Better

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PR Friday. Post training updates and PRs to comments.

I have a friend who is in the Army. To date, he’s been in over three years of combat deployment. Before his last deployment he went to Ranger School, a grueling 61 day combat leadership course that is known for a lack of sleep and calories. It’s typically the most difficult thing an American soldier will ever do. It’s not uncommon to lose 40 pounds in this course. All of the students don’t fantasize about women or a hot shower…they fantasize about food. Very elaborate things like Oreos dipped in chocolate or a Snickers ice-cream bar that is halfway thawed out, wrapper sweating with condensation. At the end of the course — assuming the student doesn’t get hurt or voluntarily quit — the new Ranger not only gets to eat a shit load of food, but he gets to have the Ranger tab placed on his shoulder. It must be one of the most powerful moments in their lives knowing that they accomplished this unbearable, rigorous task. Once that tab was on my friend’s shoulder, do you know what he did? He picked his eyes up, looked forward, and said, “What’s next?”

My friend had a goal set before him: pass Ranger school. Never quit. Once he completed that goal, it took him approximately two seconds before he pushed towards the next goal. Getting complacent in training is a curse, something that makes you soft. You are never good enough, strong enough. The moment you think you have “enough” of whatever it is you think you have — you have failed. The moment you think there isn’t anything left to improve — you have failed. Attack your training, and attack your weaknesses. Avoiding something because you aren’t good at it? Looks like you’ve gone soft, my friend. Strive ardently to improve; it isn’t enough to complete your training as if you were clocking in and out of work. Instead, tear open its rib cage, rip out its still beating heart, and consume it like a dangerous, dangerous animal.

What the fuck have you done lately? It doesn’t matter; you could be better.


62 thoughts on “Better”

  2. so i just got home from the strongman competition at los campeones gym in mpls, mn.

    I PULLED 240 WITH AN AXLE! my first time deadlifting with an axle…so much fun. i also clean and jerked 120 with the axle. i tried 130 but missed. then i pushed a mini cooper for time, lol.

  4. PR- 135# OHS/3 115#OHS/7
    Though, honestly, the best part was the look on the giant dude’s face when he asked “if I needed anything” and I told him I needed the idiot doing curls to get out of the squat rack :)
    But that’s what I get for lifting at LA Fitness that day.
    Totally worth it.

  5. Justin, thanks for the great post yet again. You gotta stay hungry!

    A reminder to me to redefine what my goals actually are and make them definable and concrete.

    Played my first game of rugby today, so that was definitely an achievement. Now I’ve got the first one out the way, I’m looking forward to improving with every game and having as much impact as possible.

    PS. I love klokov

  10. One of the best Friday’s in the gym in a while, so I gotta post.

    Body Weight: 216 lbs (PR)
    Back Squat: 375 x 7 (PR)
    Shoulder Press: 175 x 5 (PR)
    Deadlift: 405 x 5 (Not a PR, but close. I blame the squats. 2 weeks ago only did 370×5, so today’s effort took it out of me.)

    Helluva post. Inspirational.

    Got a mud run with some friends in 7 weeks so sticking with the current weight training and conditioning regiment. After that, I’m gonna get Gant to learn me some strongman technique. So…

    Goal #1: Kick my friends’ asses at the mud run.
    Goal #2: Compete in strongman in September.

  11. PR goal for tomorrow: DL for the 2nd session in a row. Never done that before in 20+ years, because I F$*CKING HATE DEADLIFTS.

    It’s typically not a good idea to deadlift twice in a week if they are heavy workouts, and usually only for rehab purposes.

    –Justin

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