You're stronger than you know

As I arrived at the gym yesterday and took in the situation, it became apparent that I'd be waiting for a while because every leg press machine was taken.

It was leg day, and I was determined to start heavy.

But I didn't know just how heavy I'd go.

As it turned out, there was a guy using a machine who was also lifting pretty heavy, and who offered to go back and forth with me.

He was starting with 4 plates on each side...

But said he'd go up to 7.

The most I'd done was 5 plates, which is about 560 pounds with the machine's weight included.

So I thought:

"This works, I'll just chuck on a couple plates to bring it up to my usual weight and work in with him."

Which is exactly what I did.

11 reps at 560.

Another set of 9 reps at 560.

Then, he wanted to put on 2 more plates...

6 on each side...

Bringing the weight up to 650 pounds 😱

And I said to him:

"Well, I've never done 6 plates before, but I guess I'm gonna try today!"

Sat down at the machine...

Put my legs up onto the pressing platform... (or whatever that thing is called)

And absolutely f**kin' smashed it, doing 7 reps at 650 pounds.

Which was more than a little mind boggling, because that's the same number of reps I would have expected to do with just 5 plates on each side. But as it turns out, my legs have more strength than I'd realized, and I just wasn't actually pushing them nearly to their capacity before. I'm still wrapping my mind around this.

How could I have underestimated my own strength so wildly?

Truth be told, I could probably do 7 plates on each side for a few reps, and I truly had no idea.

But you know what...

I think we do this all the time, in various ways.

Our mind stops us from doing what our body and our being is truly capable of.

It's a powerful lesson, and one I won't forget.

We are often capable of much more than what we're actively utilizing or realizing.

So think about your own life, and where maybe you have more strength than you're giving yourself credit for... and tap in.

P.S.

Sometimes we can't safely or effectively lift the weight alone. Some things are just too heavy. This is why we use spotters in the gym when we're doing something that pushes us to our limits.

A principle that extends outside of the gym, too.

For example:

Quitting porn is something that truly pushes many men to their limits.

Their limits of self-control, self-awareness, the edge of their knowledge-base, and to their wits-end with frustration too.

And sometimes they just can't lift that weight alone.

Which is where I come in.

After quitting a 13-year addiction 5 years ago, I've managed to stay clean and completely transform myself. Not just myself, but I've dedicated the last 4.5 years of my career to helping other men quit too - including tech executives, CEOs, doctors, software engineers, and a whole lot more ranging anywhere from age 18 to 67.

You can find some of their stories in the link below.

Anyways, this is one area where I've developed a lot of strength.

Strength (and wisdom based on step-by-step actionable processes) that I can lend to others to help them quit too, regardless of how long they've been struggling.

But I won't be nearly as available for this kind of help soon, since I have some priorities shifting.

So if you've been struggling on your own and still haven't been able to quit despite your best efforts... This is the time to reach out and take advantage.