If you spend any time at all in the health and fitness corners of the internet, you’ll know the ‘script’ (and you’ll know, if you are a regular reader of this newsletter, that the ‘script’ certainly winds me up). Protein shakes within minutes of finishing a workout. Endless debate about the “anabolic window”. And a lingering sense that if you’re not optimising every tiny detail, you’re somehow leaving results on the table. And added to that there are conflicting arguments being shouted endlessly and loudly, and the ‘script’ always seems to be changing. 😖 But there is hope!

A recent scientific review from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) offers a rather reassuring counterpoint. Drawing together findings from more than 100 systematic reviews and over 30,000 participants, it delivers one of the clearest messages we’ve seen in years:

The basics matter far more than the fine-tuning. (PMC)

At its core, the ACSM position reinforces something that might feel almost disappointingly simple, and that is muscle growth and strength improvements are primarily driven by:

• Regular resistance training

• Sufficient effort and progression

• Enough overall nutrition (including protein)

In fact, the evidence shows that simply going from no resistance training to anyresistance training produces the biggest gains. (Recreation Management) And that is great news if you are thinking about starting a strength training programme.

Everything else tends to sit in the realm of marginal gains.

One of the more interesting findings from the review is just how many training variables don’t make a consistent difference. These are things like training to absolute failure, exercise order, specific equipment choices (machines vs free weights), time under tension or rep speed and periodisation models.

According to the review none of these will reliably change outcomes when the overall workload is similar. (PMC) That doesn’t mean they’re useless, but it does mean they’re not nearly as important as often advertised, or argued about in differing corners of the web.

So what does matter more, and make a bigger difference?

• Training at least twice per week

• Using a full range of motion

• Applying sufficient effort

• Accumulating enough total volume over time (PMC)

It’s less about finding the perfect method, and more about doing a reasonable method consistently.

If your goal is strength, the evidence leans towards heavier loads (around 80% of your maximum), while using a modest number of sets (roughly 2–3 per exercise) and prioritising key lifts early in a session. (PMC)

If your goal is muscle growth (hypertrophy), total weekly volume becomes more important (around 10+ sets per muscle group) and a wide range of loads can work. (PMC)

But again, these are not magic switches, but refinements which can be made to your programme over time.

Perhaps the most striking takeaway is how little many of the finer details matter. The review found that a wide range of approaches, be that different loads, frequencies, or even training styles, can all produce similar muscle growth and improvement in strength, provided total work is comparable. (PMC)

In other words, there isn’t a single “perfect” way to train. There are many ways that work.

While it’s easy to view all of this through a purely aesthetic lens, the implications are much broader. Resistance training improves not just muscle size and strength, but also helps with physical function (balance, gait, everyday movement), power and endurance as well as long-term health outcomes, including reduced risk of chronic disease (PMC)

And importantly, these benefits are accessible without complex or highly specialised programmes.

If there’s a theme running through the ACSM’s findings, it’s this: Consistency beats complexity.

You don’t need a perfect programme, or constant optimisation. And you don’t need to overthink every variable. You simply need to show up, train with intent, and repeat that process over time.

There’s something quietly reassuring about all of this. In a world that constantly pushes us towards optimisation, hacks, and ever-more-detailed strategies, the evidence points firmly in a different direction.

Do the basics. Do them regularly. And, most importantly, give it time.

That message may not be glamorous (or get many clicks on social media), but according to one of the most comprehensive reviews we have, it’s exactly what works. And it is something that I have been saying for a long while, along with many other people including former British strongman Terry Hollands, quoted at the top of this newsletter. Start. Do the basics. And get on with it. Simples!

If you’d like help starting, or making your training programme more effective, please get in touch. I’d love to help you get stronger, and have all the associated benefits. Click the gold button below this paragraph to get a chat in the diary.