Over the past decade, as a strength and conditioning coach, I've met countless people who have a very specific goal in mind when it comes to their fitness journey: to be skinny. While there's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to look a certain way, the truth is that fitness is about so much more than just the number on the scale or the size of your jeans.

Discover the science behind exercise and stress, and how to use fitness to build a more resilient mind and body.

In a culture consumed by appearance and aesthetics, you can see the effects of training more than necessary everywhere. Just spend a couple of minutes on Instagram. There is an entire world of "fitness" and training-related information, most of which is vanity at best and, at worst, actually harmful.

You may care about your appearance, but we don’t. We care about performance. We care about your quality of life. That’s why we don’t spend time lifting in front of mirrors or posing to see our muscles bulge.

Aesthetics are not an indicator of fitness.