Looking through the past 30 years of my training career, amidst all the painful injuries, crushing defeats, and occasional blissful victory, there's a noticeable theme: my progress always accelerated when I let someone else take control.
The irony is, in no instance did I ever want to give up control. I never wanted to go to the old barbell club – my dad had to drop me off there. When I first met Louie Simmons I thought he was a fraud – but when I did everything he said, I became one of the strongest men on the planet.
I thought I walked normally – until Coach Alwyn Cosgrove pissed himself laughing at seeing me trying to descend a flight of stairs. I thought I'd either be a jacked wannabe bodybuilder or a fat off-season slug – until I let John Meadows take control.
When I was on my own and in full control of my destiny, I nearly destroyed myself. I really was my own worst enemy. You will always be your worst client. You might help thousands of people, but don't trust yourself to be your own coach. You'll either get injured or won't live up to your potential. So swallow your pride. You will be better if you let someone help you be better.
You're reading T Nation so you're already light years ahead of the curve. Now ask yourself: Am I just reading the articles and cherry-picking the odd tidbit of advice that validates what I currently do, or am I truly all in?
Do you do every published program as written, or do you follow your bullshit modified Frankenstein version? Do you take the workout nutrition protocols as directed or do you try to outthink Tim Patterson when it comes to supplements?
Do you adjust the volume because you think you know more about getting strong than Jim Wendler, or use your own favorite exercises for getting big because you're more up to speed on the subject than Thibaudeau or Meadows?
If you do, your ego is what's holding you back. It's screwing you over. These guys know more about this stuff than you. It doesn't make you a bad person; it's just the facts. Swallow your pride and let somebody better call the shots. Go all in.
If you suddenly needed a doctor to remove your appendix, would you ask for the guy who reads a lot online and loves to "experiment?" Or the licensed surgeon who's done it a thousand times? Listen to the real experts. Let go of control. And grow.
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