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The USA and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran starting on February 28th 2026, killed several of their leaders, and Iran have been retaliating with missile and drone strikes against not just Israel, but also Gulf states including The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. Strikes have also reportedly occurred in Iraq, Turkey, Cyprus, and Azerbaijan.

Surprisingly (at least to me), Iran has launched more retaliatory projectiles against the UAE than against any other nation. As a result, it has been a strange week for citizens, residents, and travelers who are in the country.

During times of crisis, there is always a huge amount fear, confusion, and narrative pushing (remember Covid?). Sadly, unlimited information access via traditional and social media doesn’t make it any easier to ascertain the truth. This is especially true when the communication is scattered internationally, emotions are high, and individuals, governments, and corporate media all have their biases and incentives to spin different narratives. Sprinkle in bots and AI and it’s a bad time for anyone seeking the truth.

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I live in Dubai and have been here for the past week as these events have unfolded. I am a resident, not a visitor. I have not been paid by the UAE government or any other to write this post, or anything I’ve ever posted.

I clarify that because many people online are convinced that everybody who says good things about Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or the UAE in general is a ‘paid influencer’, ‘shill’, or otherwise compromised. There are also claims that simply talking about the situation truthfully risks severe punishment, including fines and prison time. Some well-intentioned people suggested that I should not even write this article…

So, let me clarify even further. It’s true that spreading false information and rumors during a crisis can get you into legal trouble in the UAE. People can debate if that’s a good law or not, but I can see the logic behind it given the circumstances and stakes. The sheer amount of fake information I’ve personally seen over past week about what is supposedly happening in the city that I am in is jaw-dropping. From fake AI videos, to mislabeled war footage, to straight up lies. It doesn’t surprise me that outsiders are confused about what’s actually going on.

So, my goal here is to simply give my perspective on what is happening here in Dubai, and how it has been on the ground over the past week. Please keep in mind that this is a city of 4 million+ people. Personal experiences and feelings will vary.

As such, I will split this up into the objective facts (from official sources), and personal observations with my own eyes and ears.

The Objective Facts

• The UAE is being attacked by Iran. There have been airstrikes targeting both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the two biggest cities.

• 1,397 missiles and drones launched at the country have been detected, as of 6th March 2026. [source: UAE Ministry of Defense]

• These consist of 1,184 UAVs (drones), 8 cruise missiles, and 205 ballistic missiles.

• 1,308 were intercepted by air defenses.

• 76 impacted on land.

• 13 impacted in the sea.

• 3 fatalities have been reported (Rest in peace to those who lost their lives).

• 112 injuries have been reported (I wish them a swift recovery).

• Main airports have been shut down for most of the past week. Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports have resumed limited flights but there are still delays and disruptions.

• All public and private schools have closed their physical locations and switched to remote learning.

• Occasional public safety alerts are sent out via text to warn of incoming missile attacks and advise people to shelter in place. The frequency of these varies depending on where you are in the city.

The Subjective Sentiment

The hardest part for most outsiders to believe is that despite all the above, the city is mostly ticking along as usual.

Of course, there is a heightened level of concern. People are not oblivious to what is happening. However, malls, stores, gyms, parks, restaurants, leisure centres, and most businesses remain open. Footfall and traffic are down in some areas, but most people are carrying on with their lives.

Naturally, those who have been close enough to interceptions and impacts to hear or see them are generally more worried. The experience has been more visceral for them. Personally, I have not seen or heard any, but I am aware they have occurred. I have friends in different parts of the city (and Abu Dhabi) and we are staying connected.

Dubai is a big city, so not everything is visible or audible from everywhere. That’s why you may hear varying reports of what people are experiencing on the ground. It’s not because most residents are lying or exaggerating, but because it’s been different in different places.

Reports that everybody is fleeing the city, stores are empty, the city is on lockdown, or it looks like a war zone are nonsensical and not based in reality. Thankfully, the physical damage has been very limited thus far considering the number of projectiles that have been launched.

