Seems like most people never stop pursuing 'gains' in the gym unless they're very old. Advanced lifters are always in pursuit of those last few percentage points.
But does it really make sense in light of the popular model of training: you train hard enough to 'push past your limits' and 'trigger adaptation', then rest, recover, and come back stronger.
But isn't it clearly the case that after a while you push past this threshold, rest, and come back no bigger, stronger, or better in any way than before? And isn't it widely accepted that the 'maintenance threshold' is much lower than the 'adaptation' threshold? Low enough, in fact, to not really require much 'recovery' at all?
So wouldn't it be smarter to substantially change your training once you no longer receive any positive adaptations from a large training stimulus? Isn't it pretty much insanity to keep 'killing it in the gym' in delusional pursuit of those 'last few pounds' when the real reward is only a substantial recover period and NO gains?
And yet, how many people (branch, Ronnie, etc) still train with the same mindset that built their bodies in the first place, without changing one bit even after decades without progress, or even: regression.
After you stop getting better, shouldn't you also stop TRYING to lift more, be bigger, etc. and instead focus on preserving yourself?
