10 COMMANDMENTS you should OBEY on your Fitness Journey

[@chucksenhowzen9740]

Commandment #1 Thou Shall *NOT MOVE THE BARBELL*

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

do not move the barbell!

[@PowerTree-007]

When I was working a regular job, I wore my gym shorts and a tank top under my work clothes. I knew if I went home after work and then changed, I wasn't going to go to the gym. But if I drove right to the gym after work, stripped off my work clothes in the parking lot, and put on sneakers, I was going to workout. I did that for 15 years and got strong because I was consistent. Now that I'm retired I have established a gym routine that works for me. I also got my wife to be a regular gym rat. Being strong is a life-changing event as you age. I see other old guys who are weak and have bad posture while I'm deadlifting, bench pressing and rowing like a young man. Go to the gym, and get strong. Defy time and remain youthful in appearance and power.

[@exclamaforte]

"Defy time and remain youthful in appearance and power." fuck yeah dude

[@feruspriest]

My grandpa is 90 and still does push ups and stair climbs. He fended off prostate cancer in his mid-seventies. I want to be as sharp as he is at 90, and stronger/more fit than him at that age, too (not to outdo him, but only because I'm devoting more time to it earlier in life)

[@NINAO_0]

"It is a disgrace to grow old through sheer carelessness before seeing what manner of man you may become by developing your bodily strength and beauty to their highest limit." - Socrates

[@justpoints]

I am 25 now, I have a similar routine, I head to the gym right after work. I don't go home because I know the bed seems comfy after a long day😂

[@farstrider79]

That's why your tips were so low at work, the gym shorts didn't look good underneath your Hooters uniform.

[@zalibecquerel3463]

1. DO NOT. MOVE. THE BARBELL.

[@matthewstevens2700]

Number three for me without a doubt. I trained for years and years...... and years, writing nothing down. I never realised how much I was 'spinning my wheels' until a friend bought me a training log as a gift. It was a revelation. Recording everything was a game changer. I knew where I was. I knew what I had to do. I began improving in strength and currently my numbers are still going slowly but steadily upwards which pleases me greatly as most people my age have stopped getting appreciably stronger. I am 68.

[@kurtrummelface]

#4 don't take breaks. This one 100%. I am in this right now. I got sick a few weeks. I have been off and on and each time I am off it is really hard to get the momentum going again and I have equipment at home and I really enjoy lifting. I am someone who falls into all or nothing thinking. don't fall for the trap!

[@ethanmccormick3271]

Been watching Alan follow various goals across a decade including training into fatherhood, hope he does it forever and we get to follow as his goals change across the decades

[@averagefsherman]

In regards to commandment 10, what the gym has taught me is that doing something sort of well for a long time is nearly identical to doing something perfectly right away. With the added bonus that no-one ever does anything perfectly first time either.

[@juwankane5150]

Algorithm boost. Alan is the man for anything fitness related, hope you do this forever!

[@kade00]

Same

[@iuzitipo5732]

yuup❤

[@guyl7835]

Same

[@richardmurphy8350]

11. DO NOT MOVE THE BARBELL.

[@Tokenutha]

DO NOT MOVE THE BARBRELL! good stuff Alan I’ve been watching you for years it is a amazing how far I’ve come thanks to you🎉

[@Morgan_]

Love this - you are an icon. Thanks for all your content. Just totally logical, no ego. My additions: 6.1 - make a meal plan. Plan out 3-4 meals and all their ingredients (make a list) before going to grocery store. Then you're all set for cooking. And you'll save $$ not buying things you don't need 7.1 - if you old, use a belt, knee sleeves, wrist wraps, etc, what helps with your weaknesses/pain. The older you are the harder it gets and easier it is to injure yourself (squats4life!) 8.1 Record yourself to check form. Get a cheap amazon tripod for your phone. Can even get one with a tiny remote to start/stop recording. 10.-1 - Agree with going all-in at the start. Learn everything you can, read online, read books, watch all Alan's videos, etc. Master the skills, which will take years (that whole 10,000 hours thing), but don't let it consume you forever. It's a hobby and has so many great benefits to life, but make sure you keep perspective and don't let it detract from other parts of life! Balance

[@feruspriest]

9.1: don't lie *or* bullshit yourself.