Most people I have spoken to here are calm but cautious. Partly, because it’s not clear how long this will go on. Indeed, there are some residents who have left the city as a precaution, but most have not. Some people (especially those with families) are considering leaving temporarily to wait it out from a distance. Most are not panicking.

Due to international media reporting and the way social media works, there is a strange phenomenon where people outside the city are more fearful than those of us inside the city. Not because we are ignorant to what is happening, but because our eyes and ears are showing us the bigger picture.

Yes, there is an increased threat. It would be foolish to pretend that isn’t the case. At the same time, this isn’t ‘the end of Dubai’ or whatever other silly story some people are spinning. Sadly, there are people who seem to want the situation to be worse than it really is. And there are individuals who harbour such animosity towards Dubai/UAE that they find some schadenfreude in the fact that it’s being attacked. Such people need to take a look at their hearts… but I will leave that between them and God.

So, what am I doing? For the past week, we’ve been doing our best to live as normally as possible, whilst taking some basic precautions. I will keep options open and do what I think is best for my family. I have a wife and baby son to consider, and my priority is to ensure their safety.

I encourage everybody in the region to do the same. I recognise that everybody has different considerations, risk analysis, and options, so my position isn’t that everybody’s response must be identical. Hopefully, this situation won’t escalate further or be prolonged, but nobody has a crystal ball.

So yeah, that’s where we are as of Friday 6th March 2026. I hope it’s been clarifying.

And thanks for the prayers and concern. I don’t worry about myself too much, so I’m glad to have people who do! 😄

If you haven’t already, you can subscribe for future articles and leave a comment if you have any questions. God bless.

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1,
Zuby

Now that we’re already into the second week of 2026, I hope that you still feel the motivation, inspiration, and optimism that you started the year with. If you can keep that fire burning as the weeks and months progress, then this really will be ‘your year’.

The beginning of a new year is always a reflective time for me. Even though it’s technically just a date change, there is something about the New Year that brings clarity and introspection. I always take some time to consider what’s going well in my life, as well as what’s not. This includes things I have full control over, some control over, and no control over. It’s like taking inventory.

While I won’t detail all of that personal and professional stuff here, I will share one of my main goals for 2026, and that is focusing more on fewer things.

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As someone who makes a living from a wide range of activities (music, writing, podcasting, social media, live events, merchandising, investing, and more), it’s easy to feel like I’m spreading myself too thin. While I’ve managed, and even excelled at, juggling these shifting priorities for many years, it’s true that sometimes they distract from each other.

With the arrival of my first child last year and adjusting to the new demands of family life, my time, energy, and attention are at a greater premium than ever before. If something doesn’t move the needle for me/us in a tangible way, then I can’t afford to dwell on it. Attention must be prioritised because it is limited.

The 24/7 news cycle and endless stream of social media ‘content’ mean that everybody is more distracted all of the time. There is always a ‘current thing’ going on that is capturing the emotions and attention of the online masses.

In the past, I often felt compelled to research these events and add my comments to the fray. These days, I mostly find myself feeling uninterested and unbothered.

Some of this is a natural function of becoming a husband and father. Some of it is an intentional tactic to protect my energy and productivity. But a lot of it is simply fatigue from the non-stop barrage of politics, culture wars, and ego-driven influencer beefs.

If you discovered me within the past seven years (and 99% of my audience did), then there’s a good chance you came to know me due to my outspokenness on various cultural and sociopolitical issues: whether it was transgender mania, Covid craziness, or some other foolishness pertaining to race, gender, or whatever else was permeating the West at the time (and perhaps still is).

Countering bad ideas and disingenuous people on a regular basis is exhausting in itself, but it also pulls my time and attention away from activities that I genuinely enjoy, like making music.

While I’ve always maintained a healthy level of emotional detachment from politics and cultural commentary, I plan to detach from them a little more.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that I’m going to stop talking about things that I believe are relevant, particularly when I can offer a helpful and unique insight. However, I refuse to let things outside my sphere of influence occupy too much headspace. The opportunity cost is unaffordable.

I will still do regular podcasts and occasional TV slots as relevant opportunities arise. But this year, I’m going to finish my third book, release some new music, build my business, and provide for my loved ones as best as I can; not just materially, but with my presence and energy.

