There are a lot of 3-word memorable quotes we use in everyday life:
- Seize the day.
- Never look back.
- Love conquers all.
- Count your blessings.
- I am sorry.
But think about this. Let's say you were to meet yourself walking into a gym for the first time. What would you say to yourself? Here are three bits of advice (each with only three words) I would give to Dave Black:
Safety comes first. Whenever I injure myself in the gym, it's because I didn't listen to my body or else I was reckless. Form is everything. Engage your muscles properly or you will regret it. My progress is always best when I choose to focus on proper form.
Ask for help. When you don't know how to do an exercise, most of the people in your gym will be happy to help you. The trainers where I lift are super friendly and helpful. Nothing means more to them than to see you reach your goals. Ditto for most of your fellow lifters.
Take your time. Anything is possible, but gains always take time. Develop your lifting skills at a steady pace. Take your time to work on yourself and don't worry about how fast or slow others in the gym are achieving their goals. Getting older is inevitable, but getting elderly is a choice. Make yourself better today than you were yesterday. If you try to be 1% better today than you were yesterday, after one year you'll be 365% better!
So those are three pieces of training advice I would give myself just starting out in the gym: Safety comes first, ask for help, and take your time. Work on being the best version of yourself each and every day.
