#6 Trial & Error

People Get Scared

When people hear the phrase “trial & error,” it makes them scared. Here’s why… Trial means you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, and error means that you could actually fail.

Squat Every Day

Trial & Error plays a large part with my process of creating workout programs. About 6-7 years ago I had a terrible powerlifting meet down in Tennessee. I bombed out. I missed my three squat attempts, so I wasn’t able to continue on with the meet.

I came home, got on the computer, and typed “What happens if I squat every day?” That literally was the Google search, I swear. As I went down the rabbit hole, I discovered that most athletes that have done this, have all taken drugs. I don’t take drugs. Most guys that have done this are Olympic-level athletes.

This aside, most guys did not use a Conjugate Method 4 to 1 ratio of front squat to back squat. Most people that did this didn’t have a high level of GPP (General Physical Preparedness) built up. Most people hadn’t done this at an all-out level for a longer period of time, without taking drugs.

Be Different

How could I push myself to be different? Here’s what happened…

I squatted every day for the next three years. I blew out my all-time numbers on Back Squat, Front Squat, and Deadlift. I beat them all. Hit 540 at 181, 550 at 198, 700 in a suit at 198 multiple times, etc. All of the numbers that I needed from an Elite Total standpoint.

Here’s the key. During the process, every single naysayer out there told me how it wasn’t going to work. Well guess what? It fucking worked. Not only did it work, I was able to do it in my own way. Then, when it was time to release it to the world (on BB.com at the time), I shot a five-day mini movie about how to squat every day. Twenty-eight million motherfuckers watched it in one month. Going down this road completely separated me from everyone else. This is the positive side of the trial & error process.

Will It Work for Deadlifts?

I knew that it worked for squatting, but what about deadlifts? That brought on something new entirely, so I gave it a try. Guess what? It didn’t work! It was difficult to recover, I injured myself, and it just didn’t feel right. I didn’t really tell anyone because I was just trying it, but it ended up not working out. It is what it is.

Have a Short-Term Memory

If something doesn’t work, don’t sit there and dwell on what didn’t work. You must have a short-term memory. Focus on what did work. What did work separated me and propelled me to a whole new level.

It’s the same thing with walking lunges. I was told over and over again that I couldn’t do a half mile of walking lunges every day and be able to recover. Well guess what? The body is a pretty amazing thing. I heard that it adapts extremely well and is arguably the best machine ever created.

303 Days

Half a mile per day over 303 days. Over 150 miles of walking lunges. I went on to earn my pro card in Natural Physique, I continued to compete in powerlifting meets, and I continued to prove that it works. It’s been proven time after time after time again with thousands of people around the world. Trial & Error. I could barely pull myself out of my truck on Day #5, but I was committed to give it a legitimate try.

Being Perfect

Very few times will you be perfect. Many resort to overanalyzing, never committing to anything. The reason I have a White Sox hat is because I witnessed perfection one time. In Major League Baseball, in 150 fucking years, there has been over 220,000 games. In this time, there has been 23 recorded perfect games.

Well, on a summer day in July of 2009, I witnessed Mark Buehrle’s perfect game. On accident. I was in Chicago, went to the game, and realized in the seventh inning that the glove was still smacking hard. Then, I realized that this dude had a no-hitter going. Then I realized, wait a second, this guy has a perfect game going. With two outs in the 9^th inning, the hitter blasted one out to center field. DeWayne Wise, the center fielder, climbs the fucking wall. As he’s catching the ball he starts to fall backwards, the ball falls out of his glove and he manages to snag it with his bare hand to save the perfect game. It was unbelievable and the place went crazy.

My Point

Perfection almost never happens. That being said, if you never try, you never get a chance to see what the outcome can be. Push yourself to do something different. Don’t hold on too hard if it doesn’t work. Think about what’s next if it doesn’t work. Keep a short-term memory.