“Grease the groove” is a fun thing to say. It’s also a very effective method for building strength and sharpening your form on any particular exercise that you seek to improve upon.
The methodology behind grease the groove is very straightforward and low-key. You perform a shortened set of an exercise/movement (i.e. pull ups) via a series of mini-repetitions throughout the day. The length or duration of the set depends on your overarching goals.
For example, if you’re on a mission to do ten strict pull ups in one set, but struggle to do so, the grease the groove method can help you get there. What you could do is structure your pull ups into five sets of two reps, and do a set every half hour (or hour, ten minutes or every other minute…you get the picture). Another way to grease the groove is by doing a shortened set of pull ups every time you pass by the pull up bar.
Doing a small batch of pull ups without the full intensity of a complete set makes it easier to focus on getting precise feel and form for the movement. The saying “practice makes perfect” applies to greasing the groove. I’d amend this old adage a bit to clarify that practicing perfect form should be the main focus of grease the groove. Since we’re doing very abridged sets of a certain movement, this is an ideal opportunity to concentrate on performing the exercise with total precision and control. In this case, we’re programming our muscle memory rather than building muscle (the latter will be achieved when we are able to do full sets of said exercise).
I’m trying to do a muscle up, and the first step is getting my chest to bar pull ups to perfection. The chest to bar is a harder progression of the strict pull up, because it requires a lot more force to bring your chest all the way up to the bar. So in order to be more proficient with chest to bar pull ups, I am greasing the groove. Since my maximum volume for strict pull ups is around twelve (the number of reps I can do prior to failure), I am doing roughly half of that total when I grease the groove.
My goal for incorporating the grease the groove method is actually twofold. I am also utilizing it as a strategy to quash my intrusive OCD thoughts and rituals. When I have an unwelcome thought about contamination (my main OCD trigger), I frequently respond by washing my hands and seeking reassurance (either by going down the internet rabbit hole, or pestering my amazingly supportive and great wife by asking her “am I safe?”).
In an attempt to counteract the intrusive thoughts and prevent excessive hand washing and assurance seeking, I’ll be greasing the groove with chest to bar pull ups when I feel triggered by my OCD. I’ve just started this process, so I don’t have a comprehensive analysis on its efficacy yet. But I will say that I’ve had some initial success diverting and stifling my OCD manifested thoughts and urges. And since I’m triggered so very often by intrusive thoughts, I’m getting a great deal of practice perfecting my chest to bar pull ups.
There’s enough anecdotal evidence and research to suggest that it’s beneficial for the mind and body to be trained in tandem. Toning both our psychological and physiological condition takes time, patience and dedication; and most of all a desire to commit to self-care.
In an essay by punk rock polymath Henry Rollins, titled “Iron and The Soul,” he writes:
“I used to fight the pain, but recently this became clear to me: pain is not my enemy; it is my call to greatness. But when dealing with the Iron, one must be careful to interpret the pain correctly. Most injuries involving the Iron come from ego. I once spent a few weeks lifting weight that my body wasn’t ready for and spent a few months not picking up anything heavier than a fork. Try to lift what you’re not prepared to and the Iron will teach you a little lesson in restraint and self-control.”
Rollins, who I’ve always admired for his way with words, exemplifies how fitness derived concepts like grease the groove and progressive overload can be applied to conditioning our mental and physical health. Grease the groove stimulates our muscle memory and increases our training volume, which makes us stronger. Progressive overload also helps us get stronger over a period of time, through gradually increasing the weight, frequency and/or number of repetitions in our strength training routine. Each process requires an incremental adherence to strength training, which in turn makes us more confident, more proficient and less susceptible to injury and burnout.
I’m ready to go all in with an effort to gain better control of my mental health. Getting fit, flexible and strong has given me a newfound perspective on why it’s important to stick to a mental health treatment plan. Just like I’ve done through consistent physical exercise and training, so too will I build the mental fortitude to consistently stifle intrusive thoughts. OCD is not my enemy; it’s my call to greatness. I am prepared to lift the heavy burden it has over me. I also know that it’s not realistic to do it all at once, so I’m going to grease the groove.
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Great advice here.
It’s the exact method I use to get better at pull-ups.
I have a pull-up bar in my doorframe. The rule now is: Do 2-3 reps each time I enter the living room.
Works well, the numbers go up
Great post, Adam. I was just wondering about this the other day and hoping working out in small increments wasn't "worthless."