1.Strength training should be fun
Why? weight training isn’t recreation it’s simply the most efficient and effective means to achieve a multitude of health and fitness related benefits. It’s merely a means to an end.

2.It doesn’t have to hurt
In order for weight training to be effective, the intensity of effort must be great enough to elicit an adaptive response, that is never going to be a pleasant sensation (far from it, unless you happen to be a masochist) it isn’t fun, but it can prove a very satisfying experience…once completed.

3.No pain no gain doesn’t make sense to me anymore
see above

4.Exercising should make you happy
No, the act of exercising is very specifically aimed at improving physiologic headroom.
One definition is ‘ bodily exertion for the sake of developing and maintaining physical fitness’ those improvements in ‘physical fitness’ and any health related benefits garnered together with the known pyhological benefits of exercise may well be cause to make you ‘happy’, but the act of exercising if done correctly very probably won’t…or your not doing it correctly.
I think the problem is most people confuse exercise with recreation, which can be very dangerous situation possibly leading to a compulsive exercise issues.
Exercise is great but should be seen and used for what it is.

5.You don’t owe anyone else an explanation for your own training
True, only yourself but if you your self don’t understand exacly why you’re doing what your doing and the cost benefit relationship involved it may be time to re-examine things.
If you can’t explain why/what your doing to others it’s a sure sign you probably don’t understand it yourself.

6.Kettlebells are awesome
They’re great for lateral raises if done correctly, but is’s very much down to how there used, any exercise where their used in conjunction with excessive momentum will put great stress on any joints and connective tissues involved, those types of injurys don’t allway occur early on in their usage but can be cumulative resulting in very serious injury.
Check the crossfit forums injury threads for evidence of this.

7.Training longevity and quality of life should be the main fitness goal
Absolutly, exercise is a means to an end should be seen as such.

8.There will always be someone stronger, don’t sweat it
This is true in the vast majority of cases, excluding one.

I liked reading your little workout biography. what was your deadlift before starting gym movement? And after? I read a lot about gym movement and would like to try it. I am thinking of trying it tomorrow on my workout. I will let you know how it works. thanks

I’ve been passively reading some of your stuff for a while now and really enjoyed this. I found you through some of your guest posts on Adam’s site. I’m not at the point in my fitness yet where I’m trying for huge gains in strength, but still enjoyed this and it will hopefully be relevant to me very soon. Right now I need to drop some fat and get back to healthy and then really concentrate on adding lean muscle.

-James

The other day my husband said something funny while I was talking about your blog. He said, “I wonder if he really is?”.
“Is what?” I replied.
“The world’s strongest librarian.”

Made me giggle. Then I started imagining you competing in strength contest with all the librarians I know at my library. He he!