In 2017 I made a run at a 300 pound bench press and hit 290 before getting bored with it. Earlier this year, on June 8th, I set a goal to bench press 300 pounds before my 40th (on December 26th) and announced it on Instagram.

I fucking did it!

Out of everything I’ve been able to do in my 8+ years of CrossFit, I might be the most proud of this achievement. 🙂

Growing up I wasn’t strong and I didn’t have muscles. Soaking wet, I might have weighed 165 pounds in high school. During and after college, I think I got up to a 205 pound bench press. Getting 300 pounds was never a realistic goal for my size and strength.

I gained weight over the years. When I started CrossFit I tipped the scale at about 190 and had never seen 200+. At the time I had a goal never to be 200 pounds. Silly! During that first year of CrossFit, I leaned out and got down to 173. Then I slowly but steadily got stronger and built muscle. It my heaviest, in 2017, I weighed 217. Right now I’ve been stable at 202-203.

Why does this matter? Generally the bigger you are, the more weight you can lift. Mass moves mass. It also shows how my relationship with weight and my understanding of what is healthy has evolved. So much for never weighing more than 200 pounds! I think I carry my weight pretty good for a guy turning 40. 😉

If you want to call it bragging, humble bragging, or whatever… go shit on someone else’s lawn because I don’t give a fuck. I’m proud of my hard work. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. I love me some me.

Change doesn’t happen overnight, but if I can do it, so can you. Set a goal, tell people, pick a timeline, make a plan, do work, and have patience.

What do you want to do for yourself? Start today.