A Talk With Kent: Realize Where Your Abilities Come From

I talked to my best friend Kent about how weight lifting can become a negative thing in ones' life. Kent has played nine years of football including one year of college football.

The reason he didn't continue to play all four years if his college career was because of football injuries and some injuries he sustained from weight training. Weight lifting was Kent's identity throughout high school and into college. But then something changed.

TGH: When did you first start weight training?

Kent: I messed around with it in junior high, so, 8th grade. I didn't consistently start lifting weights until 9th grade of my freshman year of high school.

TGH: When did you really start seeing huge improvements in lifting?

Kent: Second half of my freshman year of high school.

TGH: Can you see a specific point in your high school years where you had become obsessed with weight lifting?

Kent: Second half of my sophomore year of high school.

TGH: Is there something specific that you can point out that shows that you were getting on the wrong track?

Kent: I had a inner pride that really started building.

TGH: Do you think that pride was affecting the way you treated others and/or the way you acted?

Kent: Well, maybe not so much the way I treated others, but I kinda got this macho viewing of myself and carrying of myself.

TGH: Did you realize that weight lifting had become an overly important part of your life in high school or did you come to that epiphany in college?

Kent: In college.

TGH: How did you come to that realization?

Kent: I tore some muscles from some over exertion in weight training. And it made me lose something that was very important to me for awhile. Plus I got a carpal tunnel in both of my wrists. And I really just had to step back. I realized that I can only do what I've been given the ability to do.

TGH: Where do you think that ability comes from?

Kent: Theres no question that it comes from God and not myself.

TGH: I take it you weren't really considering that fact during high school?

Kent: No, I didn't really, I mean I wasn't cocky, and because of that I think that I thought I was okay.

TGH: What advice would you give to people who want to get started in weight lifting?

Kent: If you want to be a successful weight lifter you have to realize that nothing replaces hard work. If you wanna get big or you wanna get in shape you have to work hard. It doesn't matter what supplements you take. Stick with the fundamental lifts; there's a reason they're still around.
Never put to high of a value on it and never get arrogant about your ability. God is the one who gave you that ability and He can take it away just as fast as he gave it to you.

Thanks to Kent for taking time to talk and being honest about how even weight lifting can become something that drags you down. A good reminder to all of us that our abilities come from God and that he can take away those abilities if we allow them to become to important to us.

Lift hard.