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When I first started lifting weights, I squatted, pressed, and pulled. I did these lifts with very little thought – I just muscled the weights up in an all-out effort to break every world record in less than two years. I didn't think about my stance or my grip or where my shoulders were when I bench pressed. I didn't think about anything.

I love doing dips, although I'm 100% convinced they didn't help my bench press. I do think they helped my press, though.

The thing you need to remember with your training is this: you are training to be a Marine Officer.  You are not training to become a Powerlifting Marine Officer or a Bodybuilder Marine Officer.

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However, don't get too wrapped up in doing dips just to do dips - meaning there are a ton of great movements out there you can use for assistance work and still be awesome.

There seems to be a theme lately with people who are hurt/injured and can't do certain movements. Trust me, I know your pain.

The most important thing to understand when training athletes is the difference between G.P.P and S.P.P. Also, it's important to understand that mastery in a specific discipline does not mean mastery in weight training. In fact, it is usually the opposite; master of one thing, beginner of another.  This is very lucky for you, whether you are a coach or an athlete.  What this means is that you don't need advanced or fancy training methods to achieve results.  Besides the huge pile of dung that is "sport specific training", the misunderstanding of training mastery by elite athletes is ruining training.

Some of these standards may be easy; others may be hard. Don't be upset with the standards if you fail to make the grade. Standards should exist regardless of the social consequences. They don't exist to make you sad, unhappy, or a victim.

Remember walking back from track practice amazed at your new speed? Remember looking up at the sky and thinking, "Making my body stronger made my body faster?" Don't worry, this secret is safe with us as few people seemed to have grasped it, "experts" included.

The following is an excerpt from the new book, 5/3/1 Forever.  This book outlines how to program all areas of your training including assistance work. Yes, that's right; no more questions about assistance work. Everything is tied up, nice and tight AND allows for a lot of personal choices.  Each and every program detailed in the book has a specific assistance profile which allows you to plug in a variety of different movements; all customized to you.

Since I released the first edition of 5/3/1: The Simplest and Most Effective Training System for Building Raw Strength in 2009, I've been asked many questions about supplemental and assistance work.

The most popular, effective, and brutal accessory plan is something I called Boring But Big.

The Boring But Big supplemental program is simple. After completing the strength work with the basic exercise (squat, press, bench press or deadlift), you perform 5 sets of 10 reps with a lighter weight. This might not seem like much work, but it'll lead to new gains in strength and hypertrophy.

Ever since I started pressing, I have been obsessed with making it better. Partly because I was so weak at it for so long (which meant that it had no place to go but up) and because it is simply a cool exercise to do. The death of the Press as a movement can be attributed to a lot of things, none of which actually matter. BUT, if you view this lift with as much enthusiasm as I do, use these tips to improve what I consider to be one of the most fun movements in the gym.

However you choose to bench press, make sure every single rep, regardless of weight is done with perfection. This goes for the squat, deadlift, press and any other big barbell lift. I've never seen any strong, experienced lifter take any set lightly - they demand perfection from the bar to their max. Think back to the last time you bench pressed - did you have a perfect set-up on the very first rep with the empty bar? Did you treat it with the same importance as your last max attempt? The beginner still thinks there must be some kind of special secret or trick. A veteran lifter always makes sure the simple things are taken care of; they aren't ever sexy but they always work.

6 Week Training Template for size: So this template is not easy but it is very doable – but only if you are dedicated to making it happen. “Dedicated” doesn’t just mean that you want to do it; it means you are dedicated to doing what it takes to get it done and that means EATING right. I had 4 people run this and all of them ate like champions – all ate at least..

This the second half of the Instagram Q/A - lots of questions and my soft, gentle answers.  When in doubt: squat and run hills (or just run).