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Training and getting in shape isn’t exactly rocket science. You lift, do cardio, try to eat right and get plenty of sleep (well, at least enough). It is not that complex, but it is not that simple either.

Many people can follow the same training routines and eat the same foods, yet their results may vary significantly. After our discussion last month about getting organized and focused, let’s look at some tips and tricks we can employ to maximize our results.

The African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” has never had so much meaning as it does in today’s society.

The responsibility of raising a child is often shared with the larger, extended family – grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings. Neighbors and friends also can participate in a child’s upbringing.

In fact, bringing caring adults into a child’s life is the secret to helping them grow into healthy, happy and responsible adults. And it isn’t really a secret at all.

I had thought to write this week about the colorful folds of the Kentucky Hills as I cross the bridge from Madison Ind., to Milton. It’s appropriate that the library hangs quilts this time of year because they seem a celebration of the season.

I was all prepared to tell of the saga of getting my car titled and getting a driver’s license in Indiana and the ordeal it became. Or I could tell a funny tale of my little seven-pound dog eating my expensive tri-focal no-line sunglasses.

Highly effective training programs aren’t that much different from highly effective people. They both follow a similar set of standards that result in their being highly successful for users. Let’s look at seven principles of highly effective training programs, and principles that can benefit your training.

Balanced.An ideal training program involves a nice mix of compound movements (squats, deadlifts, bench press) and isolation movements (flys, raises, extensions), at about a 50 percent clip for each.