I see weak people. They’re all around us and some of them don’t even know they're weak. In fact, some of them think they're strong. This article may help you better detect the weak people in this world and may even cause the realization that you, yourself, are weak.
Before we begin, we must determine what being weak actually means. To do that, we need to define strength. Now, I'm not talking about a person’s mental ability to push through tasks. When I say strength, I mean a person’s ability to move a maximum amount of weight over a distance in a specific exercise. In other words, I’m referring to the literal definition of strength as applied to training. Because powerlifting does a good job of objectively gauging strength levels, we'll use the squat, bench, and deadlift as our measuring sticks.
The numbers that I'll propose aren’t astronomical, but they're numbers that most people can’t walk in the gym their first time and hit. It takes a decent amount of training to be able to reach these levels. I believe that good markers of decent strength levels are a twice your body weight squat, a one-and-a-half times your body weight bench, and a twice your body weight deadlift. For females, I believe a one-and-a-half times your body weight squat, a one-and-a-half times your body weight bench, and a one-and-a-half times your body weight deadlift are comparable numbers. Obviously, some people will be able to reach certain numbers faster than others, but I believe that this is a good target for people to achieve before they claim they're strong.
With that covered, let’s take a look at the four habits of weak people.
1. Weak people justify their weakness:
Everyone has excuses and, much like male nipples, they're all useless. Strength is earned through choice and not everyone is willing to admit that. It is far easier to say, “I can’t afford to train at that gym or with that trainer...it’s too far for me to travel...I don’t have the time...I don’t have the genetics” or my all-time favorite, “They must be on steroids.”
Great achievements will only come about through some form of sacrifice and not everyone is willing to make the sacrifices required. You could afford it, you could travel, you could find the time, you could stop blaming your genetics or hormones for lack of willpower, or you could just continue to being a weak asshole. I knew someone who used to drive from Memphis to Ohio several times a month just to train with a specific group of lifters. That is someone who is willing to earn his strength. Strength is a choice. It isn't a choice that everyone has to make, but it is a reality that people need to face.
2. Weak people know too much and practice too little:
The internet has helped many people get stronger, but it has also prevented many people from getting strong as well. Over-education is becoming more and more an issue in the fitness community. People spend all day reading articles and learning, yet fail to put that same effort into their own training. Every time a new tidbit of information is learned, the focus of their training is shifted. They go from squatting, to goblet squatting, to split squatting, to focusing on core breathing exercises, to mobility, to who knows what else. There isn't anything wrong with that stuff, but at some point, you have to put the book down, close the laptop, and go sweat a little. More knowledge is attained under the bar than away from it. I’m not saying that you shouldn't educate yourself, but learn to prioritize your educational opportunities.
3. Weak people love circuits, conditioning, and stupid human tricks:
Like I stated earlier, strength is a choice. If being strong isn't a priority and these others things are, don’t get hurt if I say that what you're doing sucks. You have a limited amount of time and capacity for adaptation. If you spend it doing boot camps, conditioning circuits, and stupid human tricks, don’t expect to develop any serious levels of strength any time soon.
I’ve been to a few Underground Strength Sessions and have seen some really strong people train. I can assure you that I have yet to see any of them doing muscle-ups, human flags, kettlebell circuits, or extreme conditioning. They pretty much just lift heavy shit. That being said, a decent level of conditioning is important, and during different blocks of training, you can amp it up a bit. But, if your goal is strength, strength training should make up the vast majority of your time in the gym.
4. Weak people hang around other weak people:
Everyone has heard the saying, “You're the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” That statement is true in the fitness realm as well. If you spend your time around weak people, you will probably be weak, too. The problem is that you probably won’t know you're weak because there aren't any strong people around you to compare yourself to. You'll think that you're the shit until one day a strong person crosses your path and you're faced with reality. Luckily, you can fix this. Just find a gym or training group with strong people or find a training partner who is strong and do what he does. Sure, this can be intimidating and uncomfortable, but it's your best chance at achieving some strength. Strength requires sacrifice.
While I realize everyone has different goals, this is a site dedicated to making people stronger, so suck it up and avoid these four habits of weak people. Only the strong survive.
Related Articles:
No Bullsh*t: The Good and Bad Side of Training
The Psychology of Strength: Incorporating Mental Toughness Training