[@austinhowell3463]

Alan, I've been watching you since 2014 as a highschooler trying to learn how to lift correctly in football weightlifting. Your channel has been so impactful for me to where I'm a personal trainer er now and my entire career path has changed and I owe a lot of where I am and going to you. Thank you Alan You're a Saint

[@fredrichardson9761]

I really like this, but I also like thinking of training as the "8-fold path" (ala Buddhism) - that is "right diet", "right programming", "right sleep", "right hydration", "right RPE", "right form", "right cardio", "right equipment". Staying on that path brings everything together. Then there's the "4 noble truths" - enthusiasm enables training, training leads to strength and hypertrophy, and something about "spice" and "folding time" ...

[@fredrichardson9761]

Wait, I think this might be it "It is by will alone I set my body in motion. It is by the programming of Thrall that motion acquires (proper) form, the body acquires DOMS, DOMS become a warning. It is by will alone I set my body in motion." Original from Frank Herbert's Dune Piter De Vries: It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.

[@AngrySlav-mh7ph]

@@fredrichardson9761 Get those Atreides gains

[@gregorymichael9031]

Fear is the mind killer!

[@30059686]

Just took 2 months off, moved house, sanded and polished all the floors in the house and painted most rooms with my partner and built and installed a new kitchen. Kids also just started school and I started a new job. Commandment 3 hit hard Allan 😭

[@Moose92411]

I love "master your technique." I was expecting "use the technique appropriate for your goals," but yours is great

[@jankeryork]

The best in the game. Most relatable, no show off ,no bullshit practical information founded in a deep understanding of the movements and the whole process of working out. Most people have other more important priorities in their life such as family and work - watching allans process while struggling with the same priorieties is so helpfull. Thank you!

[@Suptski]

I have every piece of gym equipment that I would call a necessity (straps, lifting belt, dip belt) or quite important (wraps, sleeves etc) but the one I price the highest along with the straps, are my heel elevated shoes. I love those things so much.

[@ThaKKatt]

Amazing, good stuff, but I say #4 can happen for different reasons. I've been in college and grad school and I take 2-3 weeks off or so for finals because I have to adapt to temporal fluctuations in priorities. For those weeks, school is more important and the period that his lasts is finite and delineated. Plan the breaks though, plan when you come back. Edit: I am a filthy casual but *not* a yo-yo / treading-water / no-progress lifter

[@kathleenkennedy1913]

Been there too but one thing Alan said that really resonated with me is I can still drop and do some pushups or air squats in between things and bonus, it probably helps counter all that sitting from studying etc.!

[@Thomasservo]

I’ve been watching Untamed Strength for about ten years now. And still learn something new every time.

[@Harry_16710]

Congrats on your anniversaries, Alan...thanks for sharing your knowledge/experience with us. 🙏👏👏

[@BloodyWallet]

Damn I wish I could “Like” this video 17 times and subscribe to Untamed strength channel 43 times. This whole video is gold for training and even life in general. Pure wisdom-keep it up Alan!

[@Klod91]

I'm jealous of people who can say, "Well, things got in the way, so I stopped lifting." To me it means they got something else going on in their life other than picking up weights. I'll be going to the gym in the morning, and thats the highlight of my day.

[@HUGEFLYINGWHALE]

Well, "things got in the way" could also be the onset of multiple sclerosis so no need to be jealous

[@DieselPowerLifter]

Learn how to cook is the best piece of advice here that you will not find anywhere else.

