You Are Not Born Strong - You Must Become Strong

I always find it funny when people assume that a person is just born a certain way. Sometimes we just assume a person is naturally lean because they are lean most of the time, or they are naturally strong because they lift a lot of weight in the gym, or they can eat a lot of food because they have a fast metabolism.

People make these judgements or assumptions because they only see part of the picture which is the final result, they don't see how that picture became what it is, what was involved in the making of that final result.

I stay under 10% body fat all year round but that does not make me naturally lean. It takes commitment to my diet and making sure I burn plenty of calories each day with exercise. I can get fat just like anyone else.

People tell me my strength is only because I have a lot of muscle on me, did they stop to think where I got the muscle from. Was this muscle always there? Did it just magically appear overnight? Or maybe it has taken years of pushing myself at the gym way beyond where most people are comfortable to venture. Muscle is a byproduct of strength, strength is a byproduct of effort.

Lifting Heavy Ass Weight in the Gym at Near 49

Some of last weeks heavy lifts. Do I lift heavy weight because I have big muscles or do I have big muscles because I lift heavy weight? I prefer to think I have big muscles because I lift heavy weight meaning I did the work to get like this.

When people say you have a lot of muscle and that's why you can lift so much weight they may not realize they are suggesting that you have some sort of advantage because you are just muscular in nature when this is often not the case. A lot of very hard work most people are not prepared to undergo is involved to take yourself to the highest levels.

Full Week of Workout Videos - Saturday Shoulders and Calves Accessory Home

43 minutes - 497 Calories - Average Heart Rate 138 - Max Heart Rate 163.

• Garmin Heart Rate Monitor Session Link

Location: Home Gym

Light first sets instead of doing a warmup

Strength:

• Shoulder Press using Total Gym x2 sets (Shoulders)
• Shoulder Side Raise using Total Gym x2 sets (Side Delts)
• Shoulder Rear Raise using Total Gym x2 sets (Rear Delts)
• Shoulder Front Raise using Total Gym x2 sets (Front Delts)
• Dumbbell Shrugs x4 sets with 85 lbs per side (Traps)
• Single Leg Calf Raises x9 sets incremental weight up and down (Calves)
• Cable Rope Ab Crunches x3 sets (Abs)

Full Week of Workout Videos - Tuesday Shoulders Home Accessory

1:01 minutes - 618 Calories - Average Heart Rate 128 - Max Heart Rate 156.

• Garmin Heart Rate Monitor Session Link

Location: Home Gym

Warmup & Mobility

• Rotator cuff work & Stretching

Strength:

• Rear cable shoulder raises x3 sets (Rear Delt)
• Front cable shoulder raises x3 sets (Front Delt)
• Side cable shoulder raises x3 sets (Side Delt)
• Rear cable shoulder pull using rope x3 sets (Rear Delt)
• Shrugs using Smith Machine x4 sets (Traps)
• Cable Side Bends - 1 long set increasing weight, then a drop set at the end (Obliques - Side Abs)

Full Week of Workout Videos - Tuesday Shoulders CrossFit

47 minutes - 522 Calories - Average Heart Rate 136 - Max Heart Rate 181.

• Garmin Heart Rate Monitor Session Link

Location: CrossFit Langley

Warmup & Mobility

Strength:

• Front Shoulder Press - 135 lbs x3
• Front Shoulder Press - 155 lbs x3
• Front Shoulder Press - 175 lbs x3
• Front Shoulder Press - 185 lbs x3
• Front Shoulder Press - 195 lbs x1

METCON:

• 4 Rounds
• 12 Upright Rows using straight bar with 135 lbs
• 10 Pushups
• 10 Situps