This year, I am going to do more by doing less. It will be a subtle shift to the public, but a significant one in my mindset and day-to-day focus.

Does this resonate with you?

What are you going to do differently in 2026?

Feel free to let me know by leaving a comment! I’ll read all of them.

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God bless you and thanks for your continued support. I’m happy to have you here.

1,
Zuby

Most people don’t travel much for several reasons. Some don’t have the financial means, whilst others lack the time or flexibility due to other priorities and commitments. Some people simply lack the desire to venture beyond what they’re already familiar with.

There are many reasons why a person may not travel, especially internationally. The purpose of this essay is not to admonish, but to challenge, explain, and encourage. My travel experiences have made me a wiser, more competent, and more gracious individual. And I wish for others to experience the same.

The Mark Twain quote below aptly summarises some of the benefits of travel:

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

In the internet age, it’s easier to learn about other countries and interact with their inhabitants than ever before. You don’t even need to leave your house to do it. However, there is no true substitute for experiencing a place in person. It is akin to the difference between walking on a treadmill whilst looking at a photo of a beautiful landscape, and actually going for a hike in that same location. In fact, the difference is even more significant because of the human elements that come with travelling and experiencing different cultures, environments, and people.

Travel provides perspective, gratitude, and understanding. If you have never left your home city or country, it is guaranteed that your perspective is more limited than it would be otherwise. How could it not be? If you haven’t personally experienced any other places or ways of life, then you can’t have a solid, first-hand frame of reference. What you are left with is assumptions, ideas, and second-hand knowledge. This can have some value, of course, but the picture will always be incomplete. There are things you learn from travelling that you cannot simply read in a book or comprehend by watching a video.

In my observation, those who most confidently boast about their city or nation being ‘the best’ are usually those who have never left it. While patriotism is typically a virtue, there is a form of blind patriotism that’s rooted in ignorance and naivety.

Many Westerners have heavy biases without realising it. They are keenly aware that propaganda exists in foreign nations, yet they believe their home country is excluded. These biases can manifest as prideful, condescending attitudes towards other countries and their people, rooted in a sense of superiority. On the other end, there are people who do not acknowledge or feel any sense of gratitude for the positive qualities of their home nation. They take these advantages for granted, even if they are not global norms.

Biases, stereotypes, and misconceptions can all be diminished through travel. The people who are most resistant to this message are the ones whom it would benefit the most. This is not only true in the West, but worldwide.

Travel helps you to understand how similar other people around the world are to you, as well as how and why they are different. You learn to better appreciate the things that are universal, as well as key cultural differences. In this way, travel fosters humility, whilst raising awareness and understanding.

Even in our more ‘enlightened’ era, it’s not uncommon to hear people discuss those of other nationalities, ethnicities, or religions as if they were a different species. It’s common to view millions or billions of people with a low-resolution lens – using assumptions, prejudice, and stereotypes to fill in the knowledge gaps. It’s also intellectually lazy. Travel helps to sharpen this focus, making one more likely to see people as individuals, rather than simply as members of a particular group.

We oversimplify the world and the people in it because it makes life easier and faster to navigate. But this also creates many problems – ranging in severity from slightly annoying to outright genocidal.

I have personally interacted with too many people from a range of different backgrounds to ascribe low-resolution heuristics to entire ethnicities, religions, classes, or nationalities. Humans are too complex for that. There are wonderful people, terrible people, and everything in between in every demographic. Fortunately, most people are decent or at least trying to be. If this were not the case, no society would be able to function at all, due to crippling levels of predatory and criminal behaviour.

But beyond self-development, travelling is also fun. The world is a massive place and there is so much interesting stuff to see and experience. You don’t need to visit every country, but if you have never left your homeland, spending even one week abroad will teach you something new.

Learning a foreign language is also worthwhile. It is difficult to achieve full fluency as a non-native speaker, but even learning the basics is valuable. When it comes to languages, knowing some is so much better than knowing none at all. You won’t fully appreciate this until you do it, but being able to communicate with millions of people in a way you previously couldn’t opens up a whole realm of new opportunities. A lot of goodwill can be garnered by speaking to someone in their mother tongue.