[@saifauto_]

Been following this man since the beginning. Algorithm boost plz

[@medes3883]

Your most important video ever!! For me 20 years too late but as soon as one of my boys gets interested in any kind of physical activity, I'm going to show him this video as his first source of inspiration, education, motivation. Pure gold! Thank you very much!

[@nathanielovaughn2145]

All start somewhere. It's never too late as long as you're above ground. Best wishes to you.

[@medes3883]

​@@nathanielovaughn2145 Thanks mate. Still standing 😊 Best wishes!

[@bassert2816]

I thought for sure that number 10 would be to always remember to "Train Untamed" since you stated that it's the commandment that resonated the most with you personally

[@JBravoRebel]

On logging, I used to log sleep time and quality and quality of the w/o. I started to see quality of the w/o is highly correlated to sleep, AND it reinforces the importance of sleep. Yeah, I need to start that again.

[@restr103]

What happened to “DO NOT MOVE THE BARBELL” 😮

[@markstone4043]

I agree with the commandments. I would just say though that for commandment 10 goinging all in... I needed to start somewhere. I started my lifelong habit by going all in every Saturday. And i built my routine from there.

[@dwokie1]

These are all non-negotiable, however, My favorite is not taking a break… consistency is the key to life.

[@RichardJohnson_dydx]

I think number 9, never lie to yourself is my motto. For me, it's the root of being healthy and consistent in the gym. I am honest with myself about what I am eating, the work I am putting into the gym and what my goals are. I am also honest with myself because I know what my weaknesses are and I am always trying to improve my technique and strategy for my goals.

[@johnzadkovich2990]

I agree with all that and would only add that the 'umbrella' commandment is commitment: be committed to diet, form, routine, be all in, achieving your goal(s) etc.

[@raw-imperfect-beats-rib3408]

I would add "Listen to your body and dont sustain injuries". Injuries accumulate and it is extremely important to not get injured to be able to keep beeing consistent through out life

[@jeremybennett6880]

I think I've been with you since 2013 when I was searching "how to squat" on KZbin. Thanks for great content, always, Alan.

[@Alex__H13]

Congratulations on 10 years of uploading! Yep, 'focus on what you're excited about', 'don't take breaks' were very important when I was training well. Very true about momentum. Once lost, very hard to regain. White pill: easy to maintain once gained (I.e. 'go all in').

[@FaheemRashid]

Commandment number 11. Watch the videos from this KZbin channel.

[@Oliver-c7l]

Can you do a video on not caring about what others say about you, what always puts me off is family members telling me not to go to the gym.

[@ericrhelms]

Great stuff Alan. Awesome that it’s been 10 years of untamed strength

[@codycornell2212]

Never take a break, learn to cook (better ) and going all in more are all good ones for me. More of a runner here but love lifting and also try to use lifting to help my running. Love the content.

[@paulsohns3930]

Nice, first the Sika Strength Lads and now you. Both are really Good guidelines to improve your training.

[@Manandmonkey]

Wow can’t believe it’s been 10 years. I remember when I first started watching your videos, crazy to think it’s been this long. Time flies!

[@ansonstiles]

Number one is a great point. There is so much variation out there! I love mixing it up with different complementary activities

[@MiniNinjaCowOrigin]

Never take a break has been the one that resonates the most. We are talking about the gym but really applied to all of life

[@feruspriest]

Amen. Art, exercise, etc.

[@dynaspinner64]

I really dont want to take a break but ive fell ill twice and its due to situations out of my control. Theres no way im going to have the energy to recover from training with a high fever.

[@skibididapadada]

@@dynaspinner64 Illness is definitely an exception. You shouldn't be lifting if your body is down with illnesses like fever. As long as your body is fine though, consistency is key!

[@dynaspinner64]

@@skibididapadada that's true but I still feel bored being sedentary all day haha

[@jotairpontes]

Yeah, depends on how ill are you. Sometimes, you can still go for just a simple walk, sometimes you can do a shorter and lighter session, but overall, yeah, there are a couple of exceptions here and there.

