As an osteopath, trying to get patients to start stretching on a regular basis has been quite a challenge.

I often suggest they should think of stretching as being very much like brushing their teeth. Everyone does it (or should), everyday, 2x. Why? Its generally not considered a chore its just something you do to maintain the health of your teeth. If only stretching could thought of in the same way!

I personally believe that there is no need for strictly designed workout plans (counting reps and seconds). We are still animals. Do animals have a schedule of all activities and preferred intensity for every day? No! So why should we?

This is key, yet few people realize the long-term positive impact of tracking strength on a workout-per-workout-basis. Always strive to increase your best set in any given exercise – and make damn sure you have a training log to keep track of this stuff.

Great overall article, keep them coming!

*I love how this post meshes with what I learned and observed in boxing gyms:

(1) No excuse not to be active, b/c a jump rope can go with you everywhere.

(2) When training, keep moving for your 1m of “rest”.

(3) A nice three-miler (5k) never hurt anyone, go with a buddy and you will be sprinting at the end to see who finishes first.

(4) Always a bad sign to a trainer, when his fighter is weaker than the day before.

(5) Great reminder – even top athletes try to weasel out of stretching sometimes.

(6) Good trainers know when to give their fighters a day off.

(7) Unfortunately, the scale is a necessary evil in a boxing gym.

(8) You want food superstitions eat with a fighter. And, that is what they are superstitions.

(9) This is SO true. The scariest time for a fighter is right before a fight. They are cut no doubt, but susceptible to every little cold, stomach bug, fever, you name it.

(10) HEART – makes all the difference.

Best – Mike