Smaller Slower Weaker

Working in sports performance, bigger faster stronger is the rallying cry.  Coaches who produce these outcomes are worth their weight in gold, helping athletes perform at a high level for long and lucrative careers.  

If bigger faster stronger is the goal, appreciating the other side of the continuum can help us avoid habits that create resistance to those three valuable training adaptations.  I call it smaller slower weaker.   

Below I’ve outlined the best ways that I’ve found to become smaller slower and weaker over the years.  If you’re looking to get smaller, slower and weaker, follow these simple steps.  

Eat less nutrient-dense food 

Generally when body composition improvement is a goal, athletes are prone to eating less food or limiting their eating windows, whether that means eating later in the morning or earlier at night.  These can be great strategies unless less food means the elimination of valuable nutrients.  This means less leafy greens, less lean protein or less healthy fats.  When eating less means eating less of the good stuff, smaller slower weaker becomes a viable option.   

Sleep less hours before midnight

Valuable anabolic processes happen as we sleep, leading to those bigger faster stronger adaptations that we seek.  Many of these processes happen better if we are asleep earlier in the nights.  For more on this, read Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker.  

If pursuing smaller slower weaker, simply go to bed later.  This could mean eating later at night, playing video games or watching stimulating movies on Netflix.  There are plenty of options to keep us up past our bedtimes.  

Drink copious amounts of alcohol 

Alcohol, especially in excess, can do a number on sleep quality and the vital anabolic processes that occur in response to training.  There’s some conflicting evidence as to whether it’s better to drink before or after workouts if one is really looking to screw up training effects, so it’s probably best to try both to see what works for you.  If smaller slower weaker is the goal, bring the booze.   

These are the top three ways that I’ve found to obtain optimal results in the pursuit of smaller slower weaker.  Poor stress management and finding a way to get hurt while training were close runner up finishers as well.   

Please, pursue bigger faster stronger.  It makes for a fun and capable life.