[@penumbrium]

for anyone who has program adherence issues, write out a skelelon program, such as a leg day being a squat, a hinge, and a hamstring isolation. have like 3 movements for each pattern that you can pick between when you want, that way you can do different variations when you want, but it still keeps you doing a handful of movements frequently

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

Commandment addendum: Thou shalt build thy self a good home gym! I work crazy hours now and having a basic gym allows me to train with zero excuses. I have dumbells and trapbar and saving for power squat rack and cable gym machine.

[@billking8843]

I spent 10 years as a full time carer and my health and fitness went to shit. I tried to keep up swimming and some cycling and went to a weekly Pilates class (which was an expensive waste of time after recovering from a rotator cuff injury). What I really needed was someone to have been urging me to lift just twice a week for 45 minutes to hold the line. If anyone is in a similar situation, just being able to lift at minimum effective volume is going to protect your health.

[@martinshoosterman]

i think tip 3, logging your training, is the one that resonates the most woth me. I'm getting close to 13th year of lifting and ive never logged any of my training except for running which is automatic thanks to my watch, and also when i was training to do muscle ups i logged each attempt. I've always felt like its not completely necessary because i can just remember how much i can do in most lifts and what ive done last week. And while thats mostly true over any short time period, i realize how wrong it is over several years, and how useful that data could be. Also how logging training can help me see how many training sessions are good, and how many arent.

[@RedPanda79]

#8 was important to me. I came to this older and very much out of shape. So mastering my tech helped give me discipline and less prone to injury

[@weareeverywhere8851]

Number 2 is totally me. At the end of the day, you have to enjoy what you're doing.

[@Lugg187]

Master your technique Absolutely. You never think about it , most movements feel quite intuitive and natural. I never considered the importance of technique until I got frustrated at my lack of shoulder development, and I said stop. That's it, I'm gonna stop chasing numbers and reps UNTIL I master my OHP and lateral raises technique. Before it felt like training to get tired, never truly targeting my deltoids, now I actually see with my own eyes the difference in strength and size.

[@SufferingGradStudent]

I’m shocked the tenth commandment wasn’t to TRAIN UNTAAAAAMMMMMMED

[@LordoftheSith]

That’s the 11th

[@duncanharris3952]

Yo dude you were my number 1 resource when I started lifting back in 2019. Love the direction you've taken things man! Train untamed 😎

[@SirWhorshoeMcGee]

The don't take breaks and nutrition stuck with me the most, definitely. When I'm training, nutrition is not a problem. The problem is, during past year I got injured twice and couldn't train for prolonged periods of time. Adding to that my love for cooking and baking, I gained 5kg of body fat again. I hope this year will turn out differently.

[@7yearfitness993]

What a great video! Superb breakdown. The problem is, in my specific case, I need another one for other fitness activities(running, tennis, etc), for career, for money, for relationships, for creativity, for education, for ethics, and for aging. And that’s just off the top of my head. So that’s like 80 more commandments to try to assimilate. So ungodly complicated but I will try. Thanks again for such a great effort to analyze one aspect of life. I would just love to talk to you at a party- for like three hours!

[@Le_Saboteur]

Love the kids toys in the back!

[@towerofkuma2526]

wow this is the bible!!!! thank you Alan!!!

[@cameronvallejo4157]

I completely experienced that with the lack of consistency, after travelling around I’d always find myself alone in a new gym whereas I used to train with a great gym buddy in my hometown, so not finding that same feeling all these years grew the distance between me and the gym (at least I’d go back to training for 6 to 8 months but stopping right after). Fortunately I’m now in a stable environment, found gym buddy and only now do I start building my consistency and resilience, like a second chance to do things right ! When it comes to food and diet, I used to be so scared of getting fat so instead of eating I’d practice fasting two days a week etc, now I’m finally no longer afraid (took me 10 years to overcome that fear!)

