Bodybuilders that could have been but quit due to … beats me.
I’ve had a lot of training partners in my life. Some that last for only a day, some I’m incompatible with, some I am and the like. I think out of all of them, the one I’m incompatible with and mrlongisland1 are the ones who’ve gone on to do awesome things. LMAO, training partners does not include the people I’ve had one or two workouts with. Those people are awesome in their own respects but due to time constraints, distance, or what have you, they can’t be termed official training partners. Now, back to the topic at hand, the majority of my training partners have been BLESSED with a myriad of bodybuilding talents. A few were strong as oxen, others were able to easily put on slabs of muscle AND/OR stay lean as all hell at the same time.
Today, this really started bothering me when one, an ex-Marine, who is built perfectly for this wonderful activity of ours, cancelled the whole idea altogether. Two weeks ago he calls me wanting to start train with me, become regimented, and get into some awesome shape. I say sure and just tell him to join the expensive gym I’m a member of. Of course, I bet he wouldn’t come through on it or stay with the program after 3 weeks. Imsothemanxd and I talked about this when we worked out on monday but alas, he was supposed to start Tuesday. Lets just say after having not joined the gym, signing up for a week pass, and touring the place he decided not to do it at all. I was pissed but not surprised. At that moment though, after having been bothered for two weeks about training and then not making it to the first workout or any altogether, I have a record for quitting training partners due to a lack of commitment on their part. So I put some mudvayne on the phone, talked with One9One4 a bit and realized how the number of genetic gifts distributed to people go wasted on those who won’t use them. This is of course after having talked about diets and how this crap really isn’t easy, but fun nonetheless.
It didn’t really hit me though until I get to the gym and there’s imsothemanxd doing his rack pulls. We talk a bit throughout our workouts and about the troubles of growing lats, being young, how things will come to you and the like. I think back on old training partners and how easy stuff like this was for them. Then I think on these people like him that work for every ounce of progress they can get and feel, somewhat slighted. A convo later after discussions about gains, bodybuilding, and other madness, I talk with infiniteblaq for a bit and then remember the videos. The struggles this guy does and its like, "Damn, these people that don’t have these gifts don’t just sit and squander them but keep working at it."
And then it dawned on me. I don’t know why these people quit. Maybe they have good reasons. Maybe they’re just quitters. Maybe they don’t realize the possibility of their gifts and wander around aimlessly wondering "what can I do with my life" instead of taking advantage of talents they have in droves. At this point, I don’t really think I care too much though.
You hard workers out there are my motivation. Keep on getting whatever it is you’re after. You’ll get there and through your efforts, others will get there sooner than they think possible.
August 2, 2009 at 10:49 pm
"We are always more anxious to be distinguished for a talent which we do not possess, than to be praised for the fifteen which we do possess."
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)
August 9, 2009 at 10:33 am
Truth is most people do not like hard work! There really is no sugar coating that most people always look for a easy way to do things and when it doesn’t happen they quit. I hate when people quit things!!! Especially when they have talent and just waste it. I would rather a person always try and fail than to just give up. For evey dedicated person though there are twenty five out there that just give up.
August 11, 2009 at 7:55 am
Hi..it’s me..the consciously inexperienced lifter here.So, after being jealous of other people and their motivation and physiques for a couple of years now…I finally come to the conclusion of having the ‘f*&#$ them mindset’. Not that this is a bad thing or I don’t like them..but people decide to do what they want everyday regardless of what your motivation is.
Learning is truly a continuous cycle and the best teacher is often times personal experience. So, although these people quit now, they quite possibly have a little more time to realize their full potentials and main motivational foundations. I could have been lifting for many years before I actually started; my fraternity brothers did it all the time while I was in school.However, it wasn’t until after I graduated that I found that passion and that passion came through my weakness of not being able to swim as long as I wanted to in the pool and run as long as I use to in high school.So, I figured weightlifting would help my body, as I got older, to keep up or increase that pace.
As for those who quit? Man…I do it everyday; people have varying degrees. I may feel that if someone who hits the gym twice a week and not comes back for a couple is a quitter and to them they may be doing something great. People may feel like I am a quitter because I don’t push it to the limit as I quite possibly could do? 1RM? I’ve never tried one! And it may be a while before I build up enough confidence to do it! You know I quit as soon as I feel like there is the potential of danger in me falling out.
Anyhow, life is what it is…as I do with my students, I talk with them and let them know the business and just help them understand that now that they have been told…they are responsible for the information; they decide how the want to put it to use…..or not.
With that being said let’s revert back to my favorite quote:
"You hard workers out there are my motivation. Keep on getting whatever it is you’re after. You’ll get there and through your efforts, others will get there sooner than they think possible."
That’s what I’m talking about right there,focusing on the positive.