In the last couple of years, fitness challenges have been all the rage. They often come in 30, 60, and 90-day varieties, and they are designed to speak to our internal desire for competition. Most people feel we can handle the tasks of working out and eating well for 30 days, but then what?

Each and every movement the human body does has an ideal start and finish position. These positions are stable and static. They require full range about the joints and are ideal for performing the task at hand.

Life has a way of leaving us with physical imbalances and weaknesses. It's just a fact. We learn to compensate, but deep down, we know we're not really fixing the underlying issues. Then one day, the desire to "get into shape" strikes, and we start pushing those weaker parts of our bodies. And guess what? Things don't go as planned.

If fitness were a video game, skill development would be like leveling up. It’s the key to unlocking new challenges and becoming a more well-rounded athlete. Not to mention, it’s a lot more fun than just doing the same old exercises day in and day out.

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.