The Importance of Middle Road

Outside highways, taking the middle lane is usually the best.

Hi people, just a brief update now. A couple of days ago, I came across an awesome Facebook post by one Steve Hall. It was about the importance of the middle road, mainly in the bodybuilding and strength sport context. You can find the post here (not anymore; it’s probably there on the page, but the URL has changed with Mr. Hall’s Fb ID), but I’ll also paste it here in my blog in case something happens to the original:

Riddle me this; is the fast lane or slow lane better???

IMO neither is likely the way to go.

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The FAST lane often leads to problems, like crashing, burning out or running out of fuel.

The SLOW lane may not have any major issues as the fast lane, but it takes so long you might not even know if you’re moving forward.

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The MIDDLE lane, 9/10 is the path we should take.

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I have some nifty examples for you (yea..nifty):

• Reverse dieting: go too fast & you get fat, go too slow & you remain in a semi-dead state OR go at a moderate pace so you gain minimal fat & feel alive shortly.

• Bulking: go too fast & you get fat, go too slow & you spin your wheels OR go at a moderate pace so you gain muscle with minimal fat.

• Training to failure: go to failure all the time & you get injured, never go to failure & you leave gains on the table OR go to failure now & then to get all the benefit without the injury.

• IIFYM: eat only poptarts & protein shakes & feel like crap, eat only rice cakes & tuna fish & want to kill yourself OR eat mainly wholesome foods & chuck in some tasty treats to keep you healthy & sane.

• Nutrient Timing: set your timer for every 2 hours for a meal & become a neurotic mess, only eat one meal a day & have pretty sucky performance OR eat 3 to 6 meals a day & perform well without eating to the clock.

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Fast often leads to burn out.
Slow often leads to stagnation.

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==> The Middle Lane will most likely get you to where you want to go in the safest & most effective manner.

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p.s. you could be real sneaky & try switching between slow & fast lanes, likely you will get there at the same time & the dudes in the middle lane — but that may take some special manoeuvres.

p.p.s you better like & share this because IT’S MY BIRTHDAY! — as per the middle lane, I won’t be binging (cos infinite macros don’t exist sorry) but I won’t be restricting myself either.

In my opinion, this is extremely well said. And besides all thing gym, it can also be applied to other areas of life as well.

Are you studying for a degree? Spend 16+ hours a day in the books and library, and you’ll lose the entirety of your social life, and quite possibly your mental health and even life itself. Don’t do anything for it, and you know the result.

The same goes for work.

And pretty much every aspect of your life.

There has to be some sort of balance. You can’t give your literal all to anything. That would mean dying from dehydration in a few days.

You can give your practical all to maybe one thing. Think of a professional athlete in a well-organized state-sponsored sport. Or maybe somebody working the first year of a start-up.

And you can make a few things a priority for you. You can be good at work, and a great member of your family. You should be even able to squeeze in a meaningful gym schedule.

But that’s about it. If you want to learn to be quite good with and instrument, or if home decoration is your interest and passion, one of the other things (hopefully gym or work) will have to be dialed down accordingly.

For the rest of the things that you have no passion over – necessary evils like cleaning – I’d suggest doing the 20 percent giving you the 80 percent of results.

Best,

-Antti

The Importance of Middle Road