Photo credit: Alora Griffiths @aloragriffiths

 

You know I "get it." There are many people who will get into a strength sport (defined as any and all types of powerlifting, bodybuilding, strongman, weightlifting) and stop because of a significant life change or choice.

 
Shit happens and people change their interests.

 
What I don't get is how many will get into one discipline, stick with it for a year or two, make decent progress, get stuck, and more stuck and more stuck and then switch to another disciple.

IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE EASY!

 

They change to another discipline and then suck at it, then get better, and better, and after a year or two they will get stuck again, and more stuck and more stuck. (...and here they go again!)

 
Then, most will change to another one and the same pattern will continue. After 3-4 sports or variations, they don't see that they now have put in close to a decade of competitive training and are still at the bottom intermediate to top intermediate stage... with close to or more than 5000 hours of competitive training under their belt.

 
What if they stuck with the first one, put in the time figuring out how to deal with the obstacles in their way and learning to overcome it? That ONE lesson would have laid the base and taught them some important concepts:

 
One can't muscle-fuck their way through issues.

 
One needs to find their weaknesses and address them.

 
One needs to capitalize on their strengths and use them to their advantage.

 
Things take longer than most people think they do.

 
There is a ton of this that ends up simply being you against YOU, and this is a battle you need to learn to win.

 
The grass is not always greener.

 
Consistency is key, the longer one sticks with it the more of their competitors quit (for all the reasons above). In a way you become better because others quit and those coming in do not have the same experience.

 
I am not saying to keep doing what you don't like or hate to do. What I am saying is don't quit just because progress stops or you got injured. It is during these times when you will learn the most - getting through these times is what makes you better.

 

 

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