10 Strength Rules To Live By…

So in today’s post I figured I would continue the trend of hammering out another list of stuff that could benefit your strength and conditioning program. In most any endeavor there are some good hard rules that develop due to the pursuit of any goal within any endeavor. Because of this you know ole BR here is going to tee up some of those rules for your strength training journey right here and now. As a matter of fact I’ve got 10 of them for you to hold near and dear to your heart of iron so keep on reading.

Strength Rules To Live By: 

1. Get Your Blood Boiling…To A Point: Yep, I just said that you need to get pissed off! That’s right, you need to get a little fired up if you are going to conquer a new PR, if  you are going to grind through a challenging set during a work capacity bout, or just to trigger that part of your brain that focuses and creates that little voice in your ear that says “let’s kick some a*s!”

Intensity is like success. It’s all about what you put into it to make is work. Now having said all of this note that I said to get your blood boiling “to a point.” I don’t mean to run around the gym like a raging lunatic, but I do mean that you can’t be afraid to get a little fire in your belly. The point is to go at your training full steam ahead! 

2. Don’t Be Afraid To Miss The Heavy Lift: This is another one that amazes me about a lot of folks. People are so scared to miss a heavy lift because for some reason in their minds I believe they actually worry about what others would think of them. Like there is embarrassment in attempting and missing a heavy lift. No, attempting and missing the heavy lift means that you actually had the balls to attempt and miss the heavy lift! Understand the difference. Strength doesn’t come easily.

3. Don’t Cheat Your Recovery: Look I would never say this to a beginner as much as I would to one of my advanced students because I wouldn’t want them using it as a crutch, but don’t cheat on your recovery. Let’s face it, if you are dragging your rear into the gym constantly feeling sore, tired, and questioning the fact that you walked in then chances are you are NOT well rested. This trap can lead you into trying to cheat rest by fueling up on too much caffeine and you’ll stay trapped in a constant state of fatigue and misery. Get your butt in bed by 11:00 p.m., take advantage of your off days, and make sure your nutrition is up to par which leads me into rule #4!

4. Eat SMART: Yes, make sure you are getting your protein and doing so from good sources. I’m not a big fan of supplements, but if you are going to use a protein shake supplement, or something of the sort, then make sure you are using it to supplement your diet and not to replace it. Don’t be an idiot. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Also when you eat the egg make sure you eat the whole damn thing and don’t leave out the yolk!

5. Stretch: Don’t skip out on this; period! The muscles need to be able to lengthen to perform throughout a full ROM. If this is limited then so is your performance and well being! Do it.

6. Seek Inspiration: You’ve got to find something to mentally and emotionally move you! Everyone except me requires some form of inspiration! Yep, I’m just a machine that is programmed to do this stuff without any feeling or intrinsic motivation. Ok, I’m not a politician trying to sell you a load of BS and you know that isn’t true. Yes, even I seek things to inspire me so you should do the same. Find something for yourself that works just please God don’t let it be the music of Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift! If music happens to be a form of inspiration for you then at least make a selection from some REAL musical talent! I happen to be more of a Metallica man myself. 😉

7. Master Your Bodyweight: Strength comes in many forms, but bodyweight strength training in my opinion is a superior form of resistance. I mean this because it’s a very different kind of resistance because it requires so many stabilizing factors and total control to truly master it in movement. Being able manipulate your own body resistance is crucial. I understand the many forms of resistance such as what we get from free weights (kettlebells, dumbbells, medicine balls,etc.), but I think specifically bodyweight strength training has to be a constant ingredient in the formula or we are just cheating ourselves.

8. Find The Right Training Environment: In this strength coach’s opinion environment is everything. Whenever I walk into a health club setting to train these days I have to do the “eye roll.” Looking around at people it seems that the traditional health club environment has become more of a social gathering. No wonder obesity is skyrocketing. This is NOT an environment conducive for getting rules 1 through 7 accomplished as it relates to your training needs. Often times a more rugged and competitive environment is the absolute best option. In this case there is no room for BS .

9. Seek Professional Help: This is one area where all of us can benefit. Even as a strength professional I am always reading up on training strategies, techniques, and programs that other trainers and coaches have come up with. We all do it. Hopefully another strength coach is getting something from my material out there for the same reason. If you don’t look to get some form of professional guidance from a more experienced party to some extent then you’re just guessing. Everyone learns from someone. Let that sink in for a second. 😉

10. Always Advance Your Training: Strength without progress is like a politician without a lie! It is very limited and may not even function. Limitations are the quickest way for you to sink your results. Start out by mastering the basics. Once you have a handle on the basics then start attempting new things. The very act of attempting new things will allow you to develop muscular control, balance, and stability in your strength training program. Always advance your training my friend.

If you are looking for some more rules to live by with your training then you need to make sure to get your copy of my Brandon Richey’s Better Than Steroids ebook right here:

By the way if you happen enjoy using one of those digital Kindle readers or Kindle apps then you can also get your very own copy of my ebook right here on Amazon as well. Remember that most anyone can train hard, but only the best train smart my friend.