My Toughest Competition
I don’t often talk about my fitness regimen or the things that I do to prioritize health.
First things first, I’m a pretty thin guy but I can outeat everyone I know, period.
I was once at a restaurant and a 220-pound friend of mine thought he could eat more than me. 40 wings later, he was done and I was still eating.
That’s just me.
My Mom affectionately called me, “the bottomless pit” for years growing up. She also shared how after I went to college her grocery spending for her and my sister was more than cut in half.
I have a quick metabolism and while that is great and has some benefits, it means I spend a TON of money on groceries in comparison to just about everyone I know.
Also, when I go out to eat I almost always strive to eat a meal beforehand. Otherwise, I’ll end up ordering something like 2 meals and an appetizer.
But that’s the diet side of things, I eat fairly clean and stay away from dessert, soda, chewing gum, drinking alcohol, and most processed foods.
The fitness side is completely different.
I have yet to exercise with one person who will complete my workout. Everyone I have ever worked out alongside in my recent memory has stopped or ended their workout before I am finished.
That’s not to boast, I’m not some freak of nature (at least I don’t think I am). It’s to simply say, that’s how hard I push myself.
And most… simply are not willing to do the same.
The gym is where I am hardest on myself.
I am constantly competing with myself.
I notice everything and everyone, as I always do, but I am hyperfocused on myself and my work. My eyes don’t dart around, in between sets I stare at a point and breathe, that’s it.
I have tunnel vision and know that to get where I want to go, it starts in the gym.
The gym is where I use a controlled environment to make myself uncomfortable every single day. And I do it on my terms to make myself more comfortable with being uncomfortable.
A few years back when I was living on campus, I would work out at 7:00 am for 20–30 minutes, rush home, shower, and go to an 8:00 class. Eric, a friend of mine, used to work out from 7–8:30 am each morning that I was there. He told me, “I think your workout is more intense than everyone else’s, you never take breaks, you probably even get more reps in than me.”
Wow.
More reps than a guy who’s there for 4 times as long as me?
I’m pushing myself, relentlessly. I read Jesse Itzler’s book, “Living With a Seal” and he talked about the way that David Goggins would push him and I admired that.
I’m looking to build strength and size now in the gym so most of the time I am doing low rep and high weight.
As a result, I don’t get the same reps and muscle exhaustion I aim for. So I superset.
If I’m doing biceps and backs as I did on Wednesday, I’ll do a back workout and while resting my back, do a biceps workout. I do that consecutively for 3 sets each back to back to back to back to back to back.
This wasn’t the best for a good friend of mine. I guided him to lighter weights than he wanted and ensured his form was solid then we were off to the races. He had been working out a little bit but only for short periods of time and nothing like the 75-minute workout I moved him through. He was sore for a week, even with some stretching before and after.
I just know what my limits are.
My main goal?
“I want to exceed my limits every single day and create new levels of possibility and opportunity for myself, only then will I reach my full potential.”
Today was Thursday and fortunately… it didn’t rain this morning. It’s West Palm Beach, FL so it’s been raining every single day for the past week and a half.
So today I was very pleased… and excited, I hit legs. Hard.
I decided to head right outside after a friend of mine recommended Dyer Park for running hills. So there I went.
I brought a weight vest, my cleats, a running ladder, and lots of water.
That’s how my morning began, me competing with myself time and time again, over and over, exercise after exercise.