The Confusion Principle
Those emulating a particular pro(s) based on a web article, magazine, rumor mill or recorded statement.
Fergie and Frost have already commented on this, but I can testify to this as well and was duped myself when I first started lifting. Back in my first days all we had were muscle magazines and just about everyone in my local area attempted to emulate what we read in those magazines. My first few years were emulating guys that were loaded to the gills on drugs and little did I understand there were several things going on in those magazines that was highly important to my personal success. First and foremost was the 1 in 10,000 genetics. Second, was the drug use. Third, was intentional falsehood because their fellow competitors also wanted to know what and how their competition is training. Fourth, was glamorizing their training as if they are indeed the most hardcore trained athlete on the planet.
When I moved to the Atlanta area I was fortunate to train at one of best hardcore gyms in the nation, Coffee's Gym, which is owned by one of the best Olympic lifting coaches in the world. In that gym were all sorts of elite level athletes and I cannot tell you how many times I would be standing within hearing distance and a high level athlete intentionally tell a young guy or girl something totally bogus because they thought it was humorous to do that in front of their friends. Those new people so eager to hear what this elite level person did and just soaking it all up as if it were the absolute truth. Another thing I found about some of these high level athletes were many of them were absolutely dumb as a rock and the only reason they got up to the elite level was due to 1 in 10,000 genetics and being coached, but when it came down to discussing training they seemed pretty stupid concerning physiology. They didn't have to learn because progressing came so easy that they didn't have to spend time studying like most of us. Also having genetics that good allowed them to do inefficient things in their training and they gained not because of those things, but in spite. I shared an apartment with two females that had 1 in 10,000 genetics. One became a pro IFBB bodybuilder and the other set records in powerlifting and olympic lifting. Both were an emotional mess, did things people should not do for good health, stayed out late partying, training was hit and miss most of the time. It wasn't until the bodybuilder got to the pro level is when she finally faced others with similar genetics that took training more serious. That is when she finally had to take her training more serious, but before that she could gain so easily with very little stimulation, technique or thought.
For me with not so good genetics. I couldn't emulate the pros and what they did. I trained myself and I coached others with hope of finding the most efficient avenue based on their genetics, their schedule and their goals while keeping it evidence based as my guide. Like Frost said it is part science and part art.
Those that have training for health and training to win confused.
I have seen this a whole lot in my days of either consulting others and I take a person's goals very seriously. If someone approached me with intention to win and have a healty stature I am going to take that into consideration, but I am going to be honest that training to win is not necessarily healthy. Most elite level atheletes are not the healthiest of individuals. Many have overuse injuries, weakened immune systems, higher cortisol levels, higher emotional stress and many other aspects like heat stroke and other serious risk when pushing the body to the brink. Not to mention those with the "win at all costs" type of attitude, which I too had at one time that crossed me into to that territory of breaking the law and major health risks. I can name, though I am not on the web, more than five people that I personally knew that have died young as a result of trying to win and go to the next level. I can tell you of another batch that have permanent physical damage due to pushing to win.
So what is my point? I have seen on these discussions things like, "you need to train strength because it is good for your general health" in context to the cyclist that only does cycling. The answer is good health and winning are two different things. Sure a good solid core is good general health and being able to lean over and pick up a 50 lb box may be a good thing, but it isn't necessary to sit on a bike and win a race. It has been said countless times and just by general observation anyone can see that sitting on a bike takes very little fitness, core or good health. Winning a high level race is very difficult though and takes a lot of concentrated specific training effort. How many upper level cyclists have risked good health by using EPO? How many professional athletes in various sports show up in the media arrested for recreational drug use. Do they care about their health? Many do and many do not, but that doesn't keep the genetically gifted from winning. Good health and winning are two different things. Shaping the physique to fit the sport is not always the heathiest. For the cyclists shaping that body to have decreased frontal area is more important than being able to bench their body weight.
Now my disclaimer after making a lot of bad choices in my youth and getting a very stern warning from my doctor that I was very near death I now consider good health more important than winning, but that applies to my personal goals as of now.
Those that think strength training for a few winter weeks is going to have a lasting effect.
Just as any progressive training goes the moment you stop the gains will be lost. The body adapts to whatever stress you place on it. Train it aerobically and it adapts. Confine it in a wheelchair and it adapts by reducing what is not needed - atrophy of muscle. Sit at an office desk and sit on the couch at night the heart adapts to the low stress. Train it for picking up a box and it gets better at picking up boxes. Stop picking up boxes and it no longer has a need and it adapts again. If you raise your FTP by 20 watts over a few months and then have to stop what happens? If you increase your squat weight in 5 weeks and then turn the focus to cycling and abandon lifting what happens?
From this I have seen a lot of "cycling gurus" talk about strength training and yet don't have a clue as to what they are talking about or they completely forget this training and detraining aspect. It also seems to be a point of confusion to those just learning about training in general.
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Well those are a few stumbling areas that I see on these discussions. I am sure there are other points of confusion and I have a lot to learn as well when it comes to endurance training.
