Reps to Gain Muscle vs. Reps to Gain Strength

If you frequent the gym you likely fall into a few categories as they relate to how you look, how you feel, and how you perform. Those who desire to look good want bigger muscles and those who into sports peformance want strength. If you read the fitness magazines you realized that most recommend pushing weight until fatigue but now some research says that depends. 

Those who seek to gain muscle should move into 0-5 reps of failure while those who want to gain strength should work toward heavier loads but 3-5 reps of default.

For Bigger Muscles Push Close to Failure, For Strength, Maybe Not

I'm a licensed fitness trainer so if you are interested in virtual or face to face training let me know. 

Art, Creativity, Business Innovation, and Leadership (Art and Applied Psychology)

Wooded Pathway Etsy
eBay Gallery
Orange Sunset Picture

Just in case you were curious studies like this help us understand that creativity is a mindset much like an entrepreneurial mindset or the ability to find differences in the environment. This paper supports the idea that creativity, business innovation, and leadership are in some way related. Other studies seem to provide some support for that. 

Creativity and Leadership: How the Arts Can Improve Business Strategies

Continuing with my little art hobby I have finally moved photos in one gallery and paint in another. However, I also thought I could take a few on eBay and just see if there is any interest there. I do not consider it professional art but a hobby. 

Cacciatore, Silvia. (2023). Creativity and Leadership: How the Arts Can Improve Business Strategies. Socio-Cultural Management Journal. 6. 55-84. 10.31866/2709-846X.1.2023.278653. 

Delta County Board of Commissioners Meeting (2/4/2025) The Art of Solving Problems

 The meeting was interesting and brought up some of the happenings and activities of the county. All governance focuses on solving problems. You can see their actively seeking to solve issues as they rise. I found this article on The Art of Problem Solving which I thought was very interesting. As with every problem there is a solution and such solutions help define, improve, and thrive. 

January 2025 Jobs and Unemployment Rate (Economy and Labor)

New jobs did not rise as much as initially projected but it isn't the whole story. Some of this may be normal as the market adjusts and a certain percentage of people shift jobs. Jobs are not the only marker or benchmark for economic health. It is only one measurement that provides a simple piece of information but doesn't tell the whole story. It should be kept in mind that there are also lots of policy changes that at some points are going to have an impact on the job market in one form or another (i.e. more workers in the market). Helping workers transition and update skills for other types of work is helpful for resettlement and market labor efficiency. Some of that is based on access and quality of education. Interestingly, there was likewise decline in some industries in which we are likely to see greater focus and effort to improve in the future. 

The Unemployment Situation January 2025

-143,000 jobs in January 

-Unemployment rate down to 4.0 percent

-Jobs added in health care, retail trade, and social assistance. 

-Employment declined in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction.

-Income rose 17 cents, 0.5 percent, to $35.87. 

JP Morgan Economic Confidence Survey of Executives for 2025 (Business and Economics)

Surveying and understanding business and investment sentiment helps understand the environment. Hard numbers from economic research are helpful but so are the thoughts and opinions of business executives. They are the ones who use those numbers and ofen influence those numbers. If they are feeling optimistic and can find resources, work in a stable market, then there will be increased upward economic pressure. Labor challenges may still be a challenge. 

JP Morgan Economic confidence snaps into focus

-2/3 executives express optimisim.

-29% optimistic about global conditions

-59% optimism regional economy.

-60% optimism indusry performance

-75% optimism about their own companies.

-74% expect revenues to increase.

-65% more profits

-51% plan to expend employment.

-77% indicae rising costs

-53% plan to introduce new products/services.

-34% plan to expand into new domestic markets.

-71% do not see a recession. 

-46% workforce challenges expected.

US ISM Manufacturing PMI Rises in January After 26 Month Contraction (Economy and Manufacturing)

Manufacturing appears to be on the rise and that is a good thing. It is important to return advanced manufacturing back to the US to ensure jobs for the future and long-term prospects of economic health. While unemployment is low, it is possible that new technology and human capital development can lead to parallel growth if matched at the right relative time in their developmental trends (Think of where developmental lines interject to determine opportunities.). More manufacturing means better middle class jobs and more economic stability.

A few key highlights from January US ISM Manufacturing PMI

-Demand and production improved.

-Employment expanded

-Growth industries were Textile Mills; Primary Metals; Petroleum & Coal Products; Chemical Products; Machinery; Transportation Equipment; Plastics & Rubber Products; and Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components.

-Further growth may impact prices.

US #3 In Innovation but Could It Be More Innovative? (Economic Theory Transactions)

Innovation is the name of the game going forward in economics. Innovation comes from prior lines of technology development, past research, human capital, infrastructure, investment within the right environment. One might even go a little further and say that innovation comes down to the very micro transactions that occur between various elements that lead to problem solving matched with funding opportunities.

What does that mean?

Someone was throwing out
100 year old stamps. Found
a person to take them. 
My idea was to put them between 
glass and make a coffee
table. Wood working hobby.

It means that innovation comes from having the right elements in the right place at the right time with the right creative person/people with entrepreneurial options (Think in part Schumpeter but more managed). All those elements can be broken down and evaluated, creates a theory, and then reconstructed in an environment.

More importantly it may be possible to recreate that environment within a cluster to increase the chances that innovation, and possibly new industries develop off of existing paradigm discoveries. Ensuring transfer from academia to industry can improve innovative opportunities.

Anyway, the good news is that the U.S. is in the top 3 of advanced nations for innovation. The bad news is that it’s not #1. It is possible to speed industry development in theory. That is a backdrop of general decline in patents worldwide. 

You can read Global Innovation Index 2024

Yes, under the right conditions with the rapid changes after Covid it is possible. The infrastructure has changed so it’s possible it now becomes more efficient and people learn to use new technology coming forward more effectively than other places. Possible anyway.

Dutta, et. al. (2024) Global Innovation Index 2024. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/