadlift. But I fell in love with training when I did the movements I enjoyed, felt like I needed and kept me wanting to come back.
Even if everyone was blind I would still train the way I do!
Great idea! Where can I buy the handle?
@ you can email me and we can work out sending you a prototype.
I used to be a wrestler and was training to lift as much weight as possible while gaining as little size as possible. I lived in 3-5 rep sets and was chasing numbers every week/month. Now I go to the gym and do whatever I feel like doing, love it.
Damn what a different perspective to have...how did your program and diet looked like to get stronger but not bigger?
@watsonkushmaster3067 My diet back then was trash (still is). I was lean because I trained hard and was naturally a thin person. I did a modified version of 5x5, full body 3x per week, most workouts ending with some kind of HIIT. The lifting usually lasted between 45 minutes to 1 hours. I almost never went above 5 reps with the compound lifts and did very few isolation movements. During the actual season I would only once per week.
this is so relatable. Feels like I've been going through the exact same process as you have. Used to be extremely focused on numbers and upcoming competitions, even though I was actually tired of having such a narrow focus in my training. Also tried to integrate running into my weekly routine because I just like it, but always ended up cutting it out because I was afraid of slowing down my squat progress. Now I'm free of that and I feel more motivated to train than before. I still train hard and focused, but I choose what I want to set my focus on.
My goal is to stay out of the doctor's office as long as possible
Going to the gym without goals is fine, because one day you might actually find a physical goal that you want to chase and thankfully, because of your goalless training, that foundation will already be there to start from.
Alan, this felt like a godsend. Thank you for sharing your experience with the gym. I'm currently exhausted prepping for my first strongman comp. I feel like this video doesn't work as an instant pickup. But it opened my eyes towards how I'm supposed to view training and how to actually live better. again, thank you very much for your wisdom, I wish you well.
What helps me is having goals that I stick to for a couple of months, then switch it up after with other goals, this works if you have lots of goals that you aim to get one day.
There's been times where life has got in the way and during those periods, all I think about for training is to stay healthy, all my other goals don't exist. Staying healthy with what fits within my time frame f.ex 10 min HIIT session, 30 min jog/run, quick calisthenics basics session.
I've had sessions where I've just gone by feel and it's liberating. I should incorporate more fun training days. Thanks for an insightful video Alan! 💪🏽
You hit the nail on head Alan.
If you have nothing else in life it's good to have goals and give yourself something to chase.
But chasing a stupid number in the gym while you're trying to juggle life, doing 8 to 8 shifts and nights all while taking care of your family life just gets you burnt out and make you hate lifting rather than help things.
really good timing for this video. i had a similar epiphany recently. i‘ve been lifting weights for a couple of years now and i‘ve had phases in that time frame, where i had specific goals, whether body composition or strength numbers. but in the past couple of months i‘ve had some life/ schedule changes and in a way priority changes as well i guess. i still loved lifting weights, but i kinda felt „uninspired“ and i didn‘t have specific goals and i was sort of beating myself up over it, because i felt like i had to have them to become better. but i realized that i don‘t. not at the moment at least. so i started to implement other forms of exercise like swimming and basketball. things i‘ve wanted to do for a while but didn‘t out of fear of it „interfering with my training“. it‘s a ridiculous thought in retrospect as i wasn‘t planning on competing. not in bodybuilding or powerlifting or any sport for that matter but i still felt in an odd forced kind of way that i couldn‘t do these other forms of exercise because i had to focus on lifting.
anyway, it feels sort of freeing to do other things as well now. i still love lifting but i‘ve changed up my programming to accomodate for other things as well. it turns out i don‘t need to restrict myself, it was all just in my head.
Crazy how you feel or know something intuitively and yet hearing someone you respect articulate it, makes it make sense.
I once had a gym owning knuckle dragger "Joey Bagadoughnuts" guy ( who p'd me off) tell me; "You gotta have a goal!". This was after asking me what my goals were which weren't anything specific at the time. I don't recall what I specifically said because I can't remember everything but I responded with something like; "My goal is to do my workout that day the best that I can do it". Whoop there it is!
this message is wildly underrated. was something i needed to hear thanks for upload
I went through a huge psychological transition when I was 22 or 23. I went from being over stressed, depressed, always worrying. My mindset changed and now I live in the present. I have no long term goals. I don’t worry about anything, I don’t stress. I just let life happen and I embrace it.
In my personal experience, having no goals means no stress and leads to overall happiness. Now that doesn’t mean I am lazy, don’t do anything and don’t care about anything. It’s the opposite. I try to make the most out of every moment of everyday.
