How to Build Resilient Strength

Contrary to popular belief, working out every day won’t make you stronger.

I haven’t missed a daily workout in over a decade, but for most of that time, I did not see much improvement in my strength.

Showing up to the gym consistently and doing something worked to keep me in a baseline shape. But left to my own devices, using programs I found online or in magazines, I generally stuck to movements that I knew I could do reasonably well.

Without anyone forcing me to push my edge, I stayed where I was confident of my safety — in terms of both range of motion and physical load.

As a result, I didn’t build strength.

It wasn’t until I started working with a personal coach and forcing myself to go to CrossFit classes that I started to actually build strength and improve my fitness.

Creating a Structure to Get Out of Habits

I don’t always like CrossFit, but I know I need it. Left to my own, I can linger in a long warm-up and delay getting started with my actual workout.

The structure of class forces me to get right into a workout without too much time procrastinating in my “warm-up.”

Both CrossFit and the programming I get from my personal coach force me to do things I wouldn’t necessarily do on my own. They also create structure that allows me to push my edge in a way that feels safe for my nervous system.

For the first time in over a decade, I am seeing actual results: I’ve increased my max load for every lift and improved my range of motion dramatically.

Not All “Hard Things” Are the Same

One of my CrossFit coaches has advanced to the semifinals of the CrossFit games. In addition to coaching CrossFit, she also coaches hard-core fitness classes at a local big box gym.

I’ve seen her training on her own, doing difficult lifts at high loads. I’ve admired how she pushes herself hard on her own in a way I struggle to do outside of a class.

So I was surprised when she revealed that she doesn’t like to do front squats. It proved to me that everyone has a thing they don’t like to do.

She shared that after years of training on her own, she recently started working with a coach for the first time. Her coach programs workouts and movements for her that she wouldn’t necessarily program for herself — including a lot of front squats.

This forces her to work on things she needs to work on, rather than defaulting to what she already does well.

She mentioned that this new arrangement has been humbling for her because she used to think that she did “hard things.”

Having watched her train, I pointed out that she does do hard things — she does the hard things that she is good at, and more of them.

This is a common pattern for many high achievers.

We follow the script of “building on your strengths.” Find the things you’re good at and do them more. Push yourself harder in those places where you already excel.

How to Build Resilient Strength

In all movement, the body takes the path of least resistance. If we always move in our habitual patterns, the muscles that compensate for our weaker muscles will continue to work, while the weaker muscles will continue to shun their job.

Eventually those muscles reach their breaking point, leading to injury.

Every strength eventually becomes a weakness.

To build true strength — resilient strength — we must do the hard things we’re not good at.

That’s why the structure of a class or a personal coach is so essential — and why even the best coaches have coaches. Just because you can program for others doesn’t mean you’re the best person to program for yourself. On your own, you’ll likely default to what you’re good at or what comes naturally.

It’s human nature.

Beyond the Barbells: Building Resilient Life Strength

This same principle applies beyond the physical body.

There’s merit to the common advice to “capitalize on your strengths.” We are more efficient and effective in doing what comes naturally.

But focusing only on our areas of strength can create blind spots. It can leave us vulnerable to changing needs in the workforce, and prevent us from seeing new opportunities on the horizon. In addition, always focusing on the same area can cause burnout.

Just as in the body, the best way to build resilience in life is to train in the areas where we don’t naturally gravitate — to do the hard things that we don’t like to do.