Joe Jackson argues that modern powerlifting must evolve beyond a niche participant activity by prioritizing compelling storytelling and head-to-head battles that engage a wider audience. He also reflects on the mental demands of the sport, warning lifters that they cannot "out total a bad relationship" with themselves and must separate their self-worth from the numbers on the bar to survive the plateau periods following the initial "honeymoon phase" of strength gains.

The guys who laughed at online training now rely on it to pay their bills. That’s not hypocrisy — it’s evolution. If we return to the pre-Internet era, it’s the same story told through different technology.

 Dave Tate argues that while the fitness industry hyper-focuses on the "black margin" of complex nuances like peptides and exact RIR, the vast majority of progress actually comes from the ignored "white space" of common sense fundamentals. He contends that mastering basic compound lifts, training with sufficient effort, and maintaining consistency are far more critical for growth than obsessing over the optimization minutiae often found in online discourse.