Christopher - The Master Keys to Strength and Fitness

I originally wrote The Master Keys to Strength and Fitness, not to create something that was brand new and groundbreaking. In fact, I would argue there were very few new ideas in it. Instead, I simply wanted to gather up all my thoughts and ideas on the subject and put them down on paper.

Personally, I learn best by teaching and writing a book is one of the best methods for me to do that. In fact, every book I write is largely for me first, as it helps me to better master a subject. Having others read and learn from it is a secondary benefit.

The Master Keys to Strength and Fitness was written to give people that were new to training, like less than five years of experience, a firm foundation. (And since many people that are involved in training for longer might not have as firm a foundation as they imagine, it can help experienced trainees and trainers as well.)

Now, roughly twice the time into my training career I look back at the book and cringe. (Thats probably true of most writers of their older works.) Not only have I become a better writer, but I feel like the principles covered here could be done both more comprehensively where needed, and simpler in other places. In short, I can deliver a more complete foundation.

The master keys are the principles of training, as I see them, and you cant get away from them. Well, you can, but then youll suffer in some form. When it comes to principles it is worth drilling down into them, over and over again. You never really master a principle, but can continue to dive deeper into it, gaining more mastery as time goes on. As such, this 2nd edition is once again for me to help deepen my own understanding of the principles, first and foremost.

In doing so, I will be much happier to point anyone that is new to my work to this book to develop a firm foundation from which everything else is built. I would urge anyone involved in strength training and fitness to read this as it dispels common myths and delivers the foundation better than anything else out there. If I didnt believe that was the case, I would simply point you elsewhere.

On the note of my other works, youll see me mention them throughout this book. In fact, I may mention them all! And there are quite a few. Im nothing if not prolific (and that goes back to my learning method). Sure, I do want to sell more books and courses, but this is really to help you further your journey. Think of these as an invitation to go deeper into the subjects that most call out to you.

Even if youve been training for years, or have read my other books, still I point you here. One or two gaps in your foundation not just can but will lead to problems. Maybe not today, but eventually. At the very least those gaps will lead you to be less successful than you otherwise could be.

There is a classic book on business and wealth-building by the name of Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. In it, he states the secrets are contained within the book, yet he wont blatantly point them out, as it is more powerful for you to discover them. In this book, I will be following that model. All the master keys are here. Some of them readily apparent while others are hidden between the lines. Study this book and you will find them.

Many people that write a book claim to have THE answer. Anyone who claims to have THE answer is lying to youif not to themselves. While the keys in this book are necessary for strength and fitness, youll find at least most of them in any program that works. Even missing some of the keys youre likely to get some results (though not as good as if you had ALL the keys).

This book is not written with the intent that you need to follow it to the letter. In fact, for the most part, it is not set up so you can mindlessly follow along. I am hesitant to provide specific training plans for reasons you will come to understand. I do so but more so as learning tools, stepping stones along your journey.

The Master Keys to Strength and Fitness requires your participation. There is no one right WAY. There are many ways to apply the information contained here. In some areas, you may find something that you think is contradictory. Fitness is full of seemingly contradictory information. But really, it is not. Instead, there are different ways to arrive at the same goal, without violating any of the master keys.

Thats it for now. Lets begin

I feel it is useful to understand where I started from, and my journey up to today, to help frame an understanding of all the master keys to come.

I have a distinct memory of one of my early attempts at exercise. When I was in eighth grade, all the kids had to do the presidential fitness test. I'm sure many of you living in the U.S. probably remember these tests back in the day. The idea was to examine you on a variety of different exercises and see how you rank compared to everyone else. Thus, you could gauge your overall fitness level.

One of the exercises in this test was a pullup, and the goal was to see how many reps you could do. I remember that if you could do ten, you were among the top of the class. I was one of the early ones up, as we went in alphabetical order by last names. I jumped up onto the bar and I couldn't even move a single inch. In fact, it was so impossible for me to do, I couldn't even comprehend how other people were able to do it. It just didnt make sense.

When I was growing up, I was a weak and scrawny kid, and that memory sticks out in my mind because shortly after that, I started working out. My older brother, Cloud, had gotten into bodybuilding and playing football. That's the only exposure to strength training I had as the time because it was the only exposure he had. I dont specifically remember this, but he remembers starting me off with pushups and I couldnt even do a single one in good form.