Thanks to technology, long-distance travel is much cheaper, faster, and safer than it was for our ancestors. Seeing more of the world doesn’t need to be expensive or arduous. You can even start by seeing more of your own country if you haven’t explored it yet.

If you seek to become a better-rounded individual with a greater understanding of the world and humanity, then travel will serve you well. It expands your mind in ways that are difficult to describe in words.

You must experience it for yourself, and I encourage you to do so.

God bless.

1,
Zuby

It all started with MySpace, then came Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and more.

Through the process of gaining over 2 million followers and billions of impressions, I’ve learned a thing or two — not just about how to build an online following, but how to remain sane, positive, and honest throughout.

Today, I’m going to share some of the things I’ve learned because I think they could help you too.

These are my 7 rules for social media:

1/ Don’t lie

2/ Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say IRL

3/ Don’t target individuals

4/ Don’t be harsher than necessary

5/ Don’t publicly fight with friends

6/ Don’t unfollow or block for mere disagreement

7/ Take at least one day off per week

Let’s go through them one by one, and I’ll explain my rationale for each rule.

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Once again, I had a fantastic time there. It was great to connect with fellow bitcoin enthusiasts and to share a message of hope and inspiration with everybody who attended, which included both locals and visitors from around the world, like myself.

I even had the honour of being invited to a dinner with the President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, at the Presidential Palace (their equivalent of The White House).

El Salvador is a beautiful country with lush greenery, pristine beaches, and impressive volcanoes. The locals are friendly and the energy is generally positive.

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The country still has a long way to go in terms of its economy and infrastructure. The GDP per capita is only around $6,000 USD and there is obvious, visible poverty. The average Salvadoran is not living it up, materially.

But with that said, I find this small, understated nation to be one of the most optimistic and inspiring on earth.

There is a lot that can be learned from El Salvador, its recent transformation, and its current trajectory. Here are four lessons that stand out to me:

1. Don’t let 1% of people terrorise the other 99%

El Salvador infamously used to hold the title of the ‘murder capital of the world’.

Through the 1990s to mid-2010s, it topped the global rankings several times for having the highest homicide rate of any country. Some years, it surged above 100 murders per 100,000 people.

As recently as 2016, the capital of San Salvador ranked as the most dangerous city in the world, with a homicide rate of over 130 per 100,000 people. For reference, that’s about 2-3x the homicide rate of Kingston, Jamaica and St. Louis, Missouri and 6x higher than Chicago, Illinois.

Most of this bloodshed was perpetrated by gang members (‘maras’), with the notorious street gangs MS-13 and Barrio 18 being largely responsible.

Fast forward to today, El Salvador ranks as arguably the safest country in the Western hemisphere. The homicide rate in 2024 was only 1.9 per 100,000 people, a figure comparable to Canada. 2025 looks on track to be even lower.

This represents a greater than 98% drop in homicide rate between 2016 and 2024.

How was this ‘impossible’ feat achieved?

Simple. Mostly by imprisoning violent criminals and keeping them locked up, away from polite society.

Naturally, Western media and bleeding-heart foreigners have been quick to scream about ‘human rights’ following the incarceration of thousands of known gang members (most with gang names and symbols tattooed all over their faces and bodies).

Interestingly, these same people were not concerned about ‘human rights’ when dozens of innocent Salvadorans were being brutally murdered every week, for decades on end.

However, despite the luxury beliefs of unaffected foreigners, most of the citizens of El Salvador are pleased with the result. President Nayib Bukele has maintained an approval rating in the 85-92% range since taking power (the highest of any world leader). Every day Salvadorans appreciate being able to walk outside safely at all hours, travel between cities, and send their kids to school without a reasonable fear that they won’t make it home alive.

“He who spares the wolf sacrifices the sheep.”

If any innocent person has been unjustly imprisoned (which is almost certain given the sheer scale of the arrests), then I hope they are freed, quickly. That is a valid concern.

