LIFT THE WEIGHTS: The No Nonsense Mindset for Athletes

I had to write this. I'm tired of seeing the narrative and the fear mongering around lifting weights and the idea that you might get too big, or too strong for your sport. My guy did you see what happened during the steroid era??? How about we train with no nonsense to get jacked and strong without PEDs? Allow me to lay it out for you!

When athletes step into the weight room, there’s a common misconception that they should train “like a baseball player” or “like a football player.” But here’s the truth: during your time in the gym, you are not playing your sport— you are trying to get bigger stronger and faster.  That means for the time you are in the weight room you ARE a weightlifter, you ARE powerlifter, and you ARE even a bodybuilder. Understanding this mindset shift is crucial to unlocking your full potential and maximizing your performance on the field.

I hear this all the time when I'm onboarding new athletes.... They say their training is "too basebally" and when I say that a lot of you know exactly what that means.  It means the training is ineffective.

Real world modern day S&C scenario:

Athlete: I want to get bigger, stronger and faster.

Coach: Here's 20 min of stretching and 15 min of stability work. Then we will barely lift weights while I criticize you on every rep while we regress everything for safety. But we will put all that on a fancy piece of paper for you. 

When did foundational principles for getting stronger change depending on the sport you play? It never did and ironically these days if you're looking for an edge it would benefit you most to steal any and everything you can from powerlifters, weightlifters and bodybuilders even crossfitters. Each faction is an expert in different aspects of performance training.  Blending them together makes a ton of sense to me.

The Biggest Misconception in Performance Training

One of the most damaging ideas in the performance training world is the resistance to embracing simple strength principles. Many athletes and coaches insist that sport-specific training in the weight room is the only path to success. However, this resistance often leads to suboptimal results because it ignores the core benefits of traditional weightlifting.

There’s a widespread fear that getting stronger or bigger will somehow hinder your ability to perform your sport. This couldn’t be further from the truth. If lifting weights makes you un athletic, then you weren't athletic in the first place. The only way you can get worse at your sport is if you stop spending time practicing and playing that sport.  I have said before, there is no "too big" but there is "wrong big" which I've written about before around muscle fiber types, CLICK HERE to read it. The summary is super simple, if you were to jog the majority of the time but you're goal was to sprint faster then yea that might hinder your performance but that's an extreme hypothetical.

Why You Should Train Like a Weightlifter in the Gym

When you enter the weight room, your goal should be clear: to lift weights in a way that challenges and CHANGES your muscles, builds strength, and enhances your overall athleticism. Pretending to be anything but a weightlifter in that environment is silly. 

There is sport specific skills and general skills. Sport specific skills are done on the field of that sport. A baseball player goes to a baseball field to practice fielding, hitting, base running etc. If you are a field athlete then EVERY THING in the gym is general. The only time the weight room would be considered a specific skill is if you were a weightlifter or a powerlifter.  Those sports are done in a weight room like setting.  Everyone else, lift the weights. All of them.

It's crazy to me on one side you have a group of people barely training because baseball players need to train a special way. On the other side you've got MLB players in the golden years taking PEDs, rolling their sleeves up, looking jacked and setting records that will never be beaten again.  Here is my stance, you don't need PEDs. You just need no nonsense training. So cut the nonsense and get after it. I dare you to try to get too big. Especially you high schoolers. It ain't happening in 4 years. You would prob get bored before you got close to "too big".  Trust me, people go to the gym every day for years trying to get "too big" and fail miserably. Don't even get me started with the idea you can get "too strong".

The Importance of Getting a Pump

I can't even believe I have to say this, but pumps are good. It should not be taboo for a soccer player or a baseball player to talk about getting a pump.  It is actually something that should be taught. One of the key goals during your training session should be to get a pump. Contrary to some beliefs in the performance industry, a pump is not just about aesthetics—it’s a vital physiological response. When you get a pump, blood floods the muscles you’re targeting, warming them up and activating them for the work ahead.

This increased blood flow helps prepare your body for intense training, reduces injury risk, and primes your muscles for optimal performance. Whether you’re doing pull-ups, deadlifts, or squats, getting that pump in the relevant muscle groups—like your lats, rear delts, or arms—is beneficial. It's also a byproduct of mechanical tension. Trust me on this one, if you're not getting a pump every session you're doing it wrong.

Stop Pretending—Own Your Training Time

It’s time to stop the charade of trying to train “like a baseball player” or “like a football player” in the gym. When you’re in that environment for an hour or more, multiple times a week, you are a weightlifter, powerlifter or whatever you have to be to force your body to change. Embrace that identity and focus on the fundamentals of strength training.

By doing so, you’ll see real improvements not just in the weight room, but also on the field. The sooner coaches and athletes adopt this no nonsense approach, the sooner they’ll unlock the full benefits of their training programs.

Key Takeaways for Athletes

• Embrace your role as a weightlifter in the gym: Your time in the weight room is dedicated to building strength, not playing your sport.

• Ignore myths about size and performance: Getting bigger and stronger does not prevent you from excelling in your sport. And if it does, then you weren't good at your sport in the first place.

• Prioritize getting a pump: Activating muscles with blood flow is essential for effective training and injury prevention.

• Focus on proven weightlifting principles: Progressive overload, foundational strength exercises, proper form, and consistency are your best tools.

LIFT THE WEIGHTS. I say this all the time because the answer is so simple. If you just lift the weights, and stop listening to small weak people tell you lifting weights is bad for you and your athletic performance, you will be so much better off. You will not see the strength gains, or the hypertrophy you are looking for from these silly training sport specific training programs. Go all in on the weights and don't stop playing your sport and don't stop sprinting and jumping. That's it. Get after it.

Conclusion

Training smarter actually means training with no nonsense. When you walk into the gym, leave your sport-specific mindset at the door and become a dedicated weightlifter, powerlifter, bodybuilder or whatever you want to call it. What makes you a baseball player or a foot ball player or any other athlete is not the way you train in the gym but the game you play on the field. Separate the two. This shift in perspective is the hack that will revolutionize your performance and help you reach new heights in your athletic career.

Stop pretending. It's bigger faster and stronger. Always has been and always will be.

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