When do you decide to stop a weight lifting exercise? Is it when you can say, “I don’t think I can do any/many more”?

That’s what many people seem to do. And it isn’t very satisfying.

I’ve found a way to conclude that gives me a much more satisfying sense of completion–and at the same time it helps me get more out of the exercise.…

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While I was at Disneyland yesterday…

First, Seth got worn out and took a cute power nap at one point:

Okay, now back to the story…before I rushed to Disneyland after work to meet up with little Seth and the rest of my family, I only had a small handful of almonds to eat for lunch (busy day!). Then I drove straight to Disneyland and caught as many rides as possible…including ending with three back-to-back rides on the Grizzly River Run in the dark with the girls…getting totally drenched in the cold.

For the final day in this series, I want to share an insight I’ve learned that has had the most value to me in my over 15 years of training myself, training clients, consulting with people, and studying and seeking out the best information I can find.

This valuable insight is: Doing more exercise can improve your results. But most people are sabotaging their results by trying to do more exercise the wrong way.…

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52 checkmarks to improve your results by 500%

What gets measured gets done.

There’s an old saying that what gets measured gets done. If your fitness actions are being measured, they’re much more likely to get done.

What should you measure?

I track workout consistency. I track every week that I meet my workout goal for the week–for me, it’s one workout per week.…

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To build a strong foundation, start slowly.

Aim for steady progress.

Take a long view.

Think about yourself, two years from now…

Two years will pass before you know it. In two years do you want to look back and vaguely recall that you got in better shape for a few of weeks? Or would you like to see that you made a habit of steady progress and your body has been transformed…and continues to progress?…

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From the mailbag…

Today, I want to answer a question about the “3-Exercise Workout” yesterday.

Here’s the email I received:

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“How many of each?
What is a good starting weight?”

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[Note: this is asking how many reps/sets of each exercise, and what weight to start lifting on the exercises.]

My reply:

Great questions!

And, interestingly, getting clarity about the first gives most of the answer to the second.…

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The 80/20 Rule and the 3-Exercise Workout

The 80/20 principle suggests that we can often get 80% of the benefits from just 20 percent of our efforts.

Do you want to know what that high-leverage 20% is in your fitness routine?

It’s three exercises: Leg Press, Chest Press, and Pull Down.

These “Big 3” are an ultra-efficient way to exercise and strengthen the majority of your body.…

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Don’t be stopped by the “tried that” delusion.

I’ve seen many people dabble in and discard one diet and workout program after another. It’s easy to say everything failed to work. Now, this can indicate a huge problem…but it’s a problem that’s easy to solve once you know how.

Whenever you think: “I tried that and it didn’t work,” do you actually mean: “I implemented it 100% and proved that it doesn’t work”?…

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The difference between “outcome goals” and “action goals” can make or break your resolution.

Let’s start with an example: imagine you want to lose 15 lbs., get stronger, and see muscle definition.

Here are the two different types of goals you might set:

a. I’m going to lose 15 lbs in the next 3 months.

b. I’m going to go to the gym at 7:30 am, 2 times a week, Mondays and Thursdays, for the next 3 months; and I’m going to eat according to dietary principles “z” exclusively for the next 90 days.

You can’t achieve your goals unless you do this…

Make your goals as specific as you can.

To the extent you’re not clear about what you want, your chances of achieving any of it go south. Being specific doesn’t guarantee you’ll get there, but it can improve your odds a lot.

So, take your list (you have a list somewhere, right?)…

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