But the general principle remains and the results speak for themselves. The tough-on-crime measures have been a massive win for safety and security of the country. The stage is now set for improvements everywhere else.

2. Teach kids about money

El Salvador is the only country I’m aware of that is teaching young children about money in its public schools through the Mi Nueva Escuela (My New School) reforms. Kids are learning about the history of money, inflation and its impacts, saving and investing, and bitcoin and the future of money. High school students can also earn a ‘Bitcoin diploma’.

In most countries, children don’t learn anything about money in school. Only those lucky enough to have financially-astute parents or mentors reach adulthood with an understanding of the basics.

Understanding money is a crucial skill that most people never gain, even as adults. We all use money in our daily lives, yet few understand it at a fundamental level. It can’t be a mere oversight that it is not taught in schools… but I’ll save that conspiracy for another time.

Teaching young people about money is a massive win for the future of the nation. If other leaders embraced this idea then within a generation or two, they’d have a far more financially-savvy and responsible citizenry, instead of a new wave of debt slaves.

This scheme is a sign to me that El Salvador is genuinely trying to equip its younger generations with the skills and knowledge they’ll need to be more successful than those that came before them. Another win.

3. Invest in the future

The government of El Salvador has been buying 1 bitcoin per day since 2022, and after a recent $100m USD purchase, they currently hold over 7,400 BTC in their national strategic reserve.

If bitcoin goes on to do what I believe it will do, then this could be worth the equivalent of hundreds of billions of dollars in the future. While other countries accumulate enormous debt due to short-term thinking and corruption, El Salvador is focused on accumulating the hardest form of money ever created. That’s visionary. So visionary in fact, that it will take at least a decade for most people to understand how prudent this decision was.

El Salvador was the first country to make bitcoin legal tender in 2021. Although it’s no longer mandatory, many businesses across the nation continue to accept bitcoin transactions. As inflation continues to eat away at the US dollar and every other fiat currency, bitcoin adoption is a long-term bet in a world that encourages short-term thinking from every angle.

Recently, El Salvador has also been investing heavily into healthcare technology and artificial intelligence. I don’t know all of the details and cannot predict how this will play out, but it’s another example of the government being willing to innovate and invest in areas that will make the country and its people more sovereign.

In most countries, people have grown accustomed to the government being apathetic to their needs at best, or actively working against them at worst. From what I can see (and anecdotal reports on the ground), the government of El Salvador is trying to do the opposite.

4. Ignore the outside noise

President Bukele and his administration have come under heavy criticism from foreign media outlets (and left-wingers in general) over the past few years. He has been labeled a ‘dictator’, ‘authoritarian’, ‘tyrant’, and of course, ‘a threat to democracy’.

While it’s prudent to always be vigilant about government overreach and potential human rights abuses, we should also use reason and just scales. As I mentioned before, very few of these vocal critics expressed concerns for the people of El Salvador when they were being terrorised and extorted by gangsters for decades. They didn’t care when one person was being murdered per hour in a country of only 6 million people.

They are not impressed by a 95%+ drop in murders, yet they are extremely concerned about how the murderers are being treated. Unfortunately, no systems or methods are perfect. The more extreme the situation, the more likely that a heavy-handed approach is needed to rectify it. And having the highest murder rate on the planet was certainly an extreme situation.

Having visited the country twice and spoken to locals, the vast majority are pleased with the increased security they now enjoy. And to be frank, I sympathise with them infinitely more than I sympathise with those who made their lives hellish for so many years.

For those of us who have never had to live in the ‘murder capital of the world’, it’s easy to take basic safety for granted. It’s easy to point out imperfections and express liberal concerns from a distance. And to be fair, as time goes on we’ll see just how valid these concerns are. Again, no system is perfect, but that doesn’t mean we should lose sight of the progress.

At a minimum, President Bukele has proven that cities, states, and nations can fix their seemingly ‘impossible’ problems. But it requires courage and an unwillingness to bow to criticism from ‘intellectuals’ and the media class, who have no skin in the game.

