Building a Better Body (Part 1):

Introduction
In this ongoing series, I’d like to provide insights and inspiration to anyone
seeking to alter their physical appearance via resistance training and related
fitness activities. Rather than offering a cookie-cutter program, or magazine-
style “tips and tricks” that sound great when you read them but yield nothing in
the long run, the goal here is to develop a foundational perspective on fitness
that will establish a firm foothold for ongoing success.

My degree is in philosophy, but I have made fitness my profession. Both have

been the focus of my own personal study for over 20 years. I’ve held numerous
major certifications and exhausted libraries and bookstores, devouring
everything I could get my hands on in relation to personal growth and
bodybuilding.

Even if I had doubled or tripled these efforts, I would still not consider myself
the final authority on these subjects, or lay any claim to expertise. In fact, I
believe no one deserves the title of “expert” in any field concerned with
personal evolution, especially if it means that their word takes precedence over
your own experience.

Like everyone else, I’ve had experiences in my life which I have distilled and
refined into a system of thought and action, and it’s being offered here for your
review with the hope that it will be of benefit. Approach this information from
the perspective of seeking personal value, not blind acceptance, as the latter
course will ultimately leave you in no better position than when you started.

After earnestly considering what’s written, if it makes sense to you, apply it in

your life and prove its worthiness to yourself. But more importantly, use this
information as a basis for thought, which you can refine into your own
personal framework. In this way, you will be able to move forward confidently
without further guidance from others, always knowing exactly what to do next.

Make self-sufficiency the primary focus of your efforts and your reward will be
true wisdom that extends far beyond the realm of fitness.

-Brian Blackwell