Let's talk about limits, what they are, what effect they have on our weight training progress, and I how to completely toss them out the window so we can apply them to workout programs to gain muscle and strength. First off, what are limits? The question we really should be asking is, are they real?
Let's talk about limits, what they are, what effect they have on our weight training progress, and how to completely toss them out the window so we can apply them to workout programs to gain muscle and strength. First off, what are limits? The question we really should be asking is, are they real?
I like to describe limits as completely illusionary. Though there are such things as limits, the majority of people today really have no idea what they really are, so in turn, they create illusionary ones. Let's look at the following paragraph I took from Randall Strossen's book, "IronMind: Stronger Minds, Stronger Bodies", which will open your eyes but more importantly have you think about what limits really are and what role they play on us:
"In the early 1920's Henry "Milo" Steinborn squatted with approximately 550 pounds, which, beyond being a record lift, was viewed as close to man's ultimate limit. Even by the mid-1950's this standard had only been nudged up to around the 600 pound mark. Enter the Canadian superman Doug Hepburn, who squatted 760 pounds in the mid-1950's, a prodigious performance in the history of strength, but one which Paul Anderson completely upstaged by cranking out 1160 in 1957...The fact that no one, even with drugs, squat suits, super wraps and super belts, has yet come within a hundred pounds of Paul's mark is further testimony to his colossal squatting ability. Once Paul Anderson had completely redefined conceptions of leg strength, however, others followed him into previously untouched territory, and by the end of the 1960's, there were a handful of 800 pound squatters."
As you can see, as soon as a record, or limit, is broken, suddenly there is many more people who can match the previous record. So what the heck is going on here? Once every blue moon there comes someone who completely smashes all previous records. He or she is a what we call a leader, a believer.
When others witness this, they follow. The leader is the one who believes in himself and has complete faith that he or she can accomplish anything, and then goes and does it. The followers just stay back and wait for someone to lead them, with no belief or intention of surpassing any limits themselves. The truth is, the limits you create in your own head are the limits you create in your own reality. Focus on what you want to do and the heck with what everyone else is doing and what has or hasn't already been done.
Whether you want to break a personal record or a world record, you have with you 100% of every single thing you need to accomplish it. It doesn't matter if everyone in the world does or doesn't believe in you. You just have to believe. So what are your limits? Are they holding you back from your progress?
Next time you write out your weight lifting goals, which I suggest you do if you aren't already, try not to limit yourself, especially on your long term goals. If it is something you really want bad enough, such as bench pressing 300 pounds or weighing 200 pounds of solid muscle, you will get it if you believe you will. I believe you can. In fact, I know you can.
Keep a close watch on the little voice in the back of your head that may be telling you that you are shooting to high or that you will never accomplish this or that. It's nothing but gibberish. Evict your inner doubts. Make it a formal process if you have to, but whatever you do, don't ever, EVER doubt your abilities.
Because the amazing truth is, you'll only achieve what you believe. If you doubt yourself or you don't think that you can achieve a certain goal or goals, then those thoughts and those thoughts alone are the only thing holding you back. Think about that for a while. It may change your life and how you view everything about it.
Building Muscle Without Emptying Your Wallet
It's actually a lot easier then most people think to gain muscle and lose fat without losing your money. As long as you understand the basics of building muscle and you ignore all the marketing hype about the latest and greatest supplement or workout equipment, then you can expect to add working out to your lifestyle without subtracting much from your bank account.Are You Not Gaining Any Muscle from Lack of Sleep?
Every so often I'll get an e-mail from someone who claims he or she has applied each of those key factors for many weeks and still say they have trouble trying to gain weight and build muscle fast. One of the lesser known ways to build muscle fast in record time is something that most people just plain don't get enough of these days: sleep.Are You Hungry Enough to Build Muscle?
Whether or not you will be successful is already pre-determined before you even begin. If your desire is weak, further down the road you may quit and let temporary failures get the best of you. If your desire is strong, however, you will adapt the necessary winning attitude that will keep you on track no matter how many times you may fail.