From day one
Stick to a program and trust the process. Reasses after 8 weeks before hopping on to another. If it works, stick with it.
Actually do some direct arm work, because why not.
More of a personal one, daily band pull aparts have worked wonders for my should health. If I neglect them, pressing causes me nothing but hassle.
Mobility. Just DO THE FREAKING MOBILITY.
I am a stiff cranky mess most of the time now. Have to spend large chunks of time WD40-ing myself.
I would have trusted my coaches and played more sports
Would have focused more on diet, and spent more time eating in a surplus rather than thinking in short bulk and cut cycles.
I would have eaten a decent portion of protein at least three times a day.
Good question!
1 worked my shoulders more
2 walking lunges
Would have eaten well and not maxed out way too often.
I’ll be the downer: probably nothing. I think it all comes out in the wash.
Although I do sometimes think I’d do the opposite of what your parents say… “focus on your sports now; you can always go back to school!”
I mean, I can list some of the things I’d do differently… but they are just my mistakes. If I hadn’t made them mistakes I would never have learned from them.
“Don’t try to max out every week”
“Don’t try to rush things to impress your peers”
“Don’t grind on 5s for so long”
“Don’t think you know it all because your opinion will be different in a month’s time”
“Don’t always think doing more is the answer”
etc
etc
Those things were essential in my growth, my humility, and my increasing desire to expand my knowledge.
The only real difference I’d like to make is starting earlier.
Probably Super Squats and GOMAD.
@mr.v3lv3t stole my thunder, haha.
But yes, absolutely: I WISH someone gave me a copy of Super Squats right from the get go, and then a copy of the Deep Water e-book. Between those two things, I’d be pretty squared away. 5/3/1 Forever would be pretty dandy too. And a healthy dose of Dan John somewhere, to remind me to eat like an adult.
I wish I learned how to cook just 3 simple meals. Sure, more would be better, but just having that as a quick fallback in my youth would have been killer.
I wish I prioritized conditioning from the get go. It’s absolutely magic.
I wish I wasn’t too cool for curls. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to make your muscles bigger. In fact, that’s kinda the point if you want them to be stronger.
Oh my goodness, and bracing and hinging. Those two things, taught from the beginning, would have been huge.
I would havr started sooner. Before I got decrepit.
Kinda like @TrainForPain says, probably nothing. I spend more time now thinking about nutrition and training approaches, and it’s certainly become a hobby. Not sure I would have wanted it to permeate my life earlier than it did. I was in my early 30’s that I got very fit and stayed very fit, albeit by focusing on different approaches during that time (triathlons, calisthenics, then on to barbell work and KB wok). I am glad I didn’t spend my teens and 20’s caring too much about that stuff.
Haha sorry to cut in dude!
The rest of your post is spot on for me too.
If I only had access to Brian Alsruhes info as a beginner that wouldn’t be such a bad thing either. Hell I’d wire my young self money for coaching if it was a possibility.
Holy cow yes. Brian woulda been a fantastic mentor-by-proxy.
I would have only done double overhand deadlifts and never mixed grip
I would first and foremost never stop. Keep consistency. Secondly only train three days a week. Third, be critical and choose my role-models more wisely (more correct: ANY other than Weider/Arnold). Four, never read those musclemags with fake programs by enhanced lifters etc. Five, participate in a forum like this from the start in order to avoid the most obvious mistakes.
I would have attempted to gain better knowledge instead of relying on musclemag (RIP) and Flex to inform my training.
Had I had more structure when I started at the age of 15, I sincerely believe I could have been an unstoppable monster at 23. Now, I will just settle for monster by the age of 35 (1.5 years from now).
A close second would be to have hired a good coach for at least a year.
Train four, no more than five, days a week. Found a legitimate program and stuck with it for a minimum of one year. Stop being so dogmatic about my “bodybuilding diet” which I thought only consisted of eggs, oatmeal, chicken, rice and broccoli. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I followed entirely too much “bro” stuff in hopes of getting big.