Events

EVERYONE should sign up to compete.

Yes everyone.

I don’t care if you sign up to Olympic lift, powerlift, CrossFit, 5k, 10k, mud run or anything else your heart desires.  I don’t give a shit what it is, just find something physical that interests you and sign up for it.

Don’t sign up for something that is next week, and don’t sign up for something that is a year from now.  Find some sort of competition that gives you training time, but is not so far out that you lose interest.  This is a great way to keep you accountable, and signing up to compete gives you a true solid date that will allow you to see all of your training and preparation pay off.   I know for me, having a date where I know I have to be on a platform pushes me WAY harder in my training.

Think of it this way, you would never practice football year round to never play a game. That would suck!!!

Competition can be scary, it can be nerve racking, but it can also push you to do things you’ve never done before.  The excitement and adrenaline can do great things for you and push you further, faster and to be stronger than you ever thought.  Competing this last year for me has pushed me to be more focused in my own training than I have been in years.  It has also been fun!

Seeing and being around other people who are pushing themselves to be the best they can be is pretty rad.  It inspires me to want to push harder and be even better.  Seeing people do things you never thought possible opens up the mind to new personal goals.

So, I encourage all of you to find something you like, and go compete.  And if you need help figuring out something to compete in, let me know, and I will help you find an event.

What do you think about when you train?  I’ve heard a lot of different things from people when I ask this question.

A lot of this depends on what people are doing, but I’m talking about when you are lifting.  For some, they are driven by anger or rage.  They get pissed and go to a “dark place” as my buddy Nosa likes to say. Some let fear drive them.  I’ve said it before kinda jokingly to people in the gym that if the weight doesn’t scare you a little, it’s not heavy enough.  Others let the outcome take over their minds, whether it is setting a new PR, or  the vision of being able to fit into their clothing or a certain outfit.  I also know there are some people, like an unnamed female training partner of mine, who doesn’t think about anything at all, and just kinda blacks out and goes.  While there are still others who hyper focus on their technique during each lift.

So what is right?  What works?  Like everything, it all depends on the person.  For myself, it is a mix of all of these things.  I like to let anger and fear prep me for a big lift or set, then I just black out and go.  I try not to focus on technique too much during harder sets or big lifts.  Thinking slows me down especially during big Olympic lifts.  As they say, “Paralysis by analysis”.  Do all the thinking before touching the bar.

The one thing I know works is confidence.  Approach the bar knowing you’ll succeed!  Be positive, move around and be excited about your lift. I’ve seen people step up to do a set or to attempt a lift, and I know before they touch the bar that there is no fucking way they will hit or make the lift or complete the set.  Their mannerisms and body language say it all. Shit, I can tell just by looking at their face.

So, what is it YOU think about?

Whatever it is, get confident and get excited.

Now go move some weight!