We all like to take a certain amount of pride in doings things right. However, let me assure you, even the smartest, most dedicated trainees make lots of mistakes on an ongoing basis. That’s why even the best athletes have coaches. In fact, the better you are, the more important it is to have a skillful coach - someone who’s been down the road you’re traveling and who can point out the various obstacles along the way. Allow me to be your coach for a moment…

No matter how carefully you plan your training, no matter how much you think about it, dream about it, no matter how much reading and studying you do, success really boils down to those few hours every week where the rubber meets the road— your actual workouts.

Cheating is perhaps the most maligned and least appreciated tactic in the weight room. It's so important, in fact, that I consider cheating to be the calling card of skilled lifters...

In sports training jargon, the abdominal and low back musculature are often referred to as the "core" of the body. The importance of these muscles to athletes is that they transmit forces— either from the lower extremities to the upper extremities (such as when a boxer executes a punch against the heavy bag), or from the upper body to the lower body (such as when a martial artist delivers a spin crescent kick).

Someone recently asked me if I’d ever like to be able to bench press 500 pounds. I replied that, no, not really, because obviously, if I had really wanted a 500 pound bench, I would have taken the steps necessary to get it, which I obviously haven’t. Now of course, it might be the case that even if I applied maximum effort and resources to the goal of bench pressing 500 pounds, it might not be in the cards for me anyway...

As my colleague Will Brink likes to say, "From Mentzer's 'one set to failure' to Poliquin's 'German volume training,' there is no program which recommends using progressively lighter weightloads from week to week." Brink is of course, alluding to the universal requirement of all successful strength and mass gaining programs: progressive overload.

Considering the incredible and constant strain that it's subjected to, the elbow is a stoic joint indeed. The elbow is a ginglymus or hinge type joint formed by the humerus bone of the upper arm and the radius and ulna bones of the lower arm. Although only flexion and extension occur around the elbow itself, the joint also permits rotation of the radius around the ulna.

Recently, I questioned the obsession most Americans have with aerobic exercise— particularly when done for the purpose of improving physical appearance (which, of course, is why 99.5% of all people exercise in the first place). This article prompted several letters and phone calls, most of which were critical. Therefore, I'd like to clarify my position in this article.

Ever since the "jogging craze" of the '70's, aerobic exercise has been the method of choice for those attempting to "lose weight." Gradually, the resistance training area of most gyms and clubs is being scaled back to accommodate all manner of equipment designed to elevate the heart rate. With the aerobic revolution in full gear, I feel compelled to ask, "Why are people getting fatter and fatter?"

As each new year looms near, most of us feel energized with a sense of renewed possiblities for the new annual cycle. And while the energy generated from this optimism can be of enormous value, it's equally important that your overall plan is sound. Here then, are 7 questions that you can use as you inventory your progress in 2009, and also for engineering an even better plan for 2K10.