Just a slight edge

The difference between the elite and the pretty good?

I think you'd be amazed at the difference between the two.

Today, at the gym, a young guy I've seen in there around lunchtime a few times was working out. This is the third day in a row I've seen him at Four Seasons. He's hard to miss, really...he's got a long blond pony tail and he's ripped to shreds. He's not only ripped, he's a fairly big dude as well.

My mind starts racing.."My workouts are normally pretty intense, but I don't look anything like this guy." I'd love to, but I don't. My brain instantly starts firing away with questions when I notice someone who's achieving better results than I am in any specific aspect of life. This guy is obviously getting much greater results.

I start to lock in on his workout, to see what he's doing versus the rest of us. He must be doing something different. I figure I'll learn something from this guy. He's obviously working legs today. Started with squats on the smith machine...a light warmup set at 135 lbs x 10 reps; then a set at 185 lbs x 10 reps with pretty mild intensity; then up to 225 lbs x 10 reps with hard focus and intensity; then 275 x 6 reps with blow out focus and intensity...he was gassed after this last set.

He moved to leg press and executed a similar strategy....4 different exercises, building the weight and pushing it pretty damn hard. Then on to leg curls...same deal. Then to calves...same deal.

Point is, his workout routine is really pretty similar to most other guys. He's not screaming his head off, like a lot of those goofballs do. He's simply pushing the envelope. Nothing flashy or over the top. Just a nice, focused effort in which he seemed to push his limits, but didn't look to kill himself.

In comparing him to most other guys, the difference is really pretty slight. I see a ton of guys come in there and execute a similar routine. Squats at 135 to start, up to 225. They seem to push themselves pretty hard as well. They're struggling at least, similar to this super fit guy. They run through many of the same exercises, yet their results aren't even in this guy's ballpark. I'm fairly confused at this point.

So, I ask him. I clue him in on what I'm after-what do you do versus everyone else in here, to give you the physique? His response was this..."Man, I see so many different guys cycle through this gym. This guy will come in for a couple of days, then disappear for a week. Then he'll come back for a day, then he's gone again for a few days. Same deal with this guy. He's in for a day, then gone for a few days. And he kills himself when he does show up. My guess is he's so sore, he thinks he's too sore to come back in. It takes consistency and it takes dedication. This isn't an option for me, dude, I want to look this way, so I gotta get in here..simple as that...OH, and diet. I eat clean". Imagine that.

His success in building a ripped body has come from the same principles we espouse in our businesses and careers. We have to be consistent in executing the fundamentals that drive the results. Earth shattering. I should've known better....Simple Disciplines.

Besides being consistent, this guy finishes his workout every single time. He doesn't get halfway through his workout and bail. He sees it through. Exactly what 90 Days to Discipline is all about.

Flip the switch