Getting stronger doesn’t seem to be the most popular goal for most gym goers. It is tremendously overshadowed by losing weight, getting leaner, and getting beach muscles. While those are always important goals to have, they are goals that are hard to measure. Most people don’t have access to body fat calipers. The scale plays all kinds of games with people, as weight can be very fickle. Muscle size is also very hard to gauge considering gains are usually made on a weekly basis. Most people aren’t going to be measuring their biceps, looking for a millimeter of growth every week. On the other hand, strength is very easy to measure. You know instantly if you have lifted more weight, lifted an extra rep, or completed more work in a certain amount of time. If you focus your training around these performance goals, it becomes the precursor for almost every other goal (losing weight, getting leaner, putting on muscle.) If you focus on hitting a personal record every time you are in the gym, the rest is sure to follow. So while everyone has different body cycles, and will lose weight or make muscle gains in different spurts, as long as you are getting stronger you know those things are right around the corner. Getting stronger can also help keep you motivated during a week where you may not have lost that one extra pound. If you didn’t lose what you wanted that week, but are able to do a pull up for the first time in your life, this can be a great motivational tool!