One Year of Work
This picture encapsulates one year of work. Left side is about 215, right side is 235-240ish. Being a powerlifter, my ultimate goals revolve around the weight I can move. If I cut down right now, I could probably be in the same shape as the left side at 5-7 pounds heavier, and stronger. On the left I was carb cycling, with a backload day, on the right just eating clean but not counting calories.
I enjoy eating, I honestly do, I can cook so I don’t have a problem preparing food, but at the same time, sticking to a four day a week schedule of meat and vegetables is expensive. When you’re carb cycling though, deadlift day and squat day with pasta post workout is life.
I’m dropping roughly two pounds a week right now. Not dieting, just eating clean and adding volume in my workouts. I’d like to lose slow enough to drop about 15 more pounds without my strength being affected.
The Point of it All
In all seriousness, what I’m getting at is once you take the enjoyment out of this fitness thing, and make it a chore, you are really defeating the purpose. I’m not at all advocating just eating like crap, not moving
around and putting your John Hancock on an early death certificate, but why get ripped without endurance and a healthy body? Why be big if you aren’t strong? Why be flexible if not for joint health and meditative purposes?
Don’t do it for anybody else, do it for you, not to show off, but so you can live a long life, AND ENJOY IT! My grandfather is 86 years old and still helps chop wood, my father is 64 and is still kicking ass, you almost have to tranquilize him to keep him still. I Still can’t beat him in arm wrestling! He double overhanded 425lbs on a whim last year because he saw the weight on my bar. After he left I was like, “What in the actual Fu**?”
I see people trying and failing, Jesus died for us to be imperfect, but you were blessed with a life. Live it to the fullest, have fun, lift heavy, eat good, be with family and friends as much as possible, and trust that as long as you are trying, you are better off than having ever said “ there’s no way I could do that”.
I have Pops to thank for my arm genetics, Mom to thank for my legs and both of them for instilling a work ethic in me to still bust my ass to not rely on genetics. When I first started lifting weights when I was thirteen or fourteen, I was happy to bench 100 pounds and squat with one plate, so I’m not one of those freaks that deadlifts 400 pounds the first time they ever touch a barbell.
What You Did Before, You Can Do Again
If you ran 2 miles everyday in high school, get your 45-year-old behind up and try to build up to running 2.1 now. If you benched 400 in high school, aim to make it a 2-3 year goal now.
Point is, you can ALWAYS get better. What will one year do for you?
About Wes Jenkins
Wes Jenkins is 6’2″ 230lbs of dedicated garage lifter. He’s deadlifted 600lbs both sumo and conventional and is preparing for his first powerlifting meet. You can follow Wes on Instagram @deadliftpro6 or read his story here.
Even better check out Wes’ t-shirt The Deadlift Pro6 in the Garage Gym Life store. 10% of the annual proceeds benefit Locks of Love, Wes’ favorite charity.