It’s time to get shredded. To get rid of belly fat by killing your abs with endless sets of crunches. Burn calories by hours of cardio and nothing else. Being totally exhausted because you don’t eat carbs or whatever is currently fashionable. These and many other stupid things are the main focus of the mass fitness industry today. The main focus is to have a nice set of abs, vein on your biceps or a firm butt, at least this is what social media are trying to tell us. That’s why anyone who exercises must focus on burning fat with a brutal diet and exercises of a million repetitions, mostly on machines.

No, please stop because nothing can be further from the truth. Some people will tell you these methods work because they achieved nice results. But the problem is that practically everything works well in people with excellent genetics or who use steroids. These people can achieve nice results even with these silly methods. Most likely, you’re not one of them. Unfortunately, neither am I.

If someone tells you that good results can be achieved by 10 minutes of exercise a day, he is either a fool and knows nothing about this field, or he is trying to extort money from you for his “miracle” exercise tool or supplement. Because that’s what people want to hear. A convenient lie.

The first results can come in a matter of weeks, but the truth is that to get stronger, gain muscle, or lose fat, is really hard work for months and years. And I want to train people who understand this. Training 3 times a week for 90 minutes, basic compound exercises that are most effective for increasing strength and mass because they engage multiple large muscle groups and teach them to work together. If you don’t want to do squats or any of their lighter variations, don’t come to me. The only actual reasons for skipping squats are torn ACLs, end-stage arthritis, or missing legs.

Physical force means to lift, push, pull, or carry a heavy load. It is the most basic way of interacting with the physical world. If you can lift more weight over time, something in your body must have changed significantly. With physical strength comes muscle mass, which protects a person from most diseases of civilization. When a person trains regularly, it has a positive effect on many other things as well – better mood, mental performance, sleep, appetite, hormones, stronger bones, the list is endless.

I love it when you have the slightest joint, tendon, or bone injury and the doctor recommends you not to work out, or in the case of a more serious injury, even tells you that you will never return to your original strength, or forbids you from working out altogether. However, the best thing you can do then is to start exercising again after a while, very lightly, in a rehabilitative way, for as long as it takes to recover. Do only what doesn’t hurt, or where the pain is acceptable. And after that phase, start training again as you did before.

I’ve seen enough top athletes who have been told by a doctor after an injury that “you’ll never compete again” who have been able to bounce back and even surpass past performances. It takes a lot of determination and stubbornness, which most people don’t have. Lately, I’ve been most intrigued by the story of the American soldier who crushed one lumbar vertebra and dislocated two surrounding ones in a fall off a roof. X-rays said he was supposed to be paralyzed, but it turned out he was moving all his toes. With mutilation like that, it’s lucky that a person starts walking again with tolerable pain. This guy not only started walking, but when he was looking for ways to manage the lingering pain, he started exercising rather than being addicted to morphine. Today, a few years later, he has a powerlifting total of 175 kg squat, a 110 kg bench press, and a 190 kg deadlift. All this with one lumbar vertebrae replacement. And holy wonder, his pain is half as bad as if he hadn’t exercised. Doctors would say it’s impossible, that he must have destroyed his back, but the opposite is true.

For me, training is more than just exercise or sport. It’s been my passion for 17 years. There is no better feeling than putting on a few more pounds or reps than before. It strengthens not only the body but the mind as well. It’s my answer to dealing with life. And if you want, I’ll show you how to do it! What’s your answer?