“No one’s going to outwork me.”

How often do you hear this shit on social media? If you follow a bunch of powerlifters, it’s all. The. Damned. Time. For some reasons, powerlifters have this idea that if they just work harder then they’ll win.

Bullshit.

What other sport do you know where the hardest workers win? Sure, it happens sometimes — but more often, it’s the guys who are the most consistent, who have the smartest game plan, and who have the most genetic ability that come out on top.

(Do not even get me started on genetic ability.)

So why should it be any different for powerlifting?

Well, honestly, it’s not. In fact, if you get so wrapped up in training hard that you forget to Think Strong, chances are, you’ll probably end up burnt out or injured pretty darn quickly.

See, that’s important: I’m not saying it all comes down to genetics. I’m not saying that hard work is worthless. I’m saying that you MUST combine hard work with a good plan if you want to have any success at powerlifting.

And I’m saying that even then, you might not end up on top come meet day. That’s okay, and it doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. It means you need to put in more time and more effort while continuing to plan smart if you want to win.

So stop lying to yourself. Plenty of people are going to outwork them. Let ‘em. At the end of the day, you don’t get a prize for being the hardest worker.