Your toughest competition is yourself

Training last night consisted of hitting an easy opener in a loose bench shirt.

I did this in case I discover that I'm having an off day during warm ups, the day of the meet.

Let's just say my opener in the last night's loose shirt is still more than what won last year’s world meet.

Also, at this point in training, with the meet date quickly approaching, it is important not to over train and have my central nervous system shut down.

It looks like I will peak just right.

With your help and support, Gold medal here I come.

That was my lifting update for you, now for the quote of the day. 
 

 Quote: " I view my strongest competition as myself. You're always trying to top yourself, rather than worrying what other people are doing"  by: John C Riley.

John C Riley is an American actor, and while I don't normally like to quote and actor, I totally agree with this statement.

I am always competing against myself whether it is in the gym, at work, or in a competition. I want to best my previous performance. My workouts consist of weekly PR's, at least that is the goal. I strive for a personal record as small as half a pound. Yup you heard me half a pound. One week it may be a 5 rep max, the next a 4 rep max and so on. I always try to keep pushing.

If you are training just to be more fit you can apply this to your workouts as well. Each work out attempt one more rep, or half a pound more. If you are a cardio enthusiast then try to beat your time by a few seconds or go a little longer if you are a time person. Whatever the case may be simply push yourself a little bit.

OK OK now you going to say, "Let's see Jim apply this to diet" 

 You know every day when you wake up you have a goal to keep to your diet. Make this a competition to get through the day without cheating on your diet. If you do cheat, plan on doing better the rest of the day, and the next. 

If you're one of those people that never cheat, like me when I first went on a low-carb eating plan, you are still in a competition of maintenance. You will have family and friends telling you, that you are doing fine and it is OK, to cheat a little, the competition is still within yourself to adhere to the principles you set for yourself.

Tip: I have noticed lately how important it is, when I train people to teach them to stay tight. Sometimes especially when training a teenager it is even more an issue of coordination. Sometimes they grow out of their body, meaning they lose some coordination due to growth spurts. It is important to keep this mind with teens as they go through these growth spurts.