Words of the week:

Don't make the mistake of comparing yourself to others, the only person you can accurately compare yourself to is you.

And as long as you are increasing in strength as a result of each workout you are heading in the right direction.

-Mike Mentzer

JACKED NOTES #6 - Most Guys Are Wasting Time in the Gym...

I had a conversation at the gym a few days ago that sparked this newsletter idea.

About a month before that conversation, I met these two guys at my new gym.

They had noticed me because it was rare to see someone new training at 4 am.

They stopped me before leaving and were curious to know more about my diet and training.

They were 100% certain I was taking something and were shocked when I said I didn’t take anything, not even TRT.

After explaining that I only train 3 days a week, for less than an hour, and keep it extremely simple, they almost didn’t believe it.

We kept talking for a bit, as I was happy to share my training philosophy.

Come to find out, as I mention in most of my videos, these guys were training 6 days a week, doing 30-rep sets, drop sets, supersets, and around 8 exercises per workout, maybe even more.

They were making their training complicated, hoping to squeeze out more gains because, like most people, they thought more was better.

I told them they were doing too much.

Sure, you might get a temporary pump, but is it worth being in the gym every day, dealing with constant nagging pains and minimal gains?

Pumps don’t equal progress.

Lifting weights just to lift weights is exercising, not training.

And that's totally fine if you're happy with your results.

If you're wanting to make gains though, you need a different approach.

I also found out they weren't tracking their lifts, which blew my mind.

Keep in mind they weren’t new to the gym; they'd been training for years.

They also weren't following any progression system.

Understand this:

Without consistent progression, doing more reps or more weight over time, you'll eventually stall in your muscle growth.

One of the guys decided to sign up for my coaching, and I immediately reduced his total volume and sessions.

After only a few weeks, he's already reported feeling stronger, less fatigued, more driven, and most importantly, experiencing fewer nagging pains.

He took the advice and implemented it right away.

The other guy?

He stopped me in the gym a few days ago, and he asked my opinion on doing 6-second negatives.

He said a bodybuilder who was winning shows recommended it...

I realized at that moment this guy is like 99% of lifters, and that's exactly why I keep making these posts/videos. And repeat myself often.

Even though I'd already told him there wasn't a hack, that he simply needed to train less with greater intensity, and consistently add weight and reps overtime, he still kept searching.

Here's the truth:

You can get jacked doing lots of things. Tons of routines work, and you have plenty of people who've gotten results training anywhere from 3 to 7 days a week.

The problem arises when you don't pick a program and stick with it.

The reason I recommend training 3-4 days a week is because it's a balanced approach for most people's lives.

Most people don't have 6-7 days a week to dedicate to training and watching every little detail..

Most natural lifters can't recover from that much training.

If you train that much, you're digging yourself into a hole of injury and burnout.

That's exactly what those guys were experiencing. They were training almost everyday but they were never recovering.

That's also why I don't promote drop sets, supersets, rest-pause, reverse pyramid, and all those other complex methods.

They sound fancy but won't magically make you jacked.

What makes you jacked is simple and it's boring.

This is what boring looks like:

Train 3-4 days a week.

I personally built my physique off a 4-day upper-lower split. It's the exact program I put most of my clients on and promote in my Average To Jacked program.​

My program also has numerous other routines because I understand some people have access to different equipment.

There’s a routine for everyone, even if you work out with dumbbells at home.

You can learn more about my A2J system here http://averagetojacked.com​

So you pick a program.

Now, no matter what your brain tells you, you're not switching, as long as it's a legit program and is sustainable.

Here's the next and most important step:

Stop consuming fitness content looking for hacks or the latest trending programs from influencers.

The hack is showing up consistently, training hard, pushing for progression in some way every single workout, and staying locked in and focused.

Outside of the gym, dial in your sleep, nutrition, hydration, and overall stress so you can return recovered and ready.

I promise you guys, if you implement this and realize the game is about doing the boring actions consistently over time, you'll get the results you've always wanted.

But if you keep searching for hacks, switching programs, not tracking your progress, and failing to improve every workout, you'll just stay frustrated year after year.

Talk to you next Saturday!

-Eric

P.S. Whenever you're ready, here's how I can help you finally level up:

​The Average to Jacked Program:​
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The exact plan I built to go from weak, stuck, and confused to jacked.

No matter your starting point, my system works (fat, skinny fat, skinny etc.)
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It’s simple, effective, and built for guys who want real results without wasting time.
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Whether you’re training in a gym, at home, or with just dumbbells, there’s a routine that fits.
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But this is more than just a workout program.
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It’s a complete, step-by-step system that covers everything:
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• Mindset
• Goal setting
• Training
• Nutrition
• Structure
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Nothing is left out. You will also get access to my lifting community with hundreds of others on the same mission of leveling up through fitness/self improvement.
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We are also kicking off the "75 Jacked" challenge today. So if you want the accountability, don't miss out.

Here's what Corey said about the program👇
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Learn more here: The Average to Jacked Program