In most cases, option (B), which could be more scientific, causes problems. I asked Dave Dellanave to explain why so many people have trouble increasing their weightlifting to help remove those barriers and streamline the process. His method is deceptively straightforward and surprisingly powerful. Remember, he's the same guy who can deadlift 315 pounds with one hand.
Quite some time ago, I attended a strength training seminar with a small group of trainers and strength enthusiasts. A robust South Boston railroad worker was one of them. He's the type to say, "Let me try that," when confronted with a feat of strength that would otherwise be considered remarkable, and then go on to accomplish it on his first try.
You're trying to fix things that need fixing.
Increasingly, people prioritize goals like perfect physical symmetry and movement that meets someone's arbitrary standard rather than the tried-and-true standard of lifting more weight on the bar.
Spending a lot of time on prehab and correctives comes at a high price because you're not using that time to do things that make you stronger unless there is a real problem, specifically pain, that prevents you from completing a movement.
How can one recognize that they have fallen prey to the corrective exercise trend? You last saw an increase in your favorite lifts months ago, but you know your foam roller and a one-pound PVC pipe inside and out.
You're making it harder, not heavier.
At this point, men have had at least a century to learn how to improve their strength. The fantastic Arthur Saxon wrote in his 1905 book The Development of Physical Power that "as you have to lift iron weights it will be better to practise with iron weights, and the heavier the weights, the better."
What does Saxon's 19th-century book not talk about? using equipment that takes attention away from the primary goal (building muscle), such as wobble boards, suspension trainers, rubber bands, single-leg training, etc.
This man, however, snatched 200 pounds with one arm, military pressed 250 pounds with one arm, clean and jerked 342, and set a bent press record that has stood for more than a century.
Your mindset is holding you back.
There are two common approaches to training that lead to poor results. The first is the "go-for-broke" method, where you go into your workout with the mindset of "one more rep or I die trying" due to your obsession with fitness culture and desire to show off your muscles. With this method, if the program calls for ten repetitions, you will almost certainly complete 11.