Does anyone know what the device at 9:12 is called? Looks much better than holding a dumbell for supination pronation exercises
@@lukasmich hey man. I designed that. You can email me and we can work out sending you a prototype.
Does look cool to use
@@chrismurray5343 Thank you. I have been pretty happy to see the response to it. I am hopping to make it more widely available soon. I want to see bigger forearms in the future💪🏽
Another great video. Always have such great training advice; really appreciate it
I dont have a specific goal. I just like training. After a couple injuries I now appreciate having strenght and mobility with no pain. I kinda have a base I always do and then I try new stuff every now and then. I would like to do competitions but that would be for social aspect of training and meeting with a group.
My face began revealing a high number on the Baraki Exertion Scale just by watching you doing those barbell jump squats. Must be nice having that conditioning.
What do you mean "must be nice"? You could have it too if you cared to
@@Ventryx True. I'm trying, but this seems to be on another level for me at the moment. It'll come eventually.
You get better with every video, even if its unplanned. Much appreciated for my Saturday morning ❤
I learned many things from your about exercises and sport science. I agree that sometimes not having goals is the best thing for your mental health. I chased a big goal for long time and got exhausted. Now a little bit less ambitious but still going gym and **actually** having fun with the process. Is it optimal? maybe not. Is it fun and good for me? hell yeah!!
to be fit and healthy is a goal in of itself. only not well defined. i dont think its the goal you drop, but specificity and efficiency. because you could be fit and healthy in many different ways even without lifting weights altogether. as a father of 2 below age of 5 and all the everyday chaos that comes with it, iam thankful for a well structured and predictable workout. i dont have time to "waste" to check which exercises i want to do, which weights/sets/reps. but on the other hand, my goal is to add strength to my body, not necessarily have fun doing it. on the other hand i look forward to every workout and have fun in the process. i wouldnt know what would happen if i handsdown hated to move my body at all but wanted to add strength so that the burden of moving would be easier. but thats a corner case.
Thanks, this was a well timed video / message for me.
My always and ever goal is training for GPP I'm training UNTAMED💪!
Will Ratelle has been a wonderful influence for exactly this reason - and I found him through your interview. Thanks Alan.
Goals are great, I have goals set and work towards them, but not everything I do in the gym has a goal or is towards the main goal. I also train to have fun, mess about and enjoy myself. And even when I have no goal I am working towards I will still get in and get something done. Goals are a great motivator but they are not the be all and end all of going to the gym.
thegoal is to stay alive these days, with all the poisoning of our food chain
Needed to hear this. AT has consistently been one of the best voices out there in a world full of snake oil salesmen. Just a hardworking, genuine dude. Sincere thanks.
Alan I’m around the same age as you and I’ve been lifting since age 20. It’s been fun to follow you because we have had extremely similar trajectories when it comes to training approach.
“He who enjoys walking will travel farther than he who has a destination,” goes the saying or something like that.
I am trying to focus less on getting to a particular place with my training and become like you and learn to enjoy the walk.
P.S. I had an opportunity to visit Untamed Strength a few years ago with the Chico State barbell club and passed because of “homework.” Really regret that. Love your videos. Train Untamed.
I made the exact change this year. Was always strictly training in the gymn after plans and running up to 6 times and 90km in total just for certain times and weights. In the end it always got more and more frustriating and also the first injurys seemed to try to creep in. So i completly changed it. Running less and when i feel like it and lot shorter distances which made me able to take my son more often with me. Feels so freeing, refreshing and made me enjoy it all as playtime :D
Another top video knocked out the ballpark on lifting in life 🤘
Truly wise words! I hate treating my training regime as some sort of chore (calorie counting, anally following a training programme etc.)
These were wise words.
I'm 53, and my main goal is to keep my joints healthy, above anything else. So the main thing I want to avoid is ego lifting.
As a dad with lots of other interests - consistency IS my goal. 😊
i have competed before in powerlifting, and everytime i have been asked what my goals are. i always have a couple goals/weights that i want to achieve, but when i tell people those, i always say to them afterwards that my true goal is to get last place, because getting there and being able to do the lifts is always the true goal. anything better than last place is just icing on the cake. i think frequently of what alan said previously, that we get to lift and many others do not - so why worry about "placing"? i get to do this and participate in a sport with other people, and train and potentially get stronger and have fun doing so. many people do not.
I kind of feel like “goals” are unavoidable when you go to the gym. For instance- you lift a certain weight, even if it’s the same for the whole week, but then it’s too light and you’re like, “ok, I want/need a challenge, I’m gonna increase my reps or load by 5 (reps/lbs)”. You’re still going with an objective each time, but it doesn’t have to be this huge overstated thing, it’s just natural for humans to want a challenge, big or small, as we progress in anything we do.
