Most of us aren't blessed with the greatest genetics for lifting. Ninety-nine percent of us have to work for every single pound that we put on our lifts and on our totals. I’m not any exception to this rule. When I started lifting in high school, I wasn’t even 100 pounds, and it was a struggle to bench 35 pounds of sand plates on my Sears' weight set. I had been tall and skinny my entire life, and by the looks of me, I should have been a cross-country runner instead of a powerlifter.
Here are three things that have helped me overcome my genetic limitations.
Hard work and consistency:
In high school, I saw kids bench 225 pounds the first time they touched a weight. I was amazed because I had been training and wasn’t even hitting 135 pounds. This is when I knew that if I wanted to be strong, I would just have to outwork everyone else. I had to go the extra mile to make gains. I couldn’t rely on natural ability and strength like the others could.
I began to read everything I could on lifting and nutrition to try and get the upper hand on those stronger than me. I went to the gym with a purpose and the right mindset. Getting an extra rep or adding five pounds to the bar meant everything to me. When others were fooling around, I was focused. When they were slacking off, I was doing extra abdominal work. I wasn’t taken seriously by other lifters because of how weak I was. They saw this skinny kid working his ass off, but they were still stronger than me. I used this as motivation to prove them wrong.
All my dedication eventually paid off because I started to surpass those who used to be so much stronger than I was, and they began asking me for advice. Having to fight so hard to make even the smallest gains made me appreciate each and every pound that I put on my total. Everyone can train hard for a week or a month, but how many do it every workout year after year? When you can honestly answer that you train that way, you will see your best gains and surpass lifts that you might have thought were impossible.
Excuses and attitude:
Very few of us are built for all three lifts. I’ve heard so many excuses over the years as to why people can’t bench or pull well. Don’t use your long arms as an excuse for why your bench sucks and don't tell me that your short arms won’t let you pull. You’re going to have to work harder to get these lifts up. Get out of the mindset that you can’t improve.
From day one, people always commented on how long my arms were and said that I would never bench anything. I may not be taking Ryan Kennelly's bench record anytime soon, but I’m going to continue to increase my bench in every meet. No matter what your limitation is, there are ways to make progress as long as you have the right attitude. Too many people come in the gym already defeated: "My back hurts," "Work sucks," "I’m tired." People look for an excuse as to why they're going to have a bad workout before it even starts. Life sucks sometimes. Get over it. Take some caffeine and Advil and get under the bar.
I love lifting and I’ll make every excuse to get into the gym, not out of it. If you don’t want to be there, go home. Don’t waste your team’s time by bitching and moaning. If you aren't there with the attitude that you’re going to hit a PR, I don’t want you on my team.
Teammates:
I've been so lucky to have had such great teammates since day one in powerlifting. I made a three- to four-hour round trip drive four days a week when I first started to go to Iron Island gym in New York. This is where the best lifters were, and I was going to train with them. I was put on the right path, and I learned a ton about how things are done. Some of the very first lessons I learned were how to load plates and spot other lifters. I stayed late to help out and went to meets. I started out as the weakest person there and worked my way up with each session.
The years I spent there with my training partners laid the ground work for my powerlifting career. I’m now fortunate enough to train with Eastside Barbell. I knew that if I wanted to improve, I needed to train with those better and more knowledge than me. Without my training partners, I wouldn't be where I am today. They push and motivate me, they critique my form, and they even tell me when to back off. If you want to succeed, seek out those better than you.
So where have these things got me? Ten years ago I did my first meet and went 360, 225, 505 for a 1,100-pounds total at 176 pounds and six feet, one inch. In my last meet, I did 835, 550, 715 for a 2,100-pound total at 242 pounds. I’ve put 1,000 pounds on my total, and I plan to keep improving on that one session at a time.