Mere Mortals Conversations Train Increasingly Harder, Not Smarter | Is The Best Advice To Simply Do More?
Mar 2, 2026
56:18
As much as it sucks, more volume is almost always the answer.
In Episode #516 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: volume versus form (sparked by a YouTuber/runner known as Ran to Japan), what extreme running volume really looks like when you’re fast enough to compress a marathon into a couple of hours per day, how training load evolves across years, why sheer reps often trump optimisation, steadily ramping the volume to match your goals and importance, why novice gains come from doing more before optimising, how soreness can signal meaningful work done and when “working dumber” (less overthinking) can paradoxically deliver better outcomes.
No support this week.
Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals
Timeline:
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:00) Train Harder Not Smarter Mantra
(00:04:44) Ran To Japan: marathons, ultras and doing wild challenges
(00:08:16) Efficiency, pace, and why elite volume takes less time
(00:11:16) Shifting volumes over years: weights, tonnage, and time
(00:17:20) Handstands as a case study: years of reps beat tweaks
(00:23:52) Wind, conditions and noticing small effects with mastery
(00:26:45) Finding and fixing true failure points
(00:28:47) Treadmill tales: the mental game of sticking it out
(00:30:00) Nose breathing, footwear chat and beginner priorities
(00:36:01) Boosts, Brisbane rain and a segue back to effort
(00:36:34) The anterior mid cingulate cortex and doing hard things
(00:41:14) Loving the soreness: goals, injuries, and form trade-offs
(00:46:01) IQ, overthinking and why volume still wins
(00:51:04) Reps over tech: golf, tennis, and learning by doing
(00:55:11) Today's takeaway: do more, then do it smarter
In Episode #516 of 'Meanderings', Juan & I discuss: volume versus form (sparked by a YouTuber/runner known as Ran to Japan), what extreme running volume really looks like when you’re fast enough to compress a marathon into a couple of hours per day, how training load evolves across years, why sheer reps often trump optimisation, steadily ramping the volume to match your goals and importance, why novice gains come from doing more before optimising, how soreness can signal meaningful work done and when “working dumber” (less overthinking) can paradoxically deliver better outcomes.
No support this week.
Stan Link: https://stan.store/meremortals
Timeline:
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:00) Train Harder Not Smarter Mantra
(00:04:44) Ran To Japan: marathons, ultras and doing wild challenges
(00:08:16) Efficiency, pace, and why elite volume takes less time
(00:11:16) Shifting volumes over years: weights, tonnage, and time
(00:17:20) Handstands as a case study: years of reps beat tweaks
(00:23:52) Wind, conditions and noticing small effects with mastery
(00:26:45) Finding and fixing true failure points
(00:28:47) Treadmill tales: the mental game of sticking it out
(00:30:00) Nose breathing, footwear chat and beginner priorities
(00:36:01) Boosts, Brisbane rain and a segue back to effort
(00:36:34) The anterior mid cingulate cortex and doing hard things
(00:41:14) Loving the soreness: goals, injuries, and form trade-offs
(00:46:01) IQ, overthinking and why volume still wins
(00:51:04) Reps over tech: golf, tennis, and learning by doing
(00:55:11) Today's takeaway: do more, then do it smarter
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