In spite of the answer actually being in its name, we had no idea where California Strength actually was.
It could very well have been in the Golden State near LA or Orange County or in Silicon Valley. But we would just as easily have believed that the name was a misdirect and the gym was actually on Mars or in the magical land of Oz.
Today, California Strength is known for two things. The first is sending weightlifters to the Olympics. The second is for preparing NFL prospects for the combine (which is simply a series of strength, speed and agility tests).
But long before we started The Fort, California Strength was known as a place where you trained Olympic weightlifting in small groups, in relative obscurity and like your life depended on it.
They were also the first gym, as far as I know, to record their training sessions, edit them and put them up on YouTube.
Whenever CalStrength posted a new video, the first person to notice would text the rest of the devoted group of meatheads and we would all stop what we were doing to watch.
There was a lot to glean from watching those training sessions.
The first is that, while you may be one of the strongest guys in your gym, there are much, much stronger people out there.
The second is that good training isn’t fancy. Here were a bunch of shirtless guys in sweatpants purchased from the bargain bin at Modell’s, their knees wrapped with old Ace bandages just putting their all into every lift.
The last, and perhaps most eye opening to us, was that everyone trained on the same program.
You see, we were working at a premium personal training facility in the heart of Manhattan. And we believed that part of a premium service (and, really, the heart of any good program) should involve customization.
I mean, how could each one of these athletes reach their goals if they were all doing the same thing? What about working on their weaknesses? What about mobility limitations and specific activations? What about, at the very least, getting to use your favorite barbell in the gym?
But what became clear from watching those videos is that camaraderie, the training atmosphere and the friendly competition that came from everyone following the same training program was far more beneficial than having one athlete box squat while the other did deadlifts.
We are taught that customization is king.
And that may be true when it comes to the rims on your brand new Camaro or on your stuffed frog wearing a tie-dyed shirt and holding a magic wand that you made at Build-A-Bear.
But when it comes to training, very (VERY!) few people need customized programming.
“Wha, wha, what?????? How can that be?” you ask.
Before I answer, let me start with a few, very important things.
You absolutely should be following a program. Programs give you structure and a means by which to progress. They are absolutely essential to your success in the gym and, if you aren’t following one, you are going to plateau in short order (if you haven’t already).
And, to be fair, some people should follow very specific, specialized, custom programs. If you are dealing with a major orthopedic issue or you are a scholarship athlete or you are vying for an Olympic spot in your chosen sport, you might qualify.
But, allow me to take a wild guess here, you are going to the gym to:
* Get stronger * Increase your cardiovascular capabilities * Improve your body composition (more muscle, less fat) * Get healthier * Move well and improve athletic performance
These are what we would call general fitness outcomes (they are also what about 98% of people go to the gym for) and as long as your program uses the tools that drive these outcomes and is structured appropriately and progresses systematically, you are almost guaranteed to achieve them.
Sure, a customized program can also produce all those things. But what it can’t do is drive the excitement, commitment and unity that comes with executing the same program as those around you. And that is huge.
Imagine if you are in a group setting, or even a regular open gym, and Kathy is performing single arm dumbbell rows while Sydney is about to attempt a deadlift PR, Ethan is about to tackle a 2k row and you are in the corner doing rehab exercises.
You are never going to be as engaged in the training as if you were all going for your deadlift PR or you all were feeling the nervous anticipation of starting a 2k row. In fact, as you perform your third set of dowel rod shoulder mobilizations you're probably going to look around the gym and wonder why you aren’t doing what everyone else is doing. At worst you are going to wonder if they have the secret, magical program that actually works. At best you are going to feel left out of the fun and excitement.
Kyle and I started by applying the California Strength method with ourselves. Every day, around lunch time, we’d get together a small group of trainers and all run the same program. A huge divergence from us all doing our own thing.
Within minutes, I was having the most fun I’ve ever had in the gym. Within months, I was in the best shape of my life. This insight became one of the pillars of how we built The Fort.
And this is why you should be cautious of wanting to be a special, custom programmed snowflake in the fiery cauldron that is the gym.
Like that Camaro, you may feel more special with those one-of-a-kind rims. But, somehow, you aren’t going to get to where you want to go any faster. And the drive is going to be a lot less fun.