There are people who believe that you need to be sore all the time and that this indicates whether they had a great workout or not. This is a myth!

Erik recommends having a well thought-out strength program:

1. Pick 5-6 exercises that you primarily work on
2. Let load be the variable with these exercises
3. This program will get you stronger
4. This program will help you avoid being sore ALL the time

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People love to post photos and videos of themselves crushing their workouts or lifting a crazy amount of weight. But it’s important to remember the truth - that did not happen a few short weeks or even a couple of months ago. Do not forget the day-to-day grind that these folks endured that resulted in the final product.

Hard work, sacrifice, and dedication need to be in your arsenal of tools to get the results you desire. But rarely do people share the photos of the journey they took to get to their Adonis state. They are not posting photos of themselves lifting puny weights, running slowly and wheezing to catch their breath, or showing off their bloated stomachs.

This gets back to what drives me crazy about social media…perception and reality are two separate and very different beasts entirely. So next time you look through your Facebook or Instagram feed, be cognizant that you are seeing someone’s highlight reel, not the bloopers and missteps they encountered along the way. STOP comparing yourself to what others are doing and just enjoy your own progress and who you are. Need some extra help with this? Read this article I wrote for myfitnesspal back in July, and pay particular attention to #2.

Image credit: Alia Wilhelm on Unsplash