Podcast Summary
AJ Roberts' journey to becoming the strongest man and then the fittest man: Dedication and a clear goal can lead to incredible transformations, even when faced with seemingly impossible goals. Focus on your vision, adapt and evolve, and it's not about being the best in every aspect, but rather putting your best effort into achieving your goals.
Dedication and a clear goal can lead to incredible transformations. AJ Roberts, a former strongest man in the world, shares his journey of setting and achieving a world record in powerlifting, and then retiring to pursue becoming the fittest man. His determination to succeed, even when faced with seemingly impossible goals, serves as an inspiration to us all. AJ's story highlights the importance of having a clear vision, staying focused, and being willing to adapt and evolve. The record-breaking powerlifter lifted a combined total of 28.25 in the three lifts of squat, bench press, and deadlift, which was a significant achievement that he held for nearly a year. Despite not having the world record in each individual lift, AJ's all-around strength earned him the title of the strongest man in the world. His story is a reminder that it's not about being the best in every aspect, but rather putting your best effort into achieving your goals.
AJ's Powerlifting Milestone and Weight Loss Journey: A retired powerlifter, AJ, defied expectations by losing over 100 pounds, transforming his health, and continuing to pursue his goals.
The speaker, AJ, achieved a significant milestone in powerlifting by ranking among the top five all-time greatest lifters, with a total of 2855 pounds. This accomplishment came despite his retirement from the sport only three years ago, when he weighed around 320 pounds. Since then, AJ has undergone a remarkable transformation, losing over a hundred pounds and competing in bodybuilding. He now weighs 248 pounds and feels healthier than ever. This conversation with a former training partner, Dave Hoff, highlighted the incredible journey AJ has taken, from being a large, solid muscle-bound man to a fit and healthy individual. This transformation not only improved his physical health but also allowed him to continue pursuing his goal-oriented approach to life.
From Basketball to Powerlifting: The Power of Determination: A driven mindset and determination to excel, even after setbacks, can lead to unexpected success in new pursuits.
The speaker, a powerlifting champion, was driven by a mindset of not settling for average or mediocre, leading him to pursue the world record in powerlifting after being cut from the England basketball team due to size. His dedication to strength training led him to gain significant weight, but eventually, he realized the importance of fitness and health over peak performance and size. The speaker's determination to excel in any pursuit, coupled with his background in basketball, fueled his passion for powerlifting and ultimately led him to competitive success.
Belief in oneself and learning from the best: Determination, hard work, and the pursuit of excellence can lead to great achievements despite setbacks.
Having an unwavering belief in oneself and the willingness to go the extra mile to learn from the best can lead to great achievements. The speaker's journey to becoming a world record holder in powerlifting involved seeking out and training with the best in the field, making sacrifices, and maintaining a strong belief in his abilities. He also emphasized that the journey may not always go as planned, but staying committed to the goal is crucial. The speaker's success story illustrates the power of determination, hard work, and the pursuit of excellence.
Unexpected destinations from unplanned experiences: Skills and dedication from athletic journey led to business success, passion for powerlifting created opportunities, importance of adapting and understanding limitations, and value of helping others and finding balance.
Life doesn't always go as planned, but the experiences and lessons we gain along the way can lead us to unexpected yet fulfilling destinations. The speaker shared how his dream of playing football in the NFL didn't come to fruition due to an injury, but the skills and dedication he learned during his athletic journey supported him in his current successful business endeavors. He also discussed how his passion for powerlifting led him to create opportunities and teams despite challenges, and how he continues to apply the lessons he learned to other areas of his life. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of adapting and understanding limitations as we age, and the value of helping others and finding balance in our pursuits.
Applying Disciplines Across Different Areas of Life: Effectively applying disciplines learned in one area to another can lead to improved performance and overall greatness. Time blocking, a business discipline, can enhance athletic training and nutrition.
The principles and disciplines learned in one area of life can be effectively applied to other areas, leading to improved performance and overall greatness. The speaker shares his personal experience of applying time blocking, a discipline learned from business, to his athletic training and nutrition. He emphasizes the importance of structure and focus in achieving success in multiple aspects of life. The speaker also highlights the potential for individuals to excel in various areas but miss out on others, encouraging listeners to consider how lessons learned in one domain can enhance performance in others. The discussion underscores the importance of recognizing the value of time blocking and the benefits of transferring disciplines across different areas of life.
Time blocking for freedom and productivity: Structured schedules provide direction, reduce stress, and increase efficiency by allowing focused time for tasks and leisure activities
Having a structured schedule or itinerary can actually give you more freedom and productivity in your life, rather than being a restriction. By time blocking and setting aside specific hours for tasks, you can get more done efficiently and make room for leisure activities. This structure provides a sense of direction and eliminates the stress of constantly deciding what to focus on. Even successful people follow this principle, as they understand the importance of preparation and sticking to a plan. This concept was exemplified during the speaker's experience of breaking a world record, where a well-prepared routine led to an outstanding achievement.
Overcoming physical and mental challenges for a record-breaking performance: Through dedication, focus on nutrition, and mental preparation, an athlete achieved a personal best in powerlifting.
The athlete's dedication and focus on improving both physically and mentally allowed them to achieve a personal record-breaking performance in powerlifting. Six months prior to the competition, they sought help from a fitness professional and underwent a rigorous program to address muscle activation issues and began paying closer attention to their nutrition. The combination of these improvements boosted their confidence and allowed them to visualize success during the competition. On the day of the event, their visualization and mental preparation, along with their physical strength, resulted in a perfect day where they successfully lifted the heaviest weight they had ever attempted.
The importance of the journey towards achieving a goal: Embrace the challenges and doubts during the journey towards your goal as they build belief and determination for success.
The journey towards achieving a goal is just as important as reaching the goal itself. The speaker shared his experience of breaking a world record in weightlifting, which he had been working towards for ten years. He described the feeling of effortlessness and ecstasy during the competition, but also acknowledged that the moment of success was not the end. Instead, he realized that the journey, filled with challenges and doubts, had been essential in building his belief and determination to achieve his goal. The speaker encourages that if one truly desires something, they can make it happen, but it may take time and perseverance. The highs and lows of the journey are part of the experience, and embracing them can lead to greater success.
Retiring with Pride: Achieving Personal Bests and Inspiring Others: The speaker found joy in powerlifting, reached his peak performance, and now inspires others to reach their potential through fitness
The speaker found great fulfillment in his powerlifting career, culminating in a personal best lift that confirmed his decision to retire. Post-competition, he transitioned to helping others achieve their own personal bests through health and fitness. His vision now is to inspire and guide as many people as possible to become the best versions of themselves, using fitness as the foundation for improvement in all areas of life. He looks up to industry legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger as role models and aims to build a legacy by empowering others to transform their lives.
Living each day as if it's your last: Embrace greatness by committing fully to each day and giving your best effort in all aspects of life
Greatness lies in living every day with full commitment and putting in your best effort, no matter what you're doing. AJ Robbins, a fitness expert and entrepreneur, shares his journey of transforming his body and mindset from sports to business and relationships. You can connect with him on ajrobots.com, Facebook, and Instagram. AJ's definition of greatness is living each day as if it's your last. The Lewis House Podcast encourages listeners to check out the show notes at lewishouse.com/83 for more information and to subscribe for upcoming episodes. Don't miss out on opportunities and take action towards your goals.
