Do you even lift? Husband, father, inventor, former powerlifter, and years-long friend of mine Mark Bell does, and he has some advice for anyone looking to get stronger, whether it be physically or mentally. A lifetime of pushing past personal limits has given him a unique perspective on the process of growth and progress. In this podcast, I sit down with Mark to talk about the concept of strength and how it’s represented in more than just muscle. Turns out, most of us are more than capable of achieving our goals – we just need to change our perspective.
Mental Strength Defines Muscle
The society we live in has an obsessive infatuation with muscle. Bigger physiques represent a greater commitment to and respect for the grind. But is it really representative of strength? Mark thinks not. Despite having achieved unfathomable personal records of a 1080-pound squat, 854-pound bench, and a 766-pound deadlift, the career powerlifter believes that true strength goes beyond the physical.
Strength is an intrinsic quality that goes beyond mere muscle mass. Someone may be as buff as Arnold Schwarzenneger in the 80s, but that doesn’t mean they have the mental fortitude and resilience necessary to overcome any challenge.
“You’re going to have to stop every 15 minutes to feed me protein,” Mark jokes, stating his muscular frame wouldn’t get far hiking, which requires a different type of strength.
Embracing Transformation and Adaptability
Running and lifting: what do they have in common? Aside from the need to train consistently, not very much. Each discipline challenges the mind and body in a different way. It’s hard to become good at both like Mark has. He needed to undergo a massive transformation to get to where he is today.
Powerlifters, as you might assume, are all about strength. They focus on the three main lifts: bench press, squat, and deadlift. Training is very in-the-moment and brute-force oriented.
Runners play the long game. Success in their sport is a matter of endurance – less powerful, but more prolonged sustained demonstrations of strength. They push through the pain and keep moving forward, mile after mile.
Mark’s transition from lifting to running was riddled with self-doubt. It required a complete shift in mindset and habits. He had to let go of the idea that strength was everything and embrace the new challenges presented by running.
Lifelong Learning As a Tool for Growth
Mark’s transformation also taught him an important lesson: adaptability is key to sustenance. As we grow and evolve, our interests and goals may change, and we must be willing to adapt and try new things. If your entire identity is built around one form of strength, that doesn’t say very good things about your prospects for growth. What if injury or age prevented you from lifting heavy weights? Would you be able to adapt and find a new source of strength?
This same concept applies to all aspects of life, not just physical fitness. Lifelong learning and adaptability are crucial for personal and professional growth. “That’s the key, is to have a capacity,” Mark says. “To build a capacity, to work on a capacity, to not go so far one way that you don’t have a capacity to do something else.”
Overcoming Self-Imposed Limitations
Mark was featured in his brother’s documentary, titled ‘Bigger, Stronger, Faster‘ – all three of which you have to be to make it to the top of professional bodybuilding. He’s honed each trait by challenging both what others and he thought was possible.
Everyone wants to be exceptional, yet very few people achieve world-class performance. The defining factor is how far someone is willing to go in pursuit of big goals. Famous athletes like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James got to where they did through a combination of dedication and talent. In a world where everyone wants to be the best, only those who are willing to put in the unseen hours of hard work and sacrifice actually make it.
“We certainly have an ability to push way further than we could even possibly imagine,” Mark states, before underscoring the fact that exceeding personal limits is simply a matter of intrinsic passion and drive. “Maybe someone’s ability to push might come from swimming. Maybe somebody’s ability to push might come from running. Maybe someone’s ability to push might be from skiing, or whatever it is. For me, it was lifting, and again, I just did not care how long it took to get the results.”
It All Starts With Something
It’s easy to see how achieving big and lofty things like Mark might seem intangible to everyday goal-setters. Yet he’s clear that there’s nothing particularly special about him. The biggest reason why more people don’t get to such high peaks is that they don’t set themselves up properly. Every big achievement starts with something small, and every goal can be broken down into smaller, actionable steps.
Impressive achievements, whether that’s massive biceps or a renowned status in the world of art, are the product of hard work over a long period of time. All too many people come to the table with half of what they need – plenty of inspiration, just not enough perspective to see the bigger picture and stay committed to the process.
The biggest mistake you could make when pursuing any difficult feat is to try to tackle it all at once. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and muscle isn’t either. Progress is a question of commitment. Repeated habits have an unbelievable ability to garner results, even on a small scale. It doesn’t matter where you start in relation to the end goal or how long it takes to get there. Simply doing something once or twice a day will slowly but surely add up.
“The very process of doing this is what keeps most people out of their dreams,” Mark says.
Mark Bell has picked up some pretty hefty weights over the years. But perhaps more valuable to all of us, he’s picked up some pretty solid lessons on life. In the end, it’s not about how many pounds you can lift or how fast you can run. It’s about having the strength and determination to keep pushing forward, no matter what obstacles come your way.
Enjoy!
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