Last week I introduced the idea that durability comes from three things working together.
1. Range.
2. Control.
3. Force.
But here’s something most training programs completely overlook.
Not all tools develop those qualities the same way.
Think about the difference between a shoulder press using a machine, a barbell, and a steel mace.
On the surface, they’re all just training tools.
But mechanically… they’re completely different.
A machine guides you through a fixed path.
The load is predictable.
Your body just produces force… the machine handles everything else.
A barbell is more demanding and requires more control.
But the load is still symmetrical, balanced, and mostly moves in straight lines.
Now pick up a steel mace and press it.
The load is unilateral and offset, with the centre of mass sitting far away from your hands.
That changes everything.
Now your body has to stabilise the load away from your centre, resist rotation and side flexion, and coordinate both sides of the body differently.
One side is pulling, the other is pressing.
You’re not just pressing weight, you’re managing the load.
And that’s the difference.
Between strength that only works in one environment…
And strength that holds up in real movement.
Because in the real world, nothing is perfectly balanced.
Think about it…
Someone can deadlift heavy and be strong in a perfectly balanced, controlled setup.
But you’re not always lifting a fixed weight, evenly loaded, in a straight line.
Take that same person… they lean over to pick up a bag with one hand — the load shifts.
And that’s when it happens.
They’re no longer in that perfect lifting position… and bam — their back goes.
They get injured because they’re only strong in the positions they’ve trained.
Many people never consider this.
They focus on exercises, fixed load weight, sets and reps.
But they rarely ask the question that actually matters:
What kind of demand is this tool placing on my body?
Because once you start asking that…
Everything changes.
How you train, program and ultimately… how your body adapts.
Next week I’ll show you exactly how I think about this and how it changes the way I build programs for clients.
Dan
Dangerously Fit
PS: This is why clubs and maces are a big component of my training. They create a type of demand most gym equipment simply can’t replicate. And that’s what builds real durability.