Nobody is above criticism. At the same time, people’s utopian visions will never be satisfied. And no nation can fix ALL of its problems in just a few years, no matter how excellent the leadership. The biggest problems should be addressed first.

I’m rooting for the citizens of El Salvador because I’m rooting for humanity. If you are a decent, law-abiding person, anywhere in the world, then I want you to win.

I hope that President Bukele and his administration continue to maintain security and make some serious headway into building out infrastructure and the economy in a sustainable way. It’s difficult, but possible.

I pray that El Salvador and other economically developing countries will come into their full glory in the 21st century. That would be very good for the world.

And I hope that larger, more developed nations aren’t too prideful to recognise that they can also be inspired and learn things from their smaller neighbours.

Viva El Salvador!

1,
Zuby

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‘Dreams’ is my second collaboration with Los Angeles rapper, Reverie. The song encapsulates gratitude, celebration, hope, and good vibes — perfect to give a soundtrack to this weekend!

Stream ‘Dreams’ now on all platforms and add it to your playlist.

Listen to ‘Dreams’ on Spotify

Listen to ‘Dreams’ on Apple Music

Also available on other music platforms

I hope you enjoy the new song.

1,
Zuby

In this era of sedentary lifestyles, fast food, and rising metabolic and mental health disorders, I’m of the opinion that anything ethical that gets people out and moving should be encouraged.

With that said, there is a unique form of exercise that every person must do regularly to optimise their health, athleticism, and longevity. And that is strength training, also known as resistance training.

Strength training isn’t solely the purview of bodybuilders, powerlifters, and athletes. Strength training is for everybody; men and women, young and old.

Training your body to work against resistance has an enormous number of benefits. Whether you use free weights, fixed weights, machines, bodyweight, resistance bands, or some combination, you can reap the benefits of a stronger, healthier body.

Strength training doesn’t just increase the strength and size of your muscles. It improves your nervous system function, bone density, joint function, tendon strength, and ligament strength.

Regular strength training helps to increase your insulin sensitivity, which in turn reduces your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Strength training reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and even certain types of cancer, including kidney cancer and colon cancer.

It also improves body composition by helping you build and retain lean body mass. At the same time, the resulting metabolic improvements make it easier to lose excess body fat and keep it at bay.

There is simply no other form of exercise that boasts all the same benefits as resistance training. Cardiovascular training alone has many benefits, particularly when it comes to endurance, lung capacity, and heart health.

However, if you want to strengthen your entire body and slow down (or reverse) many of the negative effects of aging, such as loss of lean body mass and weakening of bones and joints, then strength training is vital.

Strength training has become more popular over the past few decades amongst both sexes; however, it’s still only practiced by a minority of the population.

Despite spikes in gym memberships and the growing popularity of online fitness content, there are still many misconceptions and myths surrounding this form of training. There remains a pervasive idea that the benefits of ‘lifting weights’ are merely superficial, aesthetic, and driven by vanity. This is not only incorrect but particularly foolish considering the deteriorating health of the general population.

Most economically developed countries also have aging populations. Despite that, it’s still not common knowledge that strength training reduces the risk of many age-related illnesses and conditions. Cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and metabolic illnesses are some of the most common causes of reduced quality of life and life expectancy. All of these can be at least partially mitigated through strength training. However, only a small minority of middle-aged and elderly people regularly set foot inside a gym – whether public, private, or at home.

There are obvious profit incentives to promote pharmaceutical drugs and costly medical interventions over simple lifestyle changes, but it’s unethical when done knowingly. In my opinion, drugs and surgeries should be reserved for specific medical conditions and extreme circumstances, rather than being the first resort for every health concern, as they so often are.

Can you imagine how much healthier, happier, and more productive our nations would be if everybody exercised regularly and incorporated resistance training as part of their regimen? The positive externalities would extend far beyond public health. However, such an outcome would be detrimental to many organisations and individuals whose profits are maximised by maintaining a chronic level of sickness and dependency among large swathes of the population.