Yeah. Seems important to have goals that can be scaled up or back as you need it and where you actually enjoy the process. It's the "I must do X amount of sets of Y exercise every session at Z weight for W months or else I'm a failure" that grinds people down.
@ Agreed!
Brilliant. thanks.
What is the apparatus at 9:06? 🧐
I like the discussion for sure. I take “anarchy weeks” periodically just to mix things up. I’ve been on a “goal break” for about 2 months now. I still train consistently, but it’s more of an exploration of movements and activities I’ve wanted to do, but didn’t because of contest prep.
I like the sound of that.... "anarchy week".... hmm.... I've been wanting to muck about with a bit of odd lifting for some time now, I think I'll declare anarchy weeks for that.
I think goals are really helpful. But yes it’s okay to not have goals. Goals should help motivate you. And they don’t need to be massive long term ones either. I try to give myself small goals. “Let me try to do this for november”. “Let me try to hit 5 more pounds here”. “Let me try to gain/lose a few pounds this month” We have our entire lives to train. Its often the small goals that help give that tiny nudge. Big goals are just unrealistic for most people. You will lose the motivation if you don’t feel like your achieving goals regularly. It’s all a mental game. Am I actually achieving anything? Probably not really but I am getting to the gym and that’s going to pay off when I’m older
So relateable. I quit the gym for months after forcing goals/routines on myself for ages and being miserable. My new "rule" is just (1) show up 3x a week (2) do 1x hard set from my routine. Then, either do: (A) go home, (B) continue with routine if enthused, (C) 'play' with whatever lifts I want. Liberating.
A few days ago I had an epiphany of "what's the point of all these goals I've set for myself?" - I used to compete in bodybuilding, powerlifting and strongman but haven't competed since 2020 yet I still imposed these random goals which added stress on top of what's truly important (family, work etc)
Don't get me wrong, when I train, I still train hard. But now there are no set days or being hyperfocused on progressive overload etc. Like you said Alan, I want this to be a break and have fun.
Cheers
This video was something I needed to hear and see. I can take my training to seriously sometimes.
A wise man.
Train untamed 🧔🏼
Some people just wanna go to the gym for the eye candy 😅, belong in a community or just to move and get out of a sedentary state… going to the gym is all subjective.. youre absolutely right..some people feel
Like the gym is just a safe place to keep thier sanity and mental health, which is a goal in itself
9:06 Where can I find one of these? What are they called?
@@pinchpeak5203I designed that and asked Alan to rest it out. You can email me and we can work out sending you a prototype.
@@pinchpeak5203 I designed that and asked Alan to test it out. you can email me and we can work out sending you a prototype if you’re interested.
@@pinchpeak5203 I designed that and asked Alan to test it out for me. you can email me and we can work out sending you a prototype if you are interested.
5:40 yes but Alan you put the time in via traditional methods and frameworks and you earned the right to conduct "free form" training. I feel like I'm still an (old) noob and if I go off script then I'll be kinda lost time inefficient. Is this warped thinking/mindset? Would love to get to the "flow state" you have unlocked.
For me, the best thing about having goals is rewarding yourself for achieving them. For example, when I first started lifting, I bought a cheap weightlifting belt from Amazon. Once I was able to hit my squat goal, I rewarded myself with a fancy new lever belt. It’s something so simple but it makes me feel good.
Are you still doing NH's bodybuilding program?
I need goals to stay consistent. When i'm not playing a sport my goals are more around just strength goals. My son does not need goals. He has his set routine. He had a goal of benching 225, once he hit that he had no motivation to push himself but he still works out regularly.
I entered a Powerlifting competition a number of years ago and reflecting back, I was doing it for the wrong reasons. I was doing it to 'impress' some of the other gym users and 'prove' to them that all my training was worthwhile and had a purpose. Reflecting back, I was miserable doing that prep and hated the event as well. Having said that, the other competitors were genuinely very nice people and that was the one positive part as everyone roared each other on.
Thanks for this!
My goal is to be able to move my shoulder again.
Solid
Do it
Had this problem at 23 (now 38), after a bad workplace accident. Took me a year with no/low weight. Can be done. Best of luck with your rehab.
I workout at home, I don't post about it on social media aside from some discussion on reddit for funsies and I don't really have anyone in real life to talk to about it all. Safe to say I'm doing it all for myself.
I have a couple strength goals I want to reach and I'm pushing my running times and distances, but overall my goal has always been health oriented.
Whats that bar at 1:25?
