If You Are Training Alone, You Probably Aren’t Training Hard Enough: New Study

A new study published this week by a team of UK and Australian scientists provides powerful reinforcement around the importance of strength training under supervision.   

The study involved over 1000 trainees including a cohort who strength trained on their own and a cohort who trained with direct supervision.  One of the many reasons that training with supervision produces better results is that people who strength train alone tend to select a weight that is far too light.  The researchers noted a recent meta-analysis on the topic stating, “Loads selected by trainees when given the ability to self-select highlights that they tend to choose loads which, whilst initially efficacious in novice trainees, become sub-optimal quickly as training experience progresses.”   

Of course, training to muscle failure or very close to muscle failure is a cornerstone to effective strength training.  The authors note that when a trainee self-selects the weight, “most will naturally perform sets with an estimated proximity of 10-20 repetitions shy of momentary failure.”  Stated otherwise, the vast majority of trainees don’t train anywhere near hard enough to produce great results.   

The authors conclude: “Unsupervised trainees may train with a less-than-optimal load, repetitions, and resultant effort to optimize strength outcomes.”