INTRODUCTION

Training to become stronger has become a very important element in my life. It would be very difficult to live without the iron. Most of the people in the gym train because they want to look good packed with pounds and pounds of muscles but also most of them are missing out the most important reason of training/working out - The Strength Part. I don't really give a damn of how big you are, how many pounds of muscles you are holding or how long you spend in the gym each day, if you are actually weaker than you look, YOU ARE A FAILURE or probably an idiot focusing on chest and arms three times a week.

Probably one of the Strongest people on Earth

Define the word "Strong" - According to Martin Berkhan, author and creator of leangains.com, how strong you are or simply, your strength level can be defined as follows:

"Within two years of consistent training on a decent routine, the average male should be able to progress to the following levels of strength (1RM):
Strength Goals: IntermediateBench press: body weight x 1.2
Chin-ups or pull-ups: body weight x 1.2 or 8 reps with body weight.
Squat: body weight x 1.6
Deadlift: body weight x 2
By "decent training routine", I mean "not doing blatantly stupid shit" (training 5-6 days/week, 20-25 sets for chest and arms, etc.). I do not mean optimal and flawless.
Strength Goals: Advanced Under the exact same conditions as the previous example, 3 out of 4 of the following goals should be reached within five years, along with all of the strength goals listed under "intermediate":
Bench press: body weight x 1.5
Chin-ups or pull-ups: body weight x 1.5 or 15 reps with body weight.
Squat: body weight x 2
Deadlift: body weight x 2.5
Strength Goals: Highly Advanced Under the exact same conditions, all of the following goals should be reached within ten years. Alternatively, 3 out of 4 should be reached, and one should be "Elite":
Bench press: body weight x 1.5, or x 1.8 (elite)
Chin-ups or pull-ups: body weight x 1.5 or 15 reps with body weight, or x 1.8 / 20 reps (elite)
Squat: body weight x 2, or x 2.4 (elite)
Deadlift: body weight x 2.5, or x 3 (elite)
"Elite" denotes one lift that is often ahead of the others. For example, people who are natural pullers (long arms) may very well hit a 3 x body weight deadlift before a 1.5 x body weight bench, and vice versa for the presser (short arms, stocky and barrel-chested) benching 1.8 x body weight but not being able to pull 2.5 x body weight in the deadlift." (Martin Berkhan, leangains)

So let me use myself as an example here. Right now my BW is around 160lbs and my numbers are Bench - 190lbs, Squat - 325lbs, Deadlift - 335lbs after around one year of training. I would rank myself between intermediate level and advanced level. Although positive thinking is the key to success and the right method to program the subconsciousness, how could anyone be satisfied with those numbers? Obviously not me but I am 100% sure that my training method can turn me into an absolute beast and I am getting stronger and stronger each day. Don't put limit to yourself. Set goals, not limits.

My current goals - Squat(405), Deadlift(495), OH Press(160lbs), Bench(250lbs), Vertical(40")

Great size. Look thick. Solid. Tight.

What are the missing elements? What to do and what not to do? I will expand the points below with in-depth information in the future posts. 

PLEASE JUST DON'T

• If you are still reading some sort of bodybuilding magazines, you are a retard.
• You should burn your gym membership card and cancel your membership if you don't track your progress or you don't have a solid plan. I seriously see a lot of people looking very confused in the gym. It is still not OK even if you are a beginner. People should be damn serious about training. Fooling around will make you weak and look like a dumbfuck.
• If you seriously believe the personal trainers in the commercial gyms can get you into better shape (especially in HK), well you are as confused as the people in the previous bullet point. 
• You are a weak pussy if you don't squat or deadlift. No shit that only less than 5% of people in the gym I train at do them. Actually I am not sure about the percentage but I have been training there for more than 1 year and I have seen 9 people do them INCLUDING MYSELF. WTF?? Is that 5%?

• 180lbs Male, 90lbs on his back, 1/4 squat, You Serious?
• Your plan is 5sets 12reps bench press, 5sets 12reps incline, 5sets 12 reps decline, 5sets 20reps flies, 5sets 20reps cable flies and then followed by another 15-20sets of triceps exercises. If you can gain strength and muscles this way, you must have superhuman recovery rate. If not, better design your program all over again.
• Similar to previous point, if you are a beginner and you follow some programs designed or used by people who need to walk through the door with their bodies sideway, just think again if that makes any sense.
• You think supplement is some kind of magic pills and you think about it more than you squat. Congratz! Be prepared to look the same after 10 years or maybe a lot fatter.
• You eat protein bars for snack and think it's good shit. Check the nutrition label please.

Protein bar? Anyone?

• I once heard a personal trainer telling his client "always the core" while doing I don't know the name exercise on a swiss ball, why not just go and squat. I still don't have an idea why we need swiss ball. Could anyone tell me please?
• You have faith that the more situps, crunches or leg raises you do, the better abs you will get. NO, they won't. Now go deadlift or squat and probably eat less junk.
• Ego?? Too much maybe??
• Your spotter is having a set of bent over row while you are doing bench press. Don't let him/her touch that barbell except when you can't finish the rep.
• This is a more controversial issue. Should you feel like a piece of trash or energetic after training? I usually feel like I could take a bear 1 on 1 after training. You?
• You are training to failure? Really? I am training to be successful. Training to failure = training to fail. Just don't do it.
• "Why you don't sweat? You have been training for 45mins. Oh... maybe it's a bit cold in the gym".
• You are scared and you are afraid you would get hurt. Why not just go home and comb your barbies?
• Overtrained? More like under-eating and under-sleeping.
• IMO isolation exercises have their places but I really think specified arm days where you do 10+sets of curls and 10+sets of extensions are not necessary or possibly useless. It's better to just stick with pullups and close grip bench press.
• You think the pump is necessary for muscles growth. Hell no, it could only temporarily make you look a bit bigger so the pump is not necessary. The pump is not necessary and the pump is not necessary and also the pump is not necessary.
• If you are a female and think weightlifting will make you a Hulk and cardio like walking on those stair machines or jogging or the "not sure the name" machine is the way to go, you may as well want to stay at home and do some cleanings or cooking. These sure burn more calories and you could save more money on clothes and cosmetics instead of gym memberships. You mad?

"not sure the name" machine. Like I really care about it

• If you are naive enough to think you will reach your ideal physique in a year, then you are probably one of those people who are lack of patient or your ultimate goal is solely to gain a few pounds of muscles+fat, I am not sure.
• I need to emphasis this again. If your routine doesn't consist of overhead presses, squats and deadlifts, yours isn't a proper routine. If you can, throw in some cleans and jerks/snatches and also do some jumping and sprinting. Power = Force X Velocity - BE EXPLOSIVE.

The "PLEASE JUST DON'T" list could just go on and on but I am gonna stop here. In the next post, I would briefly talk about the "PLEASE JUST DO". Hopefully I could get it done tonight. Before that, nice ass.

Built from "not sure the name" machine or  Squats?