via youtube.com

1. Paralysis by Analysis is a Real Disease

Overthinking is heavily linked to materialism. We overcomplicate the trivial because we have nothing better to do. We have been demoted to consumers and employees. Our lives are so sterile and controlled that the only thing left for us to do without repercussions is hobby obsession.

The modifications that result from the over-engineering can seem cool and genius even, but they are unnecessary in the vast majority of scenarios that we find ourselves into.

The situation reminds me of bicycles. Where I live, mountain bikes are the most popular choice. Every bike store is full of them. Everyone rides them. If your stallion does not have a suspension of some sort, the other bikers make sure that you can feel their stares.

The manufacturers realized a long time ago that complexity sells better. This is why you see even baby bikes with full suspension.

There are two problems with that:

a. A cheap suspension does not work effectively. You are actually better off without it – less maintenance and overall annoyance.

b. The needs of most users do not require a suspension. It’s wiser to spend the extra money on a good set of tyres and rims rather than to buy cheap springs that do nothing other than add weight.

In short, cheap suspension bikes are trash while the expensive ones are for the pros. Most people are not in that category.

Same with AthleanX’s chronic overthinking. The people watching his videos are like the suspension maniacs who think that their bike is an ecological Batmobile. We love the extra complications, but they are a luxury rather than a necessity.

There are many ways to “tune” your push-ups, but does that tweaking actually offer any measurable advantage to performing the exercise the way you have always done it? In most cases, the answer is no. The same applies to the cable voodoo.

Sure, bro. Maybe flies from a special angle work more of your inner pec fibers, but the extra focus does not matter. It’s one of the variables that have no real output in the world.

2. Tricks for the camera?

There’s a reason why AthleanX rarely wears T-shirts – it’s part of his job description which indirectly requires him to showcase his muscular development and leanness.

He has a nice physique that people want. However, do you really think that he is implementing all of those tips in his actual routine? We can’t know for sure, but it seems doubtful. It would take five lifetimes to do all of that for an appreciable amount of time.

You have to understand how YouTube operates. Content creators have to produce videos indefinitely . Jeff is not an exception.

How many of the exercises and tweaks are present in AthleanX’s personal program and how many of them are just fillers for the next video? Are those strategies needed to get a similar physique? If he has built his body without those adjustments, why do I need them?

3. You aren’t special, bro.

“You gotta find your own way. Nothing works for everybody,” wrote a 15-year-old kid on a training forum before stealing money from his mom’s purse to buy creatine.

I am sorry but no. You don’t have muscles made out of otherworldly material that requires a powerful attack from a 20.87-degree angle in order to grow. You don’t need exercises designed specifically for you.

Everybody thinks they are special, but a bullet to the head says otherwise.

If something works for most people, it will most likely work for you too. If something doesn’t work for you, it neither does for the rest.

Naturals are not small because they consistently fail to find the right exercises and rep ranges. This isn’t the reason at all. Naturals look like naturals because they are natural. Arnold’s two-times-a-day-routine will not change that and neither will AthleanX’s overthought movements.

You are not trying to come up with a new original song or an idea for a multi-million dollar company. Originality is not needed here nor is it appreciated.

The goal is to work the muscular system, and since the body has been operating in the same fashion forever, creativity is nothing but unnecessary complexity.

Jesse, the man training under Jeff’s wing, has proved that. Jesse could have built his physique by doing push-ups, pull-ups and running on the off days.

4. You are fighting for a state of perfection that will never come.

Many tech maniacs spend an unreasonable amount of time analyzing the best phone to buy. They fill the voids opened by their short attention spans with unboxing videos and reviews. I have done it too and know how it ends – you are wasting your time.

Aside from the brands catering to the snobs, most producers offer the same thing for a similar price. Your life will not be much different if you choose one brand over the other.

Just a few years from now, your gadgets will be old monkey-see-monkey-do type of tech. This peculiarity renders the idea that you can buy something that’s perfect and be done with it forever obsolete.

The barbell nerds share the same sickness. We spent many hours looking for the perfect combination of sets and reps. We are seeking a mythical routine. We are like the girl waiting for the perfect man. As we all know, that man is not coming.

AthleanX’s palette of exercise fixes can make people feel that they are getting closer to perfection, but is this really the case?

Bro, it ain’t real. Three months from now you will still be looking…for something that is not there. The more you search, the less you find.

Who cares if your barbell curls are not done in the most optimal way to recruit your precious fibers?

Perfect or not, the results will be pretty similar anyway.