6 Truths About Exercise That Nobody Wants to Believe

Success in the gym, as with most things in life, comes down to mastering the basics.

With that in mind, here are six exercise tips, weight lifting basics and training essentials that nobody wants to believe, but everyone should follow.

Take these ideas to heart and you'll reap major benefits. While most people waste time debating the endless stream of supplements, "new" workout programs and diet plans, all you really have to do is focus on these simple concepts and you'll see results.

1. You need to commit for the long term.

Most people work out with a short-term goal in mind. I like looking at health in a different way.

• The goal is not to lose 40 pounds in the next 12 weeks. The goal is to regain your health for the rest of your life.
• The goal is not to bench press 300 pounds. The goal is to be the guy who never misses a workout.
• The goal is not to sacrifice everything to get your fastest time in next month's race. The goal is to be faster next year than you are today. And faster two years from now than you will be next year.

Ignore the short-term results. If you commit to the long-term process, the results will come anyway.

Furthermore, stop acting like living a healthy life is a big deal. You can go to the gym every week. That can be "normal" for you. Not a sacrifice. Not an obligation. Normal.

What's funny is that when you commit to being consistent over the long term, you end up seeing remarkable results in the short term. That's the power of average speed.

2. You need to set a schedule for your training.

Most people never train consistently because they are always wondering when they are going to train next.

They are always wondering:

"Will I be motivated to work out when I get home from work?"

"Will I have enough free time to exercise today?"

"Will I have enough willpower to wake up early and run?"

In other words, most people train when they feel motivated or inspired.

Here's a better idea. Stop treating exercise as something to do when it's convenient and start setting a schedule for yourself to follow. This is what makes the difference between professionals and amateurs.

For example, I train every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 p.m. I don't have to think about when I'm going to train. I don't sit around and wonder which days I'll feel motivated to lift. I don't hope that I'll have some extra time to work out today. Instead, I put it on the schedule and then organize my life and responsibilities around it (just like you would organize your day around your class or your meeting or your kid's baseball game).

Setting a schedule for your training becomes even more important when life gets crazy. There will always be occasional emergencies that prevent you from working out. It's part of life. The problem is that most people miss one workout and before they know it, they haven't been to the gym in four weeks.