When I was in the midst of finding my way in the bodybuilding world everyone would tell me that the number #1 thing to seeing lasting results is to "just be consistent". "Whatever you do bro, just keep going".

And if you ask anyone for advice nowadays there's a good chance you'll hear some version of it. On the surface, it sounds good. And it's not exactly wrong... you certainly won't get anywhere if you only show up a couple of times a month.

But consistency doesn't create results on its own. It just multiplies whatever you're already doing. If what you're doing is good, you get more good. If what you're doing is shit... well... you'll just get more shit.

Think about it outside the gym. You can be the best driver on the planet, with the fastest car, but if you consistently drive in the wrong direction, you'll never get to where you want to go.

And so it is with training and transforming your body.

Meet 2 mates: Dan & Marcus

Let me tell you about two guys, Dan and Marcus. They're both 30. They work the same office job, sit at a desk eight hours a day and get about the same sleep. Each has a year or so of on-off lifting experience from their twenties. Both are around 5 foot 9 and 180ish pounds, with that slightly soft "I used to play football" look.

On Jan 1st, they both decide this is the year. And credit to them because they actually stick with it…

Four sessions a week, every week, for 12 straight months. By the "stay consistent" rule, they're both nailing it.

The difference is what happens during that 45-60 minutes after they walk through the gym doors.

Marcus likes winging it. He has a rough idea of what he wants to hit, but mostly does whatever feels right at the time. Some days that's bench and some curls. Other days it's a circuit he saw on Instagram. If the squat rack is taken, he just does leg extensions instead. He picks weights that feel "about right", scrolls on his phone during breaks between sets, gets a bit of a sweat up and goes until he's had enough. He's happy enough that he made it to the gym.

On the other hand, Dan follows a structured, periodized program. His year is split into blocks: a few weeks with higher volume, then a few weeks pushing heavier weights. He actually tracks each workout every single week. Each set, rep and weight is accurately recorded so he knows what to aim for and every time he steps in the gym he tries to beat it by a little. One more rep. An extra 2.5 or 5 lb. And because he knows what he needs to do when he gets into the gym, he unconsciously puts more effort in.

What was the result after 12 months?

Exact same hours in the gym. But vastly different results.

Strength >>> Marcus's bench went from 155 lb to 175 lb in the first couple of months, then completely stalled. Apparently he's been "working on it" ever since. His squat is roughly where it started, because he decided to skip it whenever the rack was busy. On the other hand, Dan's numbers kept climbing all year, faster in some blocks, slower in others. His bench went from 155 to 225 lb (cracking 2 plates for the first time ever), his squat from 175 to over 300, and his deadlift is pushing 375 lb. Pull-ups went from three shaky reps, to clean sets of ten.

Muscle >>> Marcus added maybe a couple of pounds of muscle, mostly in his arms and chest from all the curls and benching. While Dan has put on just over 10 pounds of lean mass, and it's spread across his whole body. His legs are noticeably bigger, his back is wider and thicker, and his shoulders actually fill out his t-shirt.

Body composition >>> Interestingly, both guys weigh roughly what they did in January. Marcus looks basically the same, maybe a little firmer. Dan looks like he's lost weight even though the scale barely moved, because he's swapped fat for muscle. His waist is a couple inches smaller, and he stands taller and straighter from all the back work.

Everyday life >>> Dan's lower-back ache from sitting all day has mostly faded. Carrying groceries, moving furniture, throwing his nephew around at the park, all of it feels easier. Marcus feels a bit fitter, but the shoulder niggle he picked up from all that bench pressing seems to keep getting worse.

Motivation >>> This one's sneaky... Dan has a logbook full of proof that he's improving, and that just makes him hungrier for more. While Marcus is starting to wonder if the gym just "doesn't work" for his body. He isn't lazy (he's put in the same hours as Dan), but he's frustrated. And frustration is the main reason why people end up quitting.

Why the gap got so big

The thing is, your body is incredibly good at adapting, and it's also incredibly lazy. It only builds new muscle when it's given a genuine reason to. Once it's adapted to the work you're doing, that's when everything stops.

That's exactly why Marcus stalled. And it's why he feels cheated and on the verge of giving up. His workouts were "hard", but they weren't getting harder in any way you could measure. Three random sets of 12 on whatever machine is free is a different stimulus but never a bigger one. He just never gave his body a clear signal to keep growing.

Dan's program, however, sent that signal to his body every single week. Small, steady increases forced his body to keep adapting. The periodization stopped him from grinding himself into the ground. Rotating blocks kept him progressing long after a simpler plan would have hit a wall. And because he tracked everything, he always knew whether something was working. He has proof he can see with his own eyes.

Better advice than "stay consistent"

So... no... consistency isn't useless. Dan needed it every bit as much as Marcus did. Every bit as much as you and I do. It's just not enough on its own.

If I had to swap "stay consistent" for something better, it'd be this…

Be consistent at the right things.

Follow a plan with a clear direction. Write down what you do. Try to do slightly better than last time. Build in some rest so you can keep going.

And if you are getting frustrated with a lack of results from your efforts and you aren't currently following a structured, periodized lifting program… then I have something for you.

It's called The Imperial Muscle Code.

Inside it you get exclusive access to my training app, complete with proven, periodized programs ready to go (choose from 3-day, 4-day, 6-day programs). Everything is already done, waiting for you. All you have to do is click "Start workout now" and bring your best effort. You can effortlessly record your lifts, quickly see what you did the previous session, watch detailed exercise demonstrations, and much more. It makes it easy to be consistent and you'll train harder because you know you're doing the right thing.

If you want to start finally seeing results that match your effort, you can learn more about The Imperial Muscle Code by clicking this link:
The Imperial Muscle Code

Also, for a limited time only, you can try it out free for 14 days.

Showing up is the price of admission. What you do once you're inside is what actually changes your body. Dan and Marcus put in the exact same hours. But only one of them got his money's worth.