Do tall guys generally do front squats rather than traditional squats Alan?? To avoid the back bend/bad posture .. Good videos
🙏🏼
Thanks 👍 today I needed to see this video
Why do you do so much plyometric training? I do find it interesting but I'm not sure what the benefits are.
What is the name of that wrist rotation accessory? Seems really useful
He shouted out @hypertrophydesign on his post of it.
@@teddd7431 hey man. I designed and provided that handle for testing. If you are interested in testing it as well shoot me a message.
@@teddd7431 I designed that and asked Alan to test it out for me. You can email me and we can work out sending you a prototype.
Ive always had "get better" for a goal really. That's it. Progressive overload. Any progress is good progress. Need to lose weight ? As long as you're losing overall, no reason to rush. Started olympic weightlifting, it's cool, getting better at it. Any progress is good progress. Same thing for the big 4 lifts (big 3 + strict OHP) that were my go to for 5 years. Always really "did whatever the hell I wanted" in the gym. It's more enjoyable that way.
Great video!
I'm not trying to read your mail, but I've been training since the early to mid 90s, "seriously" since 95. It's cyclical for most of us. I went through phases of 4 to 5 years of hypertrophy, short periods of hard endurance training, weightlifting, and powerlifting. I always go back to powerlifting. The constant, no one cares, but you. If it isn't something you like you will turn into one of those guys that disappear for years, train hard for a while, drop off, repeat.
Great video. This is a lighthouse in a sea of influencers who either did not grow up themselves, or want to sell something to their immature audience.
Alan, that was a missed opportunity for a UA-cam-transition when your son put his shoe up to the camera lol
Ironically, the advice of "set goals" and the "SMART" method of goal setting, actually stopped me being consistent, and making ANY gains for the first like, 10 or so years of my training life. For various reasons, it just kills my motivation, and I just stop training instead.
I prefer to just get out there, and do the stuff, with a loose idea of where I want to take things, in a very flexible timeframe, while enjoying all the little "wins" along the way, rather than targeting specific goals or steps/milestones.
I was really shocked at how much I’ve appreciated the hour 5x a week I spend working out recently. Very mentally focusing, even without a specific goal beyond trying to get healthy.
Alan, I think you are currently in a maintenance phase of life, if you reach a point where you begin chasing something again, I think your opinion on goals and results oriented endeavors might change again.
The chasing of results is very important, at least for me, when I'm chasing I'm progressing and my life is stable, when I'm in maintenance I generally pick up comfortable yet unhealthy habits, which has a Yo-Yo effect on my business and health. I'm currently 29 and that's at least my experience so far.
What’s with this thick bar bench press? Strongman wrist strength carryover?
Saying "it's useless to go to the gym without goals" is like saying "it's useless to adhere to a diet if you aren't tracking macros" or "it is useless to sleep every night if you don't have an alarm set"
Going to the gym is the goal tbh. Exercise in general is a goal in today's world. We are designed to push ourselves and if you do nothing, you're just hurting yourself.
Training w/out a goal is like being in a boat w/out a rudder. And that's fine if you're happy being on the water and going wherever the current takes you. I prefer to have control of my direction .
I set generic goals and structure workouts towards them. I feel free to have fun days and go back to program once I get it out of my system. If I was going to compete I probably wouldn't do that, but if you aren't competing with anyone besides yourself, why stress over it?
You could argue that deciding not to have a specific goal and just go to the gym is actually a specific goal. Mind blasting 🤯
Cool video. For me there is definitely wanting to be stronger, loose some belly, have more muscle on me as motivation, but my main motivator is more powerfull than that: Depression.
tren on time
I actually get less motivated by goals. To me theyre just a reminder I havent reached them yet.
For me Im better off with having a process to follow. Just do my thing and eventually I realized Ive reached such and such result.
They gym MUST be your fun time. It's not optional. You need to play around with heavy/light/speed training because YOU DON'T KNOW what you like, initially. Many people decide what they want to like. I used to always fixate on things, which dragged me down and made me skip workouts. Now I play around with 20lbs and accept my mediocrity in this game.
my only goal is to be a bit better today than i was last time at whatever im doing. works in life and the gym.
I workout because I love my family. I want to be strong and healthy for them.
Process goals are still goals even if you don’t recognize them as goals, or specifically state them. In other words, the means themselves can be the ends.
A good "goal" is to always go to the gym and train because you know how good it makes you feel.
Please someone tell me the blue wrist thing , i do oly and it would be a life saver !!
I’m really glad you said this, this is the “hot” take I’ve had for many years now
9:32 what in the hell are those plates? lol