I need to get something off my chest before progressing too much further on my journey to be a successful power-lifter and bow hunter.
I did not proceed this week with the Westside Barbell Program. I instead chose to begin Wendler's 5/3/1 program for bodybuilding. I did this because I have the book already and it seemed to be a more logical program to run prior to jumping into something as advanced as the Westside Barbell program.
I will not go into details of what the program entails since you can find this information easily on the internet.
I have considered doing this program in the past, but within the first two weeks it didn't seem "hard" enough. However, with the more experience I've had in the weight room, I've come to realize that having every workout go until failure or too exhaustion is not the key to becoming successful to meeting your fitness goals. Consistency is.
I've struggled with consistency. It's a demon nipping at my heals constantly and occasionally it grabs hold of me in the form of depression, laziness, and self-loathing.
To be honest, this is what happened this week. I did shoulders Sunday but have not stepped foot in the gym otherwise. I've gone entire days without eating and binging on shit until I pass out for the night.
I put myself in a unproductive state and it is my responsibility to pull myself out. Periods like this I often forget to remind myself of Cameron Hanes popular phrase, "No one cares, work harder".
What I have come to realize is that my effort in the weightroom reflects my effort in life. I need to learn the discipline to show up and grind it out no matter how I feel. Excuses are bullshit. Shit happens. I need to get over it and move on. My health, relationships, and personal growth depend on it.
I'm 28 and it's time I begin confronting life and get back up when it knocks me down. I need to learn to get back up immediately. Quitting is for cowards. Men do not quit.
As a man it is my responsibility to breed success and show others how to do it. Everyone shares similar struggles. Some get a shit roll of the dice. But that's life.
Here is the harsh truth. No one has the energy to constantly give a fuck for you. The world will chew you up and spit you out if you let it. Some of us have bigger obstacles to overcome than others. But that doesn't matter in the grand scheme of life.
I truly believe deep inside me that life is what you make it. Often these types of attitudes seem cliche, and they are to an extent.
I have not shared my personal struggles with many people. For me I don't want to have an outward appearance of weakness. But ironically being weak inside shows on the outside. I have let people walk over me at work and in life because of this and it has come at a cost. I've lost my job, ruined relationships, and neglected my health.
The point is not to become an asshole, but to fearlessly take what you want in life while also being a good person. By good I mean to have integrity, discipline, and compassion. To some this is a weakness, but to me this is strength.
We all have the ability to hold the weight of all of are struggles on our shoulders. And much like a barbell, we need to exercise discipline and focus in order to strengthen ourselves to be able to not only be able to carry, but lift it. For a squat a number of techniques are required to strengthen us physically to continue to lift heavier. This is required in all aspects in life. We need dicipline to increase the load we can lift on our shoulders. Eventually you will reach a ceiling to what you can lift in a squat. But you can always continue to break PR's in different lifts, reps, and other exercises.
That good difference for humans is that our minds have no ceiling as your muscles do. The mind will go as far as you are willing to push it.
So push it. The harder you push the more you'll be able to handle.
Lift that shit.
Heath
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