Genetics vs. Hard Work

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

—Phil Heath, 7-time Mr. Olympia

“My goal when I come in here every day is to make sure that if someone beats me, it’s not because they outworked me.”

—Layne Norton, Ph.D., professional natural body bodybuilder, powerlifter, coaching guru

“You might be smarter, your family may come from privilege, your daddy might own a company, but you will not outwork me!”

—Eric Thomas, motivational speaker

“I will not be outworked, period. You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me, you might be all of those things, you got it on me in nine categories. But if we get on the treadmill together, there’s two things: You’re getting off first, or I’m going to die. It’s really that simple, right?

You’re not going to outwork me. It’s such a simple, basic concept. The guy who is willing to hustle the most is going to be the guy that just gets that loose ball. The majority of people who aren’t getting the places they want or aren’t achieving the things that they want in this business is strictly based on hustle. It’s strictly based on being outworked; it’s strictly based on missing crucial opportunities. I say all the time if you stay ready, you ain’t gotta get ready.”

—Will Smith, actor

We could go on and on about just how important hard work is to success, regardless of what industry you’re in. From motivational speaking to bodybuilding to acting, the common denominator is working harder than the guy or girl next to you. Success is the result of small efforts done repeatedly day in and day out. And no one knows just how tedious and repetitive some of those efforts are more than dieting competitors. Minutes on the Stairmaster pass by like sands in an hourglass, and you can practically hear the second hand ticking on the clock when you’re between meals. Every day is the same damn thing, and you wonder whether it’s all going to be worth it in the end.

First of all, of course it is. Any time you’re working towards self-improvement, whether that’s committing to working a little more diligently at your job, spending extra time reading a book, or sticking to your diet better, every single day that you perform is a victory. Every day that you worked a little harder than the day before is a win. But with all this said, what about the guy in your office who seems to have all the luck? What about the girl in your gym who seems to be blessed with god-given proportions? That guy who stays lean year-round despite the fact that you never see him do cardio? What do you do about these people with whom we have a love-hate relationship?

Nothing. You don’t do anything about them, because they’re not you, and you’re not them. Maybe that guy who gets super-lucky at work doesn’t have a partner to go home to at the end of the day, so he can afford to spend extra hours at the office. The girl who has amazing proportions and symmetry may be only 21 years old, so of course she has time on her side relative to her physical appearance. And the guy who’s always at 5 percent body fat may not be as strong as you are because he keeps himself too lean to focus on strength and hypertrophy. So one day, Office Guy will start dating, Baby Minor will turn 25, and Mr. LeanBean will put on fluff for the winter. You’ll still be there, however, plugging along, outworking all of them because nothing was handed to you. You’re trying to balance your relationship, your body, and your peace of mind, and through it all, you need to constantly remind yourself that people who weren’t given anything have to work hard for everything.

It’s work ethic that you’re left with at the end of the day. It’s your work ethic and commitment to your goal that will be with you when talent and genetics have run out (eventually gravity will take its toll). Hard work is what will separate those who are successful from those who were just lucky, and the cream always rises to the top. So regardless of how easy you think other people have it, just put your head to the grindstone and your legs to the Stairmaster, and never stop working. When you want to succeed more than you want to complain or lament about what you were or weren’t given, that’s when you’ll be successful.