Ok here is a little rant.
I have a friend who is a world champ CLEAN lifter. He lifts raw (knee sleeves) I can't say in which fed (they get pissed when they get shamed on the internet) but it's the biggest world federation. Just to qualify is an achievement. Now he can make it to worlds and the big big meets for that fed, but takes 4th and 5th to the same guys. These guys are the elite in his class and world champions. He's never gonna beat them. It took my boy 5 years to get 70 pounds on his squat. It's 775 right now.
But because of his fed he can not lift in other feds with ban lifters and his "prestigious" world fed offers nothing to the winners. He is unable to do the cash meets because of ban lifters being there and he is unable to lift in big meets that are not sanctioned by his fed. He risks a suspension for that.
He isn't aloud to take gear either. His couch who is a big juicer and a famous lifter took the. Coach was banned from this fed and not allowed to compete in it anymore or have any affiliation with it, it's members, or business. Just taking a picture wit him can get you suspended......yes that's a thing! He helps others take gear, but not my friend. My friend Works 2 jobs, trains, drives 2 hours to my gym, and is the personal slave of his coach. No matter what my friend has to be in there to spot his coach. His coach uses him. He's a complete control freak.
His coach use to be mine as well. But I always thought for my self. I searched out other greats and got their ideas on training, diet, equipment, and recovery. Tried some of there ideas, tried some new stuff, thought of my own stuff and just kept an eye on my progress. My friend can't do anything unless his coach ok's it. Even then coach is dead set in old ways. Coach use to give me sit for some things that I did. Like; deadlifting speed pulls after squatting, heavy motion work on deadlift, sheiko training, replacing old barbell movements with hammer strength, non linear periodization, band work, equipment to over oad the body, training splits, finishing exercises, other ways to use gear, different gear to use (like he hates the fact people take tren or npp), diet, water cutting skills without diuretics, and training frequency. He gave me shit for all of that. But when it turns out it worked.....he takes it. Example would be a wave program I set up using Priplien's chart (this si basic sheiko/westside barbell). I was told it was to much or too little. That it's training frequency and intensity was too high...(it's not). Once I started jumping in weights he has all his clients do it now.
Supplements, most are bullshit, have a place too. I spent my time; trying new brands, new products, finding ones that worked and found cheaper but equally good products. His coach would give me shit. But once a famous lifter does it or talks about it's now gospel truth!
Also his "coach" didn't go to my friends wedding. He said he had a seminar to do. But my friend was engaged for like 4 years...we all new MONTHS ahead when it was. He has supplemet/companies hook ups and won't try to sponsor him. He's been on pod cast with Mark Bell, Stan Efferding, that TITAN guy Mike O'hearn. He can't do a shout out cause my friend could get banned. But at least name drop or help my guy out. He is never able to do different training, even if it's proven to work!!! His coach is old school and stubborn. He grinds my friend down in training, while he has 2 jobs and a 2 hr drive to get to the gym. He just beats the shit out of him. He doesn't make progress like he should. He has so many options for training but his coach makes him do his old (the coach's) routine.
The coach is a legend DO NOT GET ME WRONG!!! But, he was also a genetic freak. He figured out he was good at weight lifting at a young age and hit it hard. He lived at home till he was 40, and never had a job! He was able to recover much faster than most people because of that and his gear usage. He tells people to find their own way but then he trains people they just do what he did towards the end of his career. He was already squatting 1,000lbs. And his style doesn't work for every one.
He gives out dated info on lifting gear. His last suit was an Inzer Champion....that ain't shit to the new Titans or TRX'S. His old bench shirt, which he never really trained in, was an old Blast shirt. He did deadlift raw or use an Inzer hardcore. Equipment is much more advanced now; that his tips either don't work, are impossible to do in new gear, get people hurt, or incompatible training theories.
He cant do single ply cause coach wont let him, cant take anything coach wont let him, this coach just grinds him into the ground. My friend is strong as fuck, world level strong. But he isn't in a place to really excel. He could do a cash meet like RUM. His fed would ban him but he could do it AND MAKE MONEY!!!!!!
He's good enough now, and with added assistance, he could be a great world lifter. It sucks and pisses me off cause he is such a nice guy. Coach is old and set in his ways. But with him being a legend no body can say no to him...I can though
My friend is getting fucked over and used. Guys at gym have been telling him this over the last year. He's now just starting to get it.
The point is this. We stand on the shoulders of giants. We can look at the past and see what worked, what didn't, what can be improved, what can be invented, and find better explanations for things in training. Training evolves and we learn new things. Most of the time they are better, this is progress. If he's doing out dated work and training no wonder his rivals are leaps ahead of him.