Bulletproof Your Lower Back

There's not a movement you do that doesn't involve your lower back in some way. So if you've managed to tweak it recently, fear not. Use this five-step process to get your back strong, pain-free, and ready to lift.

https://www.t-nation.com/training/bulletproof-your-lower-back

Tip: Write it Down

WRITE IT DOWN When it comes to increasing strength, you might hear the phrase "progressive resistance." This means "do more work as time goes on" -- lift heavier weights or do more reps of the same exercise to see results. Keep yourself on the path to success with a workout journal. Research shows that those who record their progress are more compliant and see better results than those who wing it.

Tip: Run Hills to Burn Fat Faster and Reduce Injury

RUN HILLS TO BURN FAT FASTER AND REDUCE INJURY More muscle means more results, and uphill running activates nine percent more muscle per stride than trotting at the same pace on level ground. It can also save your knees. Increasing the grade to just three percent can reduce the shock on your legs by up to 24 percent.

Tip: Lift Heavier Weights

LIFT HEAVIER WEIGHTS Packing more weight on the bar won't make you "bulky." It will make you stronger and protect you from osteoporosis by increasing bone density. To get the greatest benefits, lift at least 60 to 70 percent of your one-rep maximum for each exercise. Instead of going for complicated calculations, choose a weight with which you can perform eight to 12 reps, with the last rep being a struggle but not impossible.

Tip - Do Push-Ups

DO PUSH-UPS The pushup is one of the world's greatest exercises, and doing it with proper form is as simple as this cue: Maintain a rigid body line from the top of your head to your heels throughout the push. With this in mind, you won't sag your hips, hump your back, or bubble up your butt. Keep your elbows tucked in towards your sides as you lower your body, and push back up, strong as steel from head to heels.

Tip: Tuck Your Shoulder Blades Back and Down

TUCK YOUR SHOULDER BLADES DOWN AND BACK This tip is great for chin-ups, but it's more than that. By sliding your shoulder blades down and back before an exercise -- like you're tucking them into your back pockets -- can improve your results and protect from injury. It helps activate your lats for pulling exercises, work your pecs more completely in pushing exercises, keeps your chest up during a squat and can reduce painful impingement on your rotator cuff during biceps curls.

Tip: Trade Machine Exercises for Free Weights

TRADE MACHINE EXERCISES FOR FREE WEIGHTS Machines are built with a specific path the weight has to travel -- one that wasn't designed for you. If you're too tall, too short or your arms or legs aren't the same length, that fixed path won't match your physiology, and you'll increase the likelihood of injury and develop weaknesses. Trade your machine exercises for dumbbells, barbells and medicine balls to build strength in ways more specific to your body, while also working all the smaller stabilizing muscles that machines miss.

Quote on Purpose

Don’t count the days; make the days count! -Muhammad Ali

Quote on Goals

The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it. Michelangelo

Quote on Habits

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. Aristotle

Gym Psychology: The 6 Types Of Motivation

Everyone is motivated a little differently. Learn what type of motivation best suits you and then use that knowledge to attack your awesome fitness goals! One of my favorite topics to speak and write about is motivation. I like talking about motivation because it's so personal. Everybody has his or her own brand of self-encouragement and determination. Each of us is motivated a little differently. During a recent webinar for Gold's Gym, I discussed the six types of motivation. I spoke about this topic because knowing which type of motivation best compels you can be a really important factor in achieving your fitness goals. It went over so well that I thought I would share it with you! As you read through these motivation types, you may realize that you fall into more than one category?that's a good thing! You can use various techniques to ensure that you make it through those rough days and move onto bigger and better things. Continue Reading Here: https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/gym-psychology-the-6-types-of-motivation.html

Setting Goals: A Realistic Approach to Consistent Gains

Everywhere I look, I see training information geared towards the hardcore. There’s nothing wrong with this – we all need motivation. The problem comes when examining the population of people who are actually reading and taking this information to heart. 9 times out of 10, they’re novice lifters who don’t know the first thing about proper training, and taking advice intended for people 3 steps ahead of them in their development and experience. When it really comes down to it, they’d benefit just fine from simplistic advice that can actually stand the test of time. Truth be told, that can actually apply to us all. Setting Goals: Back to the Basics https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/setting-goals

Quote on Comfort

“Get comfortable with being uncomfortable!” ― Jillian Michaels

Building Mental Toughness

Mental toughness is simple: Block out distractions like pain, results, competitors, your past, fears, and peers.

For a great book on building mental toughness and other traits:

Mental Toughness Quote

“You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 

Tip: The Number One Bench Press Mistake

Tip: The Number One Bench Press Mistake

The Big 5 of Getting Big

Want to gain size and strength? The following article is for you:

The Big 5 of Getting Big

Quote on Change

Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me. -Carol Burnett

Quote on Goals

Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. -Tony Robbins

5/3/1: How to Build Pure Strength

Follow this program 3-4 days a week to build pure strength:

https://www.t-nation.com/workouts/531-how-to-build-pure-strength