Where being strong is a lifestyle
Today I begin a new series, Muscle Motivation, that will talk about how to GO with your goals. When you encounter someone with genuine integrity, it can be a beautiful, enriching experience. You feel gratitude for the experience, almost like it was a gift. But integrity is a highly valued quality and for another reason too: Lack of integrity can hurt people. It ruins trust and creates a harsher world where we have to cater to the lowest common denominator. I {Read More…}
Have you ever browsed through a fitness forum and felt overwhelmed by all the opinions and speculation? Even when all the commenters are following the same one-size-fits all program, they’re often getting their answers from their own personal experience or the same prepackaged program. You can certainly find free workouts on the Internet and plenty of advice as well. But when I see these programs or workouts, I wonder: What if I have an old injury I have to be careful {Read More…}
There are so many measures against which we hold ourselves. If you can’t hold a plank for 2 minutes then you’re a wimp. If you can’t deadlift extraordinary loads you’re not strong. If you don’t look like a fitness competitor/model you’re not thin enough. It’s desirable to have goals – of course. It’s healthy to “reach for the stars.” But some of these strength standards – and comparing ourselves to others – only serve to make us feel inadequate. The {Read More…}
I’m particular about who I listen to when it comes to fitness and nutrition. If a fitness pro is smart, experienced, and can write, then they have my attention. If they’re up on the latest research, I’m listening even more. If they have strong opinions this is good as well, as long as they’re open-minded. But when someone I listen to is also generous and accessible, I respect their opinions even more. My friend and popular strength expert JC Deen {Read More…}
You’ve walked by the weightlifting area every week for a year on your way to your cardio pump class. You always glance at the people lifting weights – some are standing in front of the mirror with a laser-like focus, others are grimacing, sweating, and grunting or even yelling as they hoist large weights over their bodies. If people see you, you imagine them laughing inside because clearly you don’t belong there. You’re just passing by. But you know how to {Read More…}
When I think about what creates my gains in strength and fitness, hard work in the gym isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. That might come as a surprise since crushing it with weights is a core component of success (along with a healthy eating lifestyle). But an equally important factor in consistent gains is the mental work – having a mindset that prevents failure and knowing what works and what doesn’t. In this post I lay out {Read More…}
