Yesterday I touched on how I believe the barbell and weights are the only tools you truly need to get big and or strong. As promised here is the follow-up to that.
Here is the link to the first part in case you missed it.
https://www.elitefts.com/training-logs/the-barbell/
The idea of the first section of this series was that keeping things simple can bear great fruits when combined with hard work. Anyone can pick up a bar and deem themselves a powerlifter; I'm not going to get into the "you have to compete to be a powerlifter battle" at the moment. You can play "dress up" and fool a lot of people these days via social media, but one thing you cannot fake is work ethic.
Work Ethic
You can own every piece of equipment on elitefts.com- you can have the best coach and program available - pharm grade everything- without a solid work ethic, it's all just shit. What most people who are entering this sport fail to realize that the lifter they look up to didn't start last week or even three years ago, even though there youtube only post dates that far back.
They've probably played sports and have been doing some physical training for decades - not everyone has to boast how long they have been training. So your two years playing dress up as a powerlifter isn't impressive at all.
You can mask your lack of time under the bar with the latest and greatest of clothes-equipment-and "methods" and if you're not willing to sweat- bleed-and lose friends and sometimes family, I'll be the guy to tell you - you won't make it very far in this. Now granted this is for the new comers, and you maybe into this for recreation- if so, I honestly think that is great.
With that said- please refrain from the hashtag campaign that you all run so well. #roadtowhateverthefuck #prorer #illdieforthis. News flash fuckos you will not die for this- you will not choose the ER over this- and let's be REAL honest- you wouldn't miss your mom or dads birthday party because of heavy squat day let alone get this "by all means necessary." So save the theatrics, it's disrespectful for those of us who have fucked our lives up for a few pounds on a total.
If you put your all into anything you will succeed, I don't care if you build card houses, if you stick to that and practice, study, and develop a system to make the card house bigger and better each time you will be successful.
On the flip side of that coin if you just have fun building card houses on Saturday morning while you eat cereal and watch cartoons that's cool- just know there is a difference between a hobby and passion. A hobby is something you do when you have spare time- passion is something you live and let consume you, and there is no such thing as enough time.
The Point
Don't go wasting your money on the latest and greatest - equipment-clothes- if you haven't busted your ass to the point you've had to ask yourself "why the fuck am I even doing this?" If you do decide to drop all this cash just so you can post IG videos tagging said equipment inventor, clothing companies, please drink bleach. To some of us this is life, laugh, talk shit, but it is. With no work ethic, you won't be going anywhere- along with that you'll need some heart and balls, and sadly for you, those cannot be bought or faked. I'll address that in part three....