Their propaganda has been so effective that many modern people outright reject the notion that they are accountable for most aspects of their health and wellbeing. Instead, they seek the next ‘miracle’ pill, therapy, or procedure before they think about what changes they can make to improve their health outcomes. Individual autonomy and personal responsibility are outsourced at every step.

It’s worth repeating that I am very much in favour of cardiovascular training. I am not telling anybody not to walk, run, cycle, or swim. I am not suggesting that you stop playing football, basketball, tennis, or whatever your preferred sport may be. What I am saying is that if you don’t already do some form of resistance training, then you should start. In fact, it will probably improve your performance in all other athletic endeavours.

Another problem is that when many people hear the words ‘strength training’ or ‘lifting weights’, their brains automatically conjure up images of massive, steroid-enhanced bodybuilders. Media programming over several decades has created and reinforced stereotypes about strength training and the people who engage in it. This is a primary source of the idea that people who lift weights are ‘meatheads’, ‘dumb jocks’, or otherwise deficient in intelligence or character.

I recall a young man once telling me, with a straight face, that he doesn’t lift weights because ‘he’d rather read books’. This is the type of statement that reveals a person is not as clever as he thinks he is.

To be painfully clear, you can engage in various forms of intellectual, physical, spiritual, social, vocational, and familial pursuits, and strength train as well. There is nothing mutually exclusive about these activities.

Incredibly, it’s possible to read books and lift weights. I’ve personally managed this feat for over two decades, and many have for even longer. Rest assured, there are no side effects from resistance training that impair your intelligence or ability to read. Conversely, the resulting improvement in focus, mental fortitude, and nervous system connection may enhance your overall cognition.

It’s smart to lift weights, and lifting weights makes you smarter.

Regarding the fear of ‘becoming too bulky’ or ‘getting too jacked’, you can sleep soundly knowing these outcomes don’t occur by accident. No mere mortal has ever stumbled into a gym, lifted a few weights, and accidentally walked out looking like Mr. Olympia.

This concern is akin to refusing to read books because you don’t want to become too smart, or being afraid of running because you might end up as fast as Usain Bolt. Not only is it silly and unrealistic, but it’s incredibly arrogant to believe you may accidentally become elite in a discipline that other people have dedicated their entire lives to mastering. The typical person who does strength training is not a hardcore bodybuilder, pro athlete, or strongman – they are your average gym-goer.

Finally, lifting your own bodyweight is still ‘lifting weights’. I say this because I occasionally hear people who prefer calisthenics boast about how they “don’t lift weights.” However, doing push-ups, pull-ups, and other forms of bodyweight exercises is still a form of strength training. You are still lifting weights, self-evidently… Your own bodyweight is the object of resistance.

The bottom line is that strength training is massively beneficial. I strongly recommend it for optimising your health, physique, and performance, regardless of your age. If you are an adult who cares about your health (and you should), then you should incorporate strength training into your lifestyle.

If you’re not sure where to start, you can check out my eBook Strong Advice: Zuby’s Guide To Fitness For Everybody. It’s helped thousands of people to build muscle, lose fat, and achieve their fitness goals. It can help you too.

1,
Zuby

I can’t tell you how to succeed at everything, but I can tell you how to never fail.

Are you ready for this insight?

The secret is this:

Don’t even try.

That’s it. If you want to be certain that you won’t fail, then remove the option of failure by not taking the risk in the first place.

Don’t try to learn anything new, meet anyone new, or do anything new at all. Just don’t do anything that may involve any risk of failure and you will never fail. Presto.

Well… at least you won’t fail in the micro, short-term sense. The major downside of this strategy is that it also makes success unattainable. It guarantees macro, long-term failure. But at least you don’t have to deal with any immediate rejection, criticism, or setbacks! You can stay in your comfort zone indefinitely, until your lack of progress inevitably turns it into a discomfort zone.

My framing here is facetious, but the greater point is relevant to how so many people approach the adventure of life. The fear of failure has killed more dreams and caused more long-term failure than anything else. So many people never take a proverbial shot at the goal because they’re terrified of what may happen if they miss.

As a result, millions of books and songs remain unwritten, businesses never started, and relationships never established - all because of the fear of acute failure.

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