Strength Is a Skill. Practice It Often.

Why high-frequency strength training still works, 100 years later.

“Every athlete who values his health ought to pay as much attention to recuperation as to exercise.”
— George Hackenschmidt

At some point in the last few decades, training got overly technical and specialized. Everyone wants to talk about periodization schemes, CNS fatigue, or smashing PRs bro, but forget that the old-time strongmen; guys like Hackenschmidt, Saxon, and Krylov; were lifting heavy weights nearly every day and doing it for decades.

These weren’t powerlifters prepping for 9 attempts on meet day. Many were performing strongmen. They made their living by lifting heavy weights night after night. No peaking, no deloads, no fancy spreadsheets. Just consistency and submaximal strength.

We may be in a different era now, but there is a lot to learn from their approach; especially if the goal is to be strong and capable all the time, not just during some 12-week peaking phase.

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Daily Strength, Not Maximal Strength

The biggest lesson? They trained frequently, with fairly high intensity, but they didn’t max out.

Their lifting was heavy by modern standards, but submaximal by design. They weren’t trying to see what they could do on their best day. Instead they were building the ability to do impressive feats of strength any day. There’s a difference.

Instead of chasing numbers, they were refining skill, improving technique, and learning how to express strength efficiently and safely. They wanted their lifts to look effortless.

They used heavy weights often, but always left something in the tank. This is how to train for the long haul. For those of you looking for health-span, take note.

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Performance, Not Just Training

It’s easy to forget that these men were performers. Not in the Instagram sense, but in the “I get paid to lift this over my head in front of a crowd of strangers” sense. Their strength had to be repeatable and dependable, performance after performance.

“If you stay ready, you ain’t gotta’ get ready.”
— Stic of Dead Prez

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What Their Training Looked Like

Their routines were simple but not easy. They didn’t split their weeks into chest day, leg day, arms, etc. Instead, they practiced their core lifts, often the same few, almost daily.

James Fuller (aka Strongman Archaeology) is one of the best modern resources on the old time strongman lifts. In an Instagram video referencing this topic, he stated the old time performing strongmen simply practiced their lifts until they felt their work was done. If they didn’t accomplish it during the day’s practice, they came back to it the next day.

Movements like:

• Bent presses

• One-arm snatches and cleans

• One-arm presses and jerks

• Back lifts and supporting holds

There was very little variety for the sake of variety. Light dumbbell and bodyweight exercises served as a tonic to the heavier work.

This kind of focused repetition built skill. This is commonly referred to today as “greasing the groove.”

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Why It Works

Lifting this way taps into a few things most modern programs miss: High frequency improves motor learning, remember, strength is a skill. Submaximal work allows sustainable progress without wrecking your joints and frying your nervous system. Frequent exposure makes you more resilient.

You’re ready anytime. Not just “after a peak week.” The late Louie Simmons of the world famous Westside Barbell Club referred to this as training at 90%. His idea was that if you were at 90% of your best year round, you would be ready for a competition any time.

His gym definitely knew something about lifting heavy, frequently.

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How To Apply It

You don’t have to wear a leopard print loin cloth or grow a waxed mustache, or down liters of beer prior to practice like the Saxon brothers did, unless of course you want to. But you can lift more often, lift heavy without maxing out, and focus on consistent skill practice.

It might not make for a good Instagram reel, but if that’s your thing you probably unsubscribed from my Substack a long time ago.

Weekly training considerations:

• 4–6 training days/week

• 2–3 key lifts/session (press, hinge, squat, pull)

• 3–5 sets of 3–5 reps at 70–85% effort

• Add grip and static holds as supplemental work

• Rotate variations, but don’t overhaul your training every week — Arthur Saxon was a proponent of training all the lifts instead of narrowly focusing on one or two.

This builds strength you can rely on, not strength that needs a 20-minute warmup and dry-scooping your pre-workout to show up.

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Final Thought

There’s nothing wrong with testing yourself now and then. But if your goal is to always be strong, stop destroying your nervous system and start practicing the skill of strength.

Hackenschmidt didn’t deload. Saxon didn’t need a hype playlist. Krylov didn’t wear a Whoop band to check if he was “recovered.”

They showed up, lifted the iron, and stayed consistent.

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I hope you enjoyed this week’s article, and until next time, stay strong and healthy!