THE QUITTER'S GUIDE TO WINNING

So many New Year's resolutions focus on that first word: new. (New job. New body. New attitude.) But what if you chose something to drop instead? These guys did-and they turned into whole new men.

I QUIT: The Barbell  Bench Press

BY EBENEZER SAMUEL, C.S.C.S.,

MEN'S HEALTH FITNESS DIRECTOR T

HE BARBELL BENCH PRESS is widely viewed as one of the gold standards of fitness. It's the only strength exercise that football players test at the yearly NFL Scouting Combine. It's also one that took me years to master. I eventually beefed up my bench to more than 250 pounds and was able to pump out reps at 225 with ease.

For a long time, I had no interest in quitting the move I'd done every single week since high school. But a few years ago, I was in a Bronx gym talking about a nagging shoulder pain. An older bodybuilder who'd frequently given me advice suggested I switch to dumbbell presses. They'd be easier on my shoulder and might aid in chest development. I'd heard that before but brushed it off-until two weeks later, when the pain intensified. For the first time ever, I quit an exercise-a decision that went against classic fitness rhetoric, which tells us never to quit.

But the more I thought about my fitness goals, the less I was able to convince myself that I had to do the barbell press.

So I didn't. For three years. To liberate myself from general fitness dogma and get there, though, I needed to learn these lessons:

THE BODY DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE EQUIPMENT YOU USE.

By switching to dumbbells and no longer battling shoulder pain, I was able to focus on squeezing my chest instead of simply pushing the weight. This ultimately helped me gain even more strength and size in my pecs.

QUITTING MAY MAKE YOU STRONGER.