People often sabotage their training and grow frustrated by the lack of progress.  Delivering too much stress, not taking proper steps for recovery, not protecting training, and having too much variability in their training prevent the stress-recovery-adaptation cycle from successfully occurring and driving progress toward our goals. You may deliver too much stress, from which you cannot recover and thus adapt.  Having conflicting goals--losing a significant amount of weight and gaining a significant amount of weight on their lifts or training hard for an aerobic endurance event while trying to train hard for strength--means that you will fail at both, instead of intelligently prioritizing one while minimizing the damage to the other goal and coming back to it.   Along with this comes realistic expectations.  We may decide to knowingly prioritize something over training progress.  If we prioritize training for a triathlon and understand our strength will suffer, then we are not sabotaging our goals.  If we understand that our best friend is coming in from out of town and we decide to eat unhealthier, get less sleep, and drink more alcohol than normal, we are not sabotaging our goals.  If we go kayaking or mountain climbing or hiking and realize that our next day of training will be harder, we are not sabotaging our goals.   That being said, if we fail to prioritize our training through our actions and mindset, our training will suffer and we will not progress toward our goals.  Failing to protect our training by carving out the time, eating enough and well enough, sleeping, getting quality coaching at least occasionally, and allowing a program to run its course all stand in the way of getting stronger and healthier.     What it ultimately comes down to is taking our goals seriously and modifying our life by building habits that move us toward our goals and eliminate and reduce habits that slow or prevent progress toward our goal.   BLOC sales and special offers: https://barbell-logic.com/offers/ Want to try online coaching for FREE? Email experience@barbell-logic.com for a free trial of Barbell Logic Online Coaching. You'll get feedback on your technique and programming from a Barbell Logic coach, and see what the fuss is all about! Connect With Matt Matt on Instagram Connect With the Show Barbell Logic on Twitter Barbell Logic on Instagram The Website Barbell Logic on Facebook barbelllogicpodcast@gmail.com