Isn't that what most of us want? We want to be bigger, stronger, leaner, and better conditioned all at the same time. The problem is, it's impossible.

Since "retiring" from elite level competing I have been on this carousel. One week I want to get bigger, the next week I feel like I'm getting too heavy, so then I feel the need to get in better condition. Then of course there's hypertrophy training. Who lifts and doesn't want more muscles? Kind of like who doesn't want to get stronger?

Of course a few of these go together. You can get leaner and better conditioned, but don't plan on getting stronger during that time. Wait, can't you get bigger and stronger? The answer is, yes. However, if hypertrophy is your true goal, you really won't be able to optimize it through pure strength training.

If any of you are like me, you are very impressionable. With social media we all see these absolute "PHREAKS" out there. They appear to have it all and then we want it too. The problem is, we are getting a twenty second snap shot of that person. We don't know all that went into it. More than the physique or the lift we are admiring, we need to concern ourselves with the process the athlete went through.

Training for everything at once makes you a "Jack of all trades, master of none." It's best to narrow in on one goal at a time. Then you need to stick to it. You can't expect to train one week for strength and then one week for hypertrophy and make any real progress. I find a good rule of thumb is to stick with your goal for a minimum of two months.

Now it's time for me to take my own advice. Pick a discipline and stick with it.