Excuses or Results: The Choice That Defines You

“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” – Benjamin Franklin

Thought of the Day

In the fitness industry, as in many other fields, excuses are common. These can range from "I’m too old" or "I’m too young" to "I don’t have time," "I don’t have the genetics," "I’m too lazy," "I don’t have the money," or "I was unlucky not to start earlier." This list is not all-encompassing but highlights some of the most common excuses we tell ourselves or hear from others. What excuses have you encountered—whether when the alarm goes off or when trying to encourage a loved one to take charge of their health and fitness?

One of our very first Empower shirts had the quote, “You can have your excuses or results.” It’s funny how simply knowing this doesn’t necessarily help us in the areas we struggle—unless we are willing to take the advice and stop accepting our excuses.

This coming weekend, I will be the oldest athlete in either of my divisions. In combat sports, that makes me a bit of a relic. Sometimes, when nerves set in, I feel tempted to give in to excuses. But what keeps me on course is seeing what some of our other Empower athletes have accomplished.

When I struggle with self-doubt, I think about Adventure getting her first pull-ups in her sixties or Doc Disc extending his high-level Ultimate Frisbee career. Stories like these remind me that we are in the right place, surrounded by people who push past their excuses to achieve real results.

Track Your Excuses—Then Break Through Them

For the next week, in every area of life where you encounter friction, try keeping track of the excuses you tell yourself. Are they any of the ones above, or are you more creative than I am?

We all have excuses and will face them from time to time. But if you truly want results, you need to push past them.

At Empower, we’ve helped athletes reach new heights both inside and outside the gym. Whether in athletics or other important areas of life, we are here to cheer you on. If you feel like your excuses are holding you back, consider joining a great community like Empower. Within these walls, people are overcoming obstacles and can serve as the inspiration you need to push forward too.

Tuesday 

1.   1.    2 rnds

35 pull ups

35 STOH 75/115#

2.   2.    15 min AMRAP

20 GHD Sit ups

40 Squats

400m run

3.     3.  5 rnds

5 Deadlifts 185/275#

10 Bar facing burpees

4.   4.    50-40-30-20-10

Med ball cleans

Medball push presses

20/30#

5.    5.   KB Complex (the Crusher)

5 Double Kb Cleans

5 Double Kb STOH

5 Double Kb OHS