Genetics play a big part in how you appear.
Genetics determine your height.
Your genes determine your eye color, skin color, and hair texture.
Your genetics also determine your bone structure and the shape of your face.
And of course genetics determine your body type.
This is all passed down to you by your parents, your grandparents, and the generations of people that make up your family.
However, there is one thing that genetics does not determine. It does not determine your work ethic.
You Are In Control
You have 100 percent control over how hard you want to work to achieve your goals.
When I was younger I did not take responsibility for the actions of the then-skinny man in the mirror. I did not have real success as a younger man either.
I was cut from the basketball team in 10th and 11th grade.
Each year after I got cut, I did not spend time in the offseason working on my game.
I spent the time blaming the coach, the other players, and wasting time playing video games.
It wasn’t the coaches or the other players’ fault that I did not make the team. It was my fault because I was lazy and I let all the other players outwork me.
I remember being smoked my entire freshman year running track at East Stroudsburg University. Conveniently, I would have a fake hustle excuse every time I ended up in dead last place.
But there was no excuse for my poor performances. I let others outwork me on and off the track.
Moment Of Truth
At 20 years old, I thought I was invincible. But my moment of truth was on the horizon.
I remember a revealing track workout from 2003 at West Chester University. The workout was 12 hill sprints.
[bctt tweet=”True change only occurs at rock bottom. ” username=”fitman83″]This hill was so steep that it essentially was on an incline that led straight to heaven. But the end result of that workout had me feeling like I was trapped in hell.
I thought my offseason “training” had prepared me for the preseason workouts. I thought I was in great condition, but I was badly mistaken.
The hill was kicking my butt badly. The rest of the team got to rep number 12 as I reached rep number 11.
I remember getting to hill number 11 and internally saying “No mas.” The worst part was that I told everyone I was also finishing number 12.
Not only was I a quitter, but I was a liar. I was a yellow coward and I let my teammates outwork me in an embarrassing fashion.
Change Occurs At Rock Bottom
This was my rock bottom moment.
Quitting on that hill haunted me for years because I had never quit a workout.
I played football in high school weighing 135lbs soaking wet and I never quit one practice.
I was so disappointed in myself that I went out the following week and completed the workout in spectacular fashion. But it did nothing to put out the flames of regret.
It was only years later, when I did the hill workout while injured and adding extra reps onto it (20 vs. 12) did I kill that demon.
True change only occurs at rock bottom.
The hill incident broke me and humbled me to my core. I vowed to never be outworked again because the shame I felt in that moment was unbearable.
I may not be the fastest (anymore) and I’m definitely not the biggest but I will work the hardest. That is a stone-cold guarantee like Mike in the Finals.
During my lifting career, I have always trained with men who are bigger and naturally stronger than me.
These men have been vital to my progression because they pushed me to lift heavier weights.
It does not matter what genetic advantages they have. One thing that will not happen is that I will not be outworked.
It doesn’t matter if my legs seize up and temporarily stop working.
It doesn’t matter if I can see my heart beating out of my chest.
And it does not even matter if I get folded and end up flat on my back.
All that matters is that I am working as hard as I can. I have full control of that and I will outwork you.
How Hard Are You Working?
When you look at your life and look at what you want to be, are you working your hardest?
You say you want a spectacular, eye-catching physique.
But are you truly training hard and eating the correct foods?
Are you getting great sleep and keeping your stress levels low?
Are you willing to do the uncomfortable workouts and give a consistent, quality effort every time you train?
You say you want to start and build your own business.
But are you outworking the other entrepreneurs in your field who want the same thing you do?
You say you want to make more money.
But are you hungrier than the competition and truly working every day to make it happen?
You say you want to be the best at what you do.
But are you constantly learning and getting more advanced in your craft? Are you doing the dirty work that Anthony Average will not do?
The Greats
What makes the greats so great is not their talent. It is their work ethic.
Think about the great Jerry Rice.
He was not a freak physical specimen like Randy Moss. Rice did not have elite speed or height.
But Jerry Rice never got outworked during his career. He busted his tail in the offseason to ensure that he stayed at the top of his game.
While other players partied he worked.
In the offseason, when other players were comfortable with their money Rice was still working like he was broke.
Rice worked to the point where he finished his career as the greatest wide receiver and player to ever play football.
Conclusion
You have control over how hard you work.
If you are not getting the results you want with your physique, your performance, your relationships, your job, or even your income then it is time to look at the man or the woman in the mirror.
Once I began to put everything on the shoulders of the man in the mirror, things began to look up.
How hard you work is all you can control.
I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer,
Fitman
