The Cardinal Rule of Training

Dan Cleather starts off “The Little Black Book of Training Wisdom” with what he considers the cardinal rule of training:

“Above all else, be consistent".”

And it’s corollary:

“Don’t do things that might negatively affect your consistency.”

Of all the books I’ve read and courses I’ve done related to strength and endurance training, this is probably the simplest but most profound idea I’ve taken from any of them. 

To perform at your best, you need to train.

To get the most out of training, it needs to be done consistently.

This might seem elementary, but it is amazing how many of us fail to make progress in training because our behavior is at odds with this rule.

What things are likely to negatively affect your consistency?

• No strength/cross training

• Not sleeping enough

• Not eating enough/eating poorly

• Not listening to your body

• Not learning/neglecting the fundamentals

• Trying to do too much/too much too soon 

• Never taking rest days or easy weeks

• Always testing/maxing out

• Program hopping 

• Frequently changing goals

• Lack of focus

• Training too much or too hard

• Getting injured

Full disclosure, I’m guilty of all of these, and there are things on this list I still catch myself doing from time to time, despite knowing it’s not the best for my training or overall well-being. 

What would you add to this list?