Strength is Earned, Not Given

As you all know, I competed in the premiere Michigan Barbell Classic last Saturday. What an amazing event it was! It was held at Motor City CrossFit in Sterling Heights, MI. Seriously, it was 2 stories of CrossFit heaven. The event was super organized and run like clock work, thanks to the mighty talents of the Lex Artis team. Thanks guys!

Motor City CrossFit was filled with 70+ athletes, hoping to come out on top. Along with their families, coaches, and friends. I walked in filled with nerves... and my dad. I looked around at all of the lean muscled, spandex clad, biceps bulging competitors, and thought, "What did I get myself into?!" These negative thoughts were soon replaced by words my coach has told me all along, reminding me that I am strong and I deserved to be there.

If you had asked me last August, only 3 months after joining CrossFit, I would have told you that I am naturally strong. This is true, but lately I've taken my strength to a whole new level. Strengh is earned, not given, & it certainly doesn't come in a can of spinach.

This is not only true for me but every athlete who competed on Saturday. Hard work isn't a foreign concept to anyone who wants to be successful. What distinguishes the strong from the strongest, is heart. Heart... That's not something you can get out of a can either. You have to want it and I mean really want it. You have to be dedicated to hours of training, strict nutrition, and crazy programming. I never even fathomed that I'd be in the gym 15-20 hours a week nor that I would develop this much heart for this physically demanding sport. 

For the first time, I feel like the hard work really paid off. Walking into the competition 40 pounds lighter than I was 5 months ago and stronger than I've ever been, was gratifying in itself. On top of that, I reached every goal that I set for the competition. I hit 3 PR's and had the overall highest combined total of lifts. (Too bad there's no reward for that, but in my book, it's pretty encouraging.)

Here were my 1 rep maxes:

Power snatch: 118lbs PR
Clean: 168lbs PR
Clean & Jerk: 163lbs PR
Back Squat: 275lbs
Bench Press: 140lbs
Deadlift: 353lbs PR

Some common questions about the competition I've gotten from readers:

What was my proudest lift?
DEFINITELY clean & jerk. I've worked so hard on it the past 2 months. Olympics lifts are my weakness, but 163lbs leaves me feeling accomplished and with room to improve.

What was my worst moment?
Back squat. Everyone expected me to hit 300lbs, but I dropped it on the way up. It was a total brain fart because I had it but I mentally got scared.

Most fun part?
Obviously lifting. But also taking group pictures with the amazing 734ers, hanging out with my coach, Dan, and trying mocha Progenex for the first time. Finding out later that Henry Cavill, Superman, was there!

With or without the celebrity guest, we thought the Barbell Classic was a major success. I've already heard rumor that there will be another one next year so I'd love to see some of you out there! Remember, strength is important, but heart and hard work are what distinguishes you. If you want something, put your mind to it! Lex Artis has some other great competitions coming up that will be released soon. I'll include a link when they do. To learn more about their company, programming, and awesome competitions, CLICK HERE. 

Until next time...

Train hard. Lift heavy. Eat right. Sleep tight.