Earned, Not Given

“Earned, not Given.”

If you’ve been coached by me, you’ve heard it more times than you can count. But what does it actually mean, and why does it matter?

For me, ‘EnG’ isn’t a catchy slogan. It’s a coaching philosophy. It shapes how I structure training, how I approach technical development, and how I help lifters build the psychological confidence needed to perform at their best. It’s not the only coaching method out there, some lifters thrive under a more “trust the process” or even “blind faith” style, but ‘Earned, not Given’ is the foundation of how I coach.

Below, I’ll break down what this looks like in practice.

- Putting EnG Into Practice -

Most lifters start their journey with simple linear progression: add a bit of weight each week, keep getting stronger, repeat. It works… until it doesn’t. If we could all add 2.5 kg forever, we’d eventually outlift Colton Englebrecht!

So how do we take that early progress and turn it into long-term, structured development?

Block periodisation - guided by the EnG mindset.

Here’s a simple four-week example from a recent client, George Iacob, and how we used this approach with his RDLs.

Week 1 — Last Warm-Up Mentality

Week 1 isn’t about testing strength, it’s the entry point, the baseline.

George hadn’t performed RDLs in a while, so the goal for his top set of 5 was simple: get familiar with the movement, leave plenty in the tank, and prioritise quality over load. His feedback reflected that he didn’t feel fully dialled in yet but stuck to the plan and completed the set with 245kg.

That’s exactly what Week 1 should be: honest, repeatable, and controlled.

Week 2 — Your Opener

With Week 1 feedback in hand, we can coach. Technical cues settle in, confidence increases, and the lifter starts to build momentum.

For George, this meant a small bump to 250kg for his top set of 5. The changes clicked immediately, he moved the weight with ease and reported feeling strong, stable, and capable of more.

That confidence matters, and the reason it’s there is because Week 1 wasn’t pushed too close to the edge.

Week 3 — The Second Attempt

This is where ‘Earned, not Given’ truly shines.

Instead of making a massive jump simply because George “felt” he could, the goal was to reinforce success, not gamble with it. Like a second attempt in competition, the job is to prove capability, not guess at it.

We targeted 265kg, and George delivered exactly what we wanted: a confident, decisive set that set the tone for the final week.

He didn’t just lift more, he earned the right to progress.

Week 4 — The Final Attempt

By Week 4, the number is no surprise. The lifter knows it’s coming because they’ve earned their way to it step by step.

For George, that number was 280kg, and he crushed it!

Even the exercise selection for this phase was driven by the EnG philosophy. George came in as a new client and an exceptionally strong lifter, so it was important to assess his true capacity before throwing him straight into heavy work on the big three. If the goal were simply Instagram numbers & quick plaudits, we could have loaded him up and posted huge lifts from day one, but that’s not real coaching.

Instead, we set clear technical priorities for each lift: maintaining mid-foot control in the squat, dialling in set-up & stability on bench, and demonstrating positional integrity & power through the hinge on deadlift. The programme was built around these targets. Just as EnG guides progression from week to week, it also guides how we build a coaching relationship, we start with a broad assessment, establish the fundamentals, and only then earn the right to progress toward more specific, demanding work.

For George, four weeks was what it took to review and assess this foundation block. For others, it may take longer, especially if you’re coming in with existing pains/niggles, or movement limitations that need to be addressed before starting training from a safe and ready baseline. It’s important that we don’t rush through the foundation phase, even with experienced lifters. At the same time, maintaining open feedback between coach and athlete ensures we aren’t held back unnecessarily by uncertainty. The goal is always a clear, confident, and well-prepared starting point.

Now that George is through the foundation phase, the excitement really begins. We’ve got competitions on the horizon and plenty of milestones ahead. And I’ll let you in on a little secret, we want him to go all the way to WRPF Pro. But, as you’ve probably gathered from the theme of this article, we can’t just jump to that straight away. That level of performance isn’t handed out. It has to be earned, not given.

One of the core principles at Power-Breed Performance is that we're not here to force big lifts for social media; we’re here to build long-term, sustainable success. When the foundation is laid properly, the showcase lifts come naturally, not because they were chased, but because they were earned.

Could we have pushed harder with this first phase? Absolutely. But the purpose of the block wasn’t to squeeze out a max. It was to:

• build consistent technical execution

• develop confidence without forcing it

• create a habit of success

• establish trust in the process and in himself

Those habits carry over into competition, where the same principle applies: every attempt earns the next one. Wanting a number isn’t enough. You have to demonstrate, lift by lift, that you’re capable of it.

The Bigger Picture

What I’ve shown here is just one example, but EnG applies across all aspects of coaching. Different lifters need different approaches, and not every method works for everyone. But when EnG clicks, it creates something powerful:

A lifter who doesn’t just believe in their coach,

but believes in themself.

That confidence isn’t given.

It’s earned.