Easter Lessons In Weight Training

​My name is Kevin Woods, I hold 12 North Carolina, two American, and one World record across the 74kg and 83kg weight classes in powerlifting. My best lifts in competition are a 545lbs squat, 385lbs bench press, and 635lbs deadlift. I became a NGA natural professional bodybuilding at 19 years old. I also have a Bachelors degree in Biology and am pursuing my Masters in Divinity. 

I have three lesson for you today that I have learned over the years.
It takes an immense amount of discipline to reach your goals. Humility is key to success, and to place your hope in something that will last.
​

                                       Easter Lessons for Weight Training

I have been in the fitness industry for over a decade now. The most instrumental factor going into my success and continuation in bodybuilding and powerlifting is my relationship with God because of Jesus. Joe and The Strength Feed have graciously allowed me write about my experience and what has driven me to where I am now.

My weight lifting career started when I was 15 years old. I have had many different motivations in my life, to pursue goals and get better. At first, my motivation was vanity and pride. I loved the attention that being bigger and stronger got me. It was at this point that the temptation to take steroids was never greater. The glory and praise that I received from friends, family, and strangers was beginning to be something that I craved. Luckily, these cravings did not last long enough to take control of my life. See . . . I am a little competitive (understatement!), and my bodybuilding coach told me that I would never go anywhere if I did not take steroids.

My motivation then turned to proving my doubters wrong. I had never worked harder. If I had a spare moment, it was spent in the gym. I was not going to be out worked, and I was going to win. This was also the first semester that I got a C in school, but that is beside the point. I went on to compete in four different bodybuilding competitions that summer, some of which were drug-tested competitions and some were not. I won each competition and, according to the judges, was the second teenager in the NGA to win a natural pro card.
​
After winning my pro card, I promptly quit bodybuilding never to do it again. Why? Well, I found out that I was letting what other people thought of me, or didn’t think of me, define who I was and what I did. That wasn’t healthy or sustainable for me. My hope and purpose were wrapped up in bodybuilding (I’m not saying bodybuilding is bad. It was just bad for me). Though I had been a Christian for some time, I was attempting to use the talents God blessed me with for my own glory instead of His. Looking back, I see plenty of life lessons that God used to teach me. So, here are three things I learned that I would share with everyone else:

1. It takes an immense amount of discipline to reach your goals.

Every responsibility, interest, and hobby in your life demands part of your time and effort. As you get older, your responsibilities do not decrease. They will only increase. Reaching your goals WILL take hard work. It WILL take planning. It WILL take away sleep. This holds true for all life goals, as well as lifting goals. No one gets better without preparation. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 says, “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!  All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.[1]”

2. Humility is key to success.

This might sound counterintuitive at first, but it is actually very true. Humility is “freedom from pride and arrogance[2]” There’s the old saying “Pride comes before the fall” that more than likely comes from a version of Proverbs 16:18 which says, “Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall.[3]” Pride causes people to be blind to their own weaknesses and shortcomings. Pride causes people to step on others and see their own abilities as superior to the competition. Having a mindset like this sets athletes up for failure and despair, especially when matched up against equal or better competition. Instead, The Bible says we are to be humble and think of others as better than ourselves.

3. Place your hope in something that will last.
​
Lastly, I would advise everyone to place his or her hope in something that will last, and that is worthwhile. Sports, athletic accomplishments, competition, and even general health are great things that can motivate people. But, all of these can be taken away in an instant. Unfortunately, we live in a world that is riddled with disease, unimaginable accidents, and unforeseen circumstances that can change our perception or ability to perform. Take a good, introspective look at what drives you, and ask if it has lasting hope and joy or only momentary happiness.
I found lasting hope and joy in Jesus Christ. As Easter approaches I am reminded that even though I live in a fallen world, that struggles with temptation and sin, those things do not matter, because I have been forgiven. This is because of Christ’s sacrifice for us. His death and resurrection can offer this same hope and joy to anyone who would believe in him.


[1] The Bible. New Living Translation, Tyndale House Foundation, 2015.

[2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humility

[3] The Bible. New Living Translation, Tyndale House Foundation, 2015.