Some people will warm up with the weights you can’t move!
The Burdens We Must All Bear
It’s easy to start comparing ourselves to others at the gym, professional athletes on TV, or influencers on social media.
We witness them lifting huge weights, running past us on trails, or flaunting gorgeous bodies and think, “I wish I could do that.” When we don’t match up, it’s easy to criticize ourselves. But we must remember that we each have our path and potential.
“Some people will warm up with the weights you can’t move!” as the phrase goes. This alludes to the extraordinary strength feats of champions, weightlifters, and bodybuilders.
Many consider their 100-pound squats and 200-pound benches to be warm-up weights. Seeing our maximum become part of someone else’s routine might be discouraging. We must, however, avoid slipping into the comparison trap.
Instead of being dissatisfied with what others can do, let their accomplishments motivate and inspire us. Use it as a reminder that we can achieve remarkable improvements with hard work, dedication, the correct programming, and nutrition.
Set lofty targets, employ more complex training approaches, and boost our fitness game. However, instead of competing with others, focus on competing with yourself.
“No matter how much falls on us, we keep ploughing ahead. That’s the only way to keep the roads clear.” — Greg Kincaid
We all have different genetic potential, backgrounds, experience levels, and recovery abilities. Comparing ourselves is futile. The only productive comparison is between who we were yesterday and today.
How much more robust, faster, and better are we now? That’s what matters.
So the next time you want to compare yourself, when you see that person deadlifting twice your maximum, stop. Remind yourself that we each have our weights to carry. We need to find out about their journey.
Focus on your path. Are you putting in the work? Making progress? If we give our best effort and see improvement, then we succeed. We each have our weights to carry. Let’s make sure we are lifting ours.