[@davidviselka8505]

Number 10 is definitely a big one

[@MrAlexg91]

As someone whos leaving powerlifitng and tryung to do more bodybuilding and cardio, thank you!!

[@tiitjuhei]

Watching this while have to wake up in 4 hours. All in.

[@chunkironchest]

#10 for sure! Once you realize how it all affects you, then you keep on the straight and narrow. If you’re gonna do it go all in!

[@TeianDown]

Commandment #3 (logging my training) resonated with my experience. I started my fitness journey very obese, and during my first few years, I'd lose maybe 10-15 lbs each year. The first year after I started logging my weight and training, I achieved a 36 pound loss - more than double what I'd done before! I think it can contribute to following some of these other commandments as well - #2 and #9 in particular. Having that hard data can not only help keep you motivated during plateaus and slow patches (because they've happened before and been surmounted), but also call out when one is going on too long and prompt reviewing what might be going wrong.

[@MetalSk8Shred]

You’re an amazing service the weightlifters, with sound and applicable advice. Amazing video!

[@Mizzledragon]

These are all good points. I would say it's a lot harder for people with mental illnesses and a few more key points could probably be added for that.

[@Asheanae]

Alan is GOAT.

[@P_Mann]

A missing part of #1 that helps with all of the rest: be clear about how you think and talk about your goals. If your goal is to *look* strong (physique) but your talk is about lifting heavy (numbers) then you’re going to find a lot of unhelpful solutions. Tons of people go to the gym with the sole goal of being more physically active, which is fine, but they’re going to have a bad time if they aren’t clear about that purpose and try to follow a specialized bodybuilding or powerlifting program.

[@thomasrichards1161]

Do not take breaks - yes. Although I prefer to describe it as being consistent. After the objective, consistency is the most important thing. The objective is first as it essentially defines the program. As for consistency, I found that I needed to make trade-off decisions which you discussed. I was not making progress and I concluded it was lack of consistency. So I made a number of imperfect decisions to ensure consistency. For example, going to the gym and lifting 10lb dumbbells for the overhead press was a good thing! Ridiculous amount of weight but compared to not going - the difference is not even quantifiable. So i found that making these trade-offs which seem counterproductive actually ensured I was consistent and I started making significant progress. For example, I was doing 90lb trapbar deadlifts. A year later i was doing 230lbs (as a set of five reps).

[@dorseykindler9544]

Solid advice. Had no idea you were just down the road in Sacramento.

[@swolekhine]

Great video, and congrats on 10 years! Not taking time off is the commandment that resonates with me most.

[@spikegarzilla586]

Always good to hear some wise words from you dude

[@lukefujicat]

Excellent. #2 is something I wish I'd understood early on. I love to optimize and learn. With so much fitness/lifting/nutrition information out there, I found myself watching more videos, getting new 'programs' from the algorithm,. and always second guessing and changing. I didn't really understand the relative importance of consistency and a how a mediocre plan vigorously and consistently implemented is better than changing horses all the time to find the perfect plan. This ties to #1 cause I let good ideas from different disciplines undermine my confidence in the current plan, not realizing that the differences were more about optimizing for specific goals I didn't really share anyway.

[@microchrist6122]

I only read the thumbnails, no longer taking breaks between sets! (I died on Monday RIP 😂)

[@Pile_of_carbon]

Consistency is king! Getting the training in at regular intervals over months and years. That's how progress is made. Videos and articles along the lines of "I did [insert activity here] for 30 days and this happened" has made people expect change to be near instant. A month is nothing to a human body. Maybe you only added 2.5kg (maybe a lot less) to the bar, but that "only" times twelve months times two years adds up to some serious weight.

[@LieHopf]

Number 8 hits for me. I need to be self-aware in my consistency as I push my lifts.

[@seanjohnston848]

This was an easy 40min video. I don't even look at how long it'll be, and I typically prefer your longer for stuff anyways.

