Qualities to Imitate

I just read an interesting and important article entitled 4 Traits the Best Lifters Share.

In it, the author Jason Ferruggia lays out the four defining qualities of successful lifters.  I guarantee that nothing but success will follow if you take these principles (plus an additional principle I'll define at the end) to heart.

Principle 1 - The best lifters limit themselves to 6-8 exercises per workout.

Some even use less than 6, performing no more than 3-4 exercises per workout.  The point with limiting yourself is to prevent burnout.  Unless your a genetic freak, or on steroids, there's no justifiable reason for you to do 4+ variations of bicep curls per workout.  Going to such extremes will only hurt your results in the long term by over stressing your nervous system and over fatiguing your energy reserves.  Rather than include every variation of chest press devised by man in one weight training session, switch things up every 3-4 months.  You need to adapt to an exercise so as to ensure you can get everything you can out of it, but if you use an exercise for too long, overuse injuries can ensue.  You need to find a balance.

Principle 2 - The best lifters focus on heavy compound lifts.

Compound lifts like squats, chins, military press, etc. hit way more of your musculature than isolation movements like curls or crunches.  Always place the greatest emphasis of your workouts on a core set of compound lifts for which you progressively overload your muscles.  Doing so will significantly impact your physique.  I'm not saying exercises like curls and triceps extensions have no place in your routine.  Isolation movements can help to fix imbalances or weaknesses in your strength or musculature, but they never should take front seat to the big lifts.

Principle 3 - The best lifters actively work to prevent injuries.

You can't very well improve your bench if you injure your shoulder, nor can you hope to build up your legs if you throw out your back by using sloppy deadlifting form.  The people who have the greatest long term success in the weight room are the people who understand the value of working smarter, not just harder.  Always strive to use proper form with any lift you choose to do, and be honest with yourself when you start to notice chronic joint pain.  It's OK and expected that your muscles or joints will feel sore following a workout (especially if you perform a lift with which you had previously been unacquainted), but if acute soreness develops into chronic pain, something is wrong, and successful lifters know how to handle such a situation.

Principle 4 - The best lifters cycle the intensity of their training.

You can't workout with balls-to-the-walls intensity year round and expect to avoid an injury.  Using some sort of periodization in which you give all out efforts some weeks and you take it easy on others is an intelligent way to ensure you can keep lifting without missing a beat.  You're only human and you need a break every once in while.  Successful lifters are aware of this need for rest and they don't neglect it.

Principle 5 (My Addition) - The best lifters understand the value of nutrition.

Arguably, diet comprises 70-80% of the success you can achieve in any training scenario.  Whether you want to build muscle or lose fat, you have to get your nutrition in check if you want to see any results.  Caloric balance, the ratio of  protein, carbs, and fat you have in your diet, and your food choices are indelibly related to your results.  Don't neglect your diet!

The only thing better than brains or brawn, is brains and brawn.  Be smarter than 99% of all lifters and start applying these principles today!