The Pitfalls of Progressive Overload – Bret Contreras

I love articles that are straight to the point and offer personal perspective from the author. This was a fantastic article by Bret showcasing that you don’t HAVE to go on the “all you can eat” diet in order to get stronger.

“Pick your ideal weight and try to be as strong as possible at that weight”

Words of wisdom from my boy Bret.

If nothing else, read the article to see a picture of Bret when he was fat. Classic (and an awesome way to make a point).

Q and A: How to Write Resistance Training Programs, Part 2: Coaching – Steve Reed

The key word in that title?  COACHING!!!!!!

The only way to get good at something – anything! – is to actually do it. A lot.

Like, all the time.

I’m reading a fantastic book right now called Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham, and the Science of Success, which, much like it’s predecessors Outliers and Talent is Overrated, hammers the point that PURPOSEFUL practice (10,000 + hours to be exact) is the key to success.

The Beatles didn’t become THE Beatles overnight.  Likewise, Bill Gates certainly didn’t become a kazillion-bajillionaire in a week.  In both scenarios, it came down to unique circumstances, and PRACTICE!

More to the point, in this post Steve notes that the reason he’s able to write such effective programs is because he’s failed numerous times in the past, but consistently continued to PRACTICE writing more of them and then applying them to real people.  In a sense:  he’s learned to coach his ass off, which is something I wish more trainers and coaches would learn to grasp.

Why Women SHOULD Lift Like a Man: Part I – Al Painter

As the titles implies, ladies:  there’s no reason why you can’t train “like a man.”  Here Al does a fantastic job dispelling some of the common myths that women tend to fall prey to:

– You have to do more cardio to burn fat

– Crunches flatten the abs

– You can spot reduce

– It’s impossible to spend less than 30 minutes in the bathroom when getting ready for A.N.Y.T.H.I.N.G

Okay, that last one was an LOL added in by me. But nonetheless, the overall message is something that I feel is important to highlight, and needs to spread like wildfire.

Ladies:  it’s okay to lift (heavy) weights and to step away from the Pilates class/not buy those pair of shoes that you can’t afford even though they’re on sale.