Friday, June 12, 2009

Workout of the Day:
For time:
15 x Clean and Jerk (75-80% of 1-rep max)
30 x Lateral Jumps (24″/18″ hurdle)
10 x Clean and Jerk
20 x Lateral Jumps
5 x Clean and Jerk
10 x Lateral Jumps
 

“He Just Has Good Genes”
Written by Mark Riebel

The other evening I turned on the TV for the first time in a few months, and I happened to catch a documentary on 3-year-old Liam Hoekstra of Muskegon, Michigan. Liam is touted as “The World’s Strongest Toddler,” because he has a rare genetic condition called myostatin-related muscular hypertrophy which has resulted in him developing about 40% greater muscle mass than other children of his age. As a quick explanation, myostatin is a protein in the body that regulates muscle growth—the higher the levels in the body, the less muscle mass. In people and animals (such as the Belgian Blue bull) that lack this protein due to a genetic variation, muscle growth runs rampant, body fat is dropped, and some pretty swole individuals are the result. About half of the documentary focused on the medical cause of his condition, and the other half centered on how good of an athlete he will be. Everyone just seemed to know that he will someday rewrite the athletic record books. But will he? 

If Liam chooses to occupy his time predominantly with playing video games or studying astronomy, then there’s little chance that he’ll be standing on a podium at the Olympics. On the other hand, if he chooses to really apply himself to some athletic endeavor, then maybe he will set new standards in the world of sport. If he does, his achievements will be written off by many on his natural ability to pack on muscle, dismissed with the casual, “Well, he’s just got good genes.”   

I think this comment is a cheap excuse. Having good genes gets you only one thing—potential. If someone has a genetic gift, but they don’t choose to pursue it, that ability gets them nowhere as they’ll be outmatched by someone who works harder. Genes don’t eliminate the hard work it takes to excel in something, be it baseball, business, playing the violin, or even CrossFit. Saying that someone else succeeds because he or she has good genes is a way to artificially limit yourself because it leads to the conclusion that someone who doesn’t have the most favorable genetic material can’t achieve something like that of a ‘natural.’ You may have to work ten times harder than that person to reach a comparable level, but you can do it. And if you don’t reach their level, so what!? You’re really only competing with yourself, and there’s no reason to think that you can’t achieve your personal goals through sheer will power and discipline. Maybe you won’t ever have a 600 lb. back squat, a 100 lb. press, or five strict pull-ups. But you’ll never know unless you try. So stop making excuses, clean up your diet, and really dive into your workouts. You just might surprise yourself.