Lesson 2 is devoted to understanding these two rules.

1. The easier the workout is for you, the worse results you are getting.

2. The harder the workout is for you, the better the workout.

It sounds like common sense, but you’d be surprised at how many people fail to understand this and fail to achieve their goals as a result.

Your body is built to adapt to stress. That’s the core principle of weight-lifting: stressing your muscles so they can adapt and grow. So the easier the workout is for you, the less you are stressing your muscles, and the fewer results you will get.

People get too caught up in number of reps, number of sets, and even the amount of the weight you’re lifting. These numbers matter far less than most people think they do. In fact, these numbers often distract you from what really matters: stress your muscles by pushing them past their comfort level.

If your workout calls for 3 sets, of 12 reps, for example, and you complete those sets easily, you shouldn’t feel proud of yourself for finishing. Because you actually didn’t accomplish anything. If you don’t stress your muscles then you are just engaging in a less efficient form of cardio. You are going through the motions, not actually working out. Finishing the set is not the goal. Stressing your muscles is the goal. Never forget that.

When I finish a set easily, I know that I must either adjust the weight so my next set will be harder, or perhaps even continue the set until my muscles are actually tired. Finishing the set is not important because the amount of reps is just an arbitrary number. Rely on listening to your muscles, not on counting to a number.

go for a hard workout, not an easy workout.