[@populer208]

And number 10) Always remember: TRAIN UNTAMED!

[@MrJtbronco]

Congrats on making it 10 years without getting canceled! A true achievement! 😂

[@forte9910]

so cool to see your vids go from stronglifts preacher to zen master

[@belovedobserver]

Ever since Alan said his biggest pet peeve is ppl letting go of the bar between deadlifts I’ve just still been hunched over holding the bar resting 😅 I felt so attacked, rightfully so. As far as taking breaks, that is one of the hardest parts for me to handle mentally and physically when I am post-partum. By the time 6 weeks rolls around and they give me the clear to lift again I feel so weak and discouraged. It’s making me dread having another baby bc I have come so far now 14 months since having baby #2.

[@beastmry]

For the algorithm. Good stuff!

[@K4R3N]

#6 learning to cook.. absolutely #7 my Pioneer belt just arrived today! Already have decent squat shoes

[@brucem8448]

Throwing in: - Have fun, make friends - Wins matter - Volume is king (calories, sets, miles)

[@offthetrail5675]

Love it! Been taining is some way or another for most of my life and for sure the key is keeping it going during a setback like an injury or illness or other life circumstance. I alway say that anything is better than nothing and ramping back up from something is way easier than from nothing.

[@AnkylosingPowerlifter]

I agree will all ten commandments, and try to obey nine of them! #2 "Stick to a Program" is hard for me. I have an autoimmune disease (Ankylosing Spondylitis), where I can feel great one day and like death warmed over the next. And it may affect my deadlift one day but I'm still 100% fine for bench -- or vice versa. Or, it may affect strength one day precluding heavy lifts, and endurance the next precluding high reps. I know that sounds like weird excuse-making, but it really is like that. I have learned to do a little creative "on-the-fly programming" to adjust accordingly. I do stick to the basic principles of programming to the extent my disease allows - i.e. periodicity, progressive overload, etc., but I can't truly follow any specific program rigidly. I should add that I am self-coached now, but in the past, I've actually been lucky enough to find one or two coaches who understand and work around my limitations. That being said, I've done OK despite violating the second commandment. In my age/weight class (i.e. fat old man), I have broken four IPL world records, two of which I still hold. My powerlifting journey as an athlete with this disease was featured in the latest issue of Spondylitis Plus magazine: spondylitis.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/SP_Fall_2024_WEB.pdf

[@porchtime504]

Good stuff. Long time lifter and some good reminders. Gonna buy a personal weightbelt

[@Mackerel_Sushi]

algorithm boost 💯

[@BrimhallBarbellClub]

I need to develop some of Alan’s cooking skills.

[@MohamedNaas2005]

Always love your Insight Alan you've been a huge inspiration for me In my fitness journey

[@_RobK_]

Log your training did the job for me

[@RyDrex22]

Alan is a legend

[@takkie2089]

No1 for me definetly

[@houstisiomcfinasto9665]

Thats one of the best thumbnails I've seen

[@CL-mu2wk]

Bro looking like natural hypertrophy in this one

[@criztal6604]

Just droppin a comment to support the goat!

[@ZepHoffman]

great video as usual Alan! Cheers from Argentina, been following you since 2014 ♥

[@jetjames420]

I started lifting to look like a comic book hero. Then I realized strongman is the adventure I need 😂

[@jwwilliams]

Good stuff as usual Allen. Ive been baking cookies for so long I have the recipe memorized.

[@rob34star]

#6 im still learning

[@JoeAuerbach]

Re: breaks. So true. After my daughter was born I stopped lifting, but more importantly I stopped watching my food as closely. And I gained a bunch of weight and lost some gains, some of which I still haven't gotten back. She's ten.

[@Zackinator97]

Ironically, Alan’s 4th commandment is to not take breaks while the 4th commandment in the Bible is to take a break 😂