When it comes to selecting meet attempts, there are a lot of things to take into account. The big one is your goal, but the strategy for getting that goal varies depending on lots of factors. You wouldn’t use the same process for selecting your opener and for winning — at least, I hope you don’t.

Hard work pays off — not snake oil sales and get-rich-quick schemes. That doesn’t mean you can’t get stronger quickly. It just means you’ll have to put in a little extra work, like bumping up a weight class.

I couldn’t believe it when I saw that it has been a year since I joined elitefts. In honor of the anniversary, here are five lessons from my first year.