How do you eat an elephant? ...One bite at a time.
This favorite quip of mine is applicable few places more so than it is in the sport of powerlifting. With public accessibility to most of the top names in the sport, anyone can easily keep up with the training and competition results of his favorite lifters. This is an invaluable tool, and elitefts™ leads the way in helping lifters learn from each other by living out their mantra of “Live, learn, and pass on.” As more lifters are exposed to training knowledge and one-on-one interaction, I want to remind the newer lifters that the lifters on this site and elsewhere didn’t get to where they are today without a lot of time spent underneath a barbell and many lessons learned.
The funny thing about powerlifting is that while it is designed to test one’s physical strength, it actually tests your mental strength just as much. There are plenty of times when a lifter will pop up on the scene almost out of nowhere with incredible strength only to disappear in a few short years. The lifter's incredible early success and ease of gains can be a double-edged sword when he's struck by adversity. With diminishing returns from his training and diet, it's sometimes easier to quit than trudge through. However, the lifter's initial firework show of strength intrigues many young lifters and sends them on another wild goose chase in search of the training “secret” that has allowed this person such quick success. Unfortunately, this distraction can lead younger lifters away from talking to a more seasoned lifter who has been around for longer and has built his success gradually. Their lack of patience is the very thing that prevents them from reaching the levels of the people that they look up to so much.
A brick layer tasked with building an enormous wall gains nothing from solely focusing on how far he has to go to accomplish his task. In the early stages of the wall building, this would just lead to depression and frustration, and he is constantly reminded of how little he has accomplished and how far he has to go. Instead, he must focus on the task at hand—the brick. He must focus on preparing the surface, spreading the mortar, and laying the brick in the correct position. Not only does this keep his mind sharp, but it ensures that the work being done is of the highest quality. He doesn’t rush or get complacent. He only focuses on laying each brick as perfectly as possible. Once he has accomplished this task, he must focus on the next brick. Over time, he will have constructed an incredible achievement but only if he focuses on laying each brick perfectly. The sport of powerlifting must be approached in this same manner.
With the overall goal in mind, you must focus on each task as it comes. When you warm up, do it with all your focus. When you perform your main lifts, do it with complete concentration. When you perform your accessory movements, do them with your full attention. This doesn’t mean that you aren’t aware of the long-term goal. It just means you know that the only way to get there is to accumulate multiple bricks (training sessions, meals, recovery), each laid perfectly over an extended period of time. Through this process, you will appreciate the work. You will learn what it takes, and you will appreciate the bricklayers who have gone before you and will be more attentive when they speak. You will be more passionate to share your process with others looking to lay down bricks of their own.
This process of focusing on the individual brick will result in quality training sessions, quality recovery, and quality nutrition. Over time, the more quality bricks you lay, the greater your achievement will be. Take each opportunity to analyze how well you accomplished your task and how you can improve yourself so that you're continually moving forward. Don’t get bogged down in the process but instead learn to enjoy the work. Learn to appreciate the focus and determination it brings to you. Learn to appreciate the patience it gives you. Great lifters aren’t the result of a special program but are instead the result of a special mindset. They are the results of years of repetition, continual evaluation, and progress.
Great lifters are built one brick at a time.