Fit For Life: Will Over Skill

Saturday, March 07, 2015

Matt Espeut, GoLocalWorcester Health +Lifestyle Contributor

“Champions are made from something they have deep inside them. A desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill”. - Muhammed Ali

I was having a conversation with a good friend this week, a friend that I also train at my facility. We are both equal in height, and close in weight. We are similar in athletic ability also. He swims and runs, and I don’t, and I bike, box, and run in the woods, and he doesn’t; but we are similar in ability, drive and intensity when it comes to training and performance. We each have different things we do well. With that being said, I feel that if we crossed over and trained for the same thing, the results would be close.

We always have these "what if” conversations, such as how good we could be if we had a pro athletes lifestyle, and had unlimited resources. A lifestyle of training, eating, massage therapy and resting as part of our livelihood. (I get paid for teaching these things, not for doing them myself) We ask each other, “Do you feel like we could compete with a pro athlete?” Our answer is always the same. If we started when we were younger, had the knowledge, drive, and discipline we do today, then maybe. The other day he was telling me during his workout that one of his height challenged friends always told him that if he had his height, he could have pitched in the pros. I asked if the guy was a great baseball player, and he told me “no, he just feels that with a better gene pool, he could have been a pro”. I gave the “are you kidding me” look, and he replied “I am serious, he really believes this!” I just shook my head in disbelief. Imagine that? A little more height and he could have been a professional! How ridiculous does that sound to you?

What does it take to be great at something?

What makes someone great at anything they do? Is it passion, drive, discipline, natural ability, mental toughness, physical strength, common sense? Yes, all of that is needed, but none of them without hard work, proper time management, and direction, will get you to greatness.

Let’s forget about pro athletes, and just think about what it means to be great at something on a average person’s level. Because the gap between the best amateur, and the worst pro, is huge. So when you compare yourself to someone who gets paid to do something for a living, you are setting the bar very high, and in most cases, you are being unrealistic. Lets face facts, 35% of the population can’t even break out of being obese, let alone becoming a pro, so let’s scale down our expectations, and discuss what it takes just to be good at achieving tasks we face in everyday life.

What’s your plan?

First you need to want to be good at something, or want to be in better shape.You won’t achieve anything if you are just doing it to appease others. You have to want it for yourself. Decide that whatever challenge you are about to face is one that you choose. Next you have to have some sort of a game plan. You need to know all the variables, have a goal, and know the obstacles in the way of you reaching your goal. Weather it be to train for a mud run, or try out for a promotion at work you need direction. Now that you have the want, and know what can get in your way, and have a plan. If you fail to plan, then plan to fail. There are too many outside distractions in life to accomplish anything without some sort of a road map to point you in the right direction. Now you need to supply the drive, desire, and passion to make it happen. It doesn’t matter how much natural ability you have, without all the rest, it’s just wasted. You can always learn from others the things you don’t know, but you have to have something deep inside you to accomplish your task at being great. Like the great Ali said: “the will must be stronger than the skill."

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of Fitness Profiles, a one on one, and small group personal training company, as well as Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, located at 1284 North Main St., on the Providence/Pawtucket line. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one!"

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Fit For Life: Will Over Skill

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