First Things First

First, eat. Then, drink tequila shots.

First, have a short list. Then, ask your wife where she wants Uber Eats.

First, strength. Then, conditioning.

There’s a reason that what’s associated with “first” always exists above “then” in the hierarchy of importance, and in the case of fitness, the careful terminology that we use at the gym is all about signaling, because while the conditioning tier is absolutely imperative to overall fitness and physique development, the idea is to always keep the main thing the main thing.

In the case of fitness, there are few absolutes and highest among them is the very basic premise that getting stronger will drive every single output you hope to achieve. A stronger body runs faster, jumps higher, burns more calories, moves better, lives longer, reacts faster, exists more confidently, throws harder, carries heavier, holds tighter, defends more vigorously, and most agree, looks better.

By all means, keep your main thing your main thing whatever that goal is, but never forget that it will be most directly influenced by how productive you are with your strength training.

-Dave