Getting over the mental hurdles post injury can be just as painful as the actual injury, but you can come out of it stronger if you choose to.

Here we are 400 years later and we’re still arguing like popes and polymaths.

What is it about powerlifting that draws people to it like a magnet? Is it the parts of us that start as iron ore and are melted down into knurled steel through training? Is it a religion we worship? What power does powerlifting have over us?

We associate the word “heart” with an emotional response and driving purpose, when it is, in fact, the opposite. It’s the act of leaving emotions and connections behind, if only for a short while.

Hear me on this one. If you’re running from your past or managing it in secrecy, bodybuilding isn’t the answer.

In this interview with Mark Dugdale, we discuss the mental side of training and competing, along with the various challenges that we meet when life, training, family, work, and all of the other areas of our lives intersect.

For the next three or four articles, this is our topic: motivation. This first part will explore the construction of meaning, identity, and the origins of motivation.