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"Before the gates of excellence, the high gods have placed sweat; long is the road thereto and rough and steep at first; but when the heights are reached, then there is ease, though grievously hard in the winning."
STORY
Correctly Overloading
This week I’m going to cover something I think most people know; but rarely take the time to actually connect. And if you’re reading this thinking, ‘I’ve already made those connections,’ then hey… I apologize for offending you and your comprehensive approach to strength training.
So anyway, I’m borrowing the topic story from a guy who practically invented the concept of progressive overload. In ancient Greece, Milo of Croton wasn’t just a six-time Olympic wrestling champion; he found a way to adapt strength training in the most progressive way. What was it? Carrying a newborn calf on his shoulders every day until it turned into a full-grown bull. This is the base concept of progessive overload. Through that simple, progressive method, Milo mastered both the skill of moving heavy loads and the strength to do it. (Let’s just not tell the guy loading every 45-lb plate onto the leg press and calling a slight knee bend a 500-lb max as progressive overload.)
Now, I’m not saying that if you “know how to lift,” you don’t need to actually get stronger, far from it. You still have to develop multiple aspects of strength: tendon and ligament resilience, muscle-fiber power and hypertrophy, bone density… and that’s only the start of your strength checklist.
What I’m trying to convey is this: skill is half the battle when your ultimate goals are injury prevention, consistent progress, and maintaining perfect form; even on your heaviest sets. Learning “how to lift” teaches you your own biomechanics, giving you that intuitive radar for when something in your movement is even slightly off. If you’ve ever had to move some heavy objects, you probably figured out it has it’s own learning curve:
Figuring out the movement pattern that suits your body structure
Tweaking lifts to progress (e.g., using box squats to solidify form, then gradually lowering the box until it disappears)
Knowing exactly when to deload, tweak volume, or throw in accessory work
Those are just a few of the tools you add to your toolbox when you invest time in mastering how to lift heavy.
Personally, I keep strength training in my routine a few times per week; even with jiu-jitsu as my main focus. I lean on slow “work-up” sets (adding weight in small increments) on most of my compound lifts, ensuring I lock in the movement pattern and prime my body to handle the heavy stuff. That way, I’m training both the skill and strength aspects of everytime I’m performing compound exercises.
TOPIC/CONCEPT
Strength Is a Skill
Technical Learning Curve:
Just like perfecting a sweep in jiu-jitsu, heavy lifting demands precise motor patterns. Squatting, pressing, or deadlifting with perfect alignment takes practice and focused repetition.
Early on, your nervous system learns how to recruit the right muscles at the right time; much like drilling guard passes until they become second nature.
The Motor-Pattern Connection:
Efficient lifts aren’t about brute force alone; they’re about coordination. Your brain must program the squat pattern just as it learns a triangle choke.
Micro-progressions in load or speed allow you to “groove” these patterns, building a template your body can execute under heavier weights.
Strength Is Trained
Connective-Tissue Adaptation:
As you add load, tendons, ligaments, and joint capsules adapt; getting denser, tougher, and more resilient. This is your “Milo effect” in modern form.
Consistent, but moderate, progressive overload signals your body to reinforce its structural “scaffolding.”
Intra-Abdominal Pressure (IAP):
Controlling the breath and bracing your core builds that invisible “castle wall” around your spine. Proper IAP isn’t just about safety; it’s about unlocking higher force output.
Progress with Purpose
Frequency & Focus:
You don’t need to live in the weight room. Even with jiu-jitsu as your main focus, 2–3 quality strength sessions per week are enough to maintain; and even improve, your lifting skill and tissue health.
Choose compound, full-body movements: squat, hinge, push, pull.
Effort & Progression:
Effort: Aim for 6–8 RPE on your heaviest sets. challenging but not grind-to-failure.
Progression: Increase load, reps, or complexity (tempo, pause, range) by small increments each week.
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EXERCISE
Zercher Squats
Zercher squats involve holding the barbell in the crook of your elbows, close to your torso, while squatting.
Named after Ed Zercher, a 1930s strongman, they were originally done without racks; literally picking the bar off the floor into position.
Why They Work:
1. Core & Upper Back Dominance
Holding the bar in front forces massive engagement of the core, spinal erectors, traps, and upper back. Your posture has to stay tight… no room for sloppiness here.
2. Quad & Glute Activation
With a more upright torso compared to a back squat, quads take more of the load, while still firing the glutes hard out of the hole.
3. Real-World Carryover
Zerchers simulate awkward, real-life loading patterns (think grappling, sandbag carries, odd-object lifts). If you’re a combat athlete or strongman, the carryover is huge.
Why They Suck (But You Should Do Them Anyway):
They’re uncomfortable on the elbows; use a towel or elbow sleeves if needed.
Ego gets checked: you won’t load them like a back squat, but the full-body strain is real.
Requires mobility in the upper back, hips, and arms. Not a lift you can fake your way through.
Programming:
Great for accessory work or in a strength-endurance phase.
3–5 sets of 5–8 reps works well for hypertrophy + skill.
More ways to Zercher? Carries | Marches | Deadlifts | RDLs
Coach’s Note:
If you train jiu-jitsu, MMA, or anything where clinch strength, posture, and isometric control matters; Zerchers should be in rotation.
They’re gritty, effective, and teach your body to move under duress.
MINDSET
Strength Isn’t Just Built; It’s Learned
Strength isn’t just about lifting heavier; it’s a combination of skill and physical development, and you need both.
You’ve got to learn how to move well under load, build solid patterns, and understand your body’s mechanics. At the same time, you have to train the tissues: muscle, tendon, and bone, to actually handle that load.
If you only focus on form without building the engine, you’ll stall. And if you only chase weight without mastering control, you’ll break down. Real strength comes from training both the movement and the machine doing it.
Testimonials:
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Stephen Holmes Founder, Linking Performance & The Weekly Standard