Most People Train to Get Tired. That’s a Mistake.
"Working out" is taken literally—people push themselves to exhaustion, measure success by how sore they feel, and chase fatigue instead of progress. But if your goal is to get stronger, build endurance, or improve a skill, grinding yourself into the ground is not the way.
The key to real progress? Smart adaptation.
The Science of Adaptation
Every physical improvement—whether it’s strength, stamina, or power—is an adaptation. You stress your body, and it responds by getting better at handling that stress. This is the fundamental principle of all training.
For example, let’s say you start lifting 10 kilos. It feels challenging but manageable. Over time, that same weight becomes easier. Why? Because your body adapts—your muscles strengthen, your nervous system refines the movement, and your overall efficiency improves.
But here’s the catch: if the stress is too low, there’s no adaptation. If it’s too high, you risk injury, burnout, or stalled progress.
That’s where structured training principles like progressive overload and periodisation come in. But today, we’re looking at a different, often-overlooked method: Greasing the Groove (GTG).
What Is Greasing the Groove?
When I first heard about Pavel Tsatsouline’s “Greasing the Groove” method, I thought it sounded counterintuitive.
Why would doing less—less intensity, less fatigue, less grind—help me get stronger?
But after years of experimenting, I can confidently say: this method is a game-changer. Especially when time is limited or when skill refinement matters as much as strength.
The Principle: Frequency Over Fatigue
GTG is simple: practice a movement frequently, but always stop before failure.
Think of sharpening a knife. Press too hard, and you damage the blade. Use light, consistent strokes, and it stays razor-sharp.
Applying this to training means:
- You accumulate a high number of perfect reps throughout the day.
- You avoid fatigue, allowing for better form and neuromuscular efficiency.
- You build strength and skill without needing long workouts.
- You remove weak links, like a (lack of) pull-ups for example.
How to Apply GTG
Let’s take pull-ups as an example.
If you can currently do only one good pull-up, a traditional training session might leave you exhausted after a few attempts, limiting your total volume.
With GTG, you’d do one perfect pull-up and then stop. Fifteen, thirty, or sixty minutes later, you’d do another. By the end of the day, you’ve accumulated far more quality reps than you would in a single workout.
Example Progression:
- Week 1: 1 pull-up every hour, 10 hours a day → 70 pull-ups per week.
- Week 2: 1 pull-up every 30 minutes → 140 pull-ups per week.
- Week 4-8: You now have 5+ solid pull-ups—a 5x improvement!
And when you return to your normal workouts, you’ll find your capacity has skyrocketed.
A Few Key Considerations
While GTG is highly effective, you need to be mindful of:
- Volume Management: Too much, too soon can still lead to overuse injuries.
- Recovery: Listen to your body—if you feel excessive fatigue, adjust accordingly.
- Movement Selection: Works best for skill-based or bodyweight movements like pull-ups, push-ups, pistol squats, and handstands.
Consistency Beats Intensity
The biggest takeaway? Most people train too hard, too fast, and burn out.
GTG teaches you the power of intentional, high-quality practice. Each rep is precise. Each set is effortless. But over time, the results are massive.
So if you’ve been stuck on a movement—whether it’s pull-ups, push-ups, or even something technical like a snatch—give this a shot.
Have you ever tried practicing a movement daily? Be prepared to be blown away.