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2006/08/09, 11:42 PM
Not a lot of activity in this board, so figured I'd start something.
A while back, Dave Tate wrote about the "education of a powerlifter". This series of articles was a story of a young man entering into the sport of powerlifting. This guy Jonathan, started training with a group of powerlifters following the westside system. He was amazed by their strength and power, and would go to every workout, but was never allowed to lift with them. J started to get bored, and then finally he was allowed to lift. He asked why now?
"Tom explained that when he came in he was in awe of the lifters in the group and that you can never become what you're in awe of."
This is a powerful statement to me. One of my last training parters was someone that wanted to learn how to lift and get a lot stronger. However, I realized one day when doing 405lb rack pulls, that after every set I did, he would stand and gawk. I made him read this, and told him to never be amazed by anything I do. I don't want praise for rack pulling something I can get off the floor. A congrats for a big PR maybe, but I'm not one of those guys that needs to feed off of the amazement of others. I told him to read the series, and he immediately changed his perspective.
I feel this is the first step in getting stronger.
However, I am starting to understand there is a second step. Hunger.
In the gym I lift in, the "ceiling" for the bench press (the most popular lift) seems to be around 275, and that is for the really big guys. For a while I used to think that 'I would LIKE to be at that point some time.'
Then I shifted my views, and suddenly I 'WANTED to be at that point, and to catch these lifters.
I'm not lifting significantly more than these guys, but I'm starting to change my views again. I don't care anymore if I catch these guys, or at what bodyweight. I want to destroy those numbers. I want to go above and beyond. Whereas at one point I would be happy with achieving things like this, this is no longer enough. No I haven't achieved these things yet, but I am already looking past them.
If you have the ability to look past a short term goal, then it becomes mentally a lot easier. I really want to make my current goals small. Every quarter, I set a series of goals for myself. Where as I used to think "how am I going to achieve this" everytime I saw these goals, I now think that these goals seem kind of small, and I'm disgusted by it. Not because of the lack of progression, because they are good goals for a 10 week period, but because I want to be past a 300lb bench or a 400lb squat.
Genetically, I was NOT born to lift weights. I used to use this as an excuse, even though I was stronger just because my training was so systematic and I knew more than the average lifter.
Now, I see no reason I can't do this. I can't even imagine what it's like to have an excuse like "I have long legs so my squat will suck".
This is what it is about to be hungry for something. Maybe I'm ranting, but I know what I want, and I will get it. I may never be satisfied, but I will go down in the record books.
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Iron and chalk.
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2006/08/10, 12:08 AM
"It's okay to have idols as a kid," Tom said, "but when you grow up you have to become what you dream about."
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2006/08/10, 06:44 AM
completely agree with you. I used to be in awe of certain strong people but eventually the awe turned into determination which allowed me to push myself harder than most people.....and to try to achieve or surpass those goals...granted I dont train with powerlifters or other extremely strong people but nevertheless....
Most people at the gym see me deadlifting or perhaps something else and are in awe of the weight...it seems superhuman....but I bet there are people with better genetics/potential than me who could just as easily start deadlifting/squatting/etc and few years from now achieve or surpass me....with the right program....hell they could ask me as I gladly offer my advice...but what ends up happening? they never do it....whether because it seems unattainable or too hard or whatever else....instead of being in awe...instead of watching me and then continuing with their sets of curls...why not come to me and ask how I was able to achieve this...then come up with goals of their own...and then push themselves every workout to achieve this goals...
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2006/08/10, 07:54 AM
I hear ya! I am getting uncomfortable when I deadlift, shrug, bench, squat, hell even curl. I mean yeah there are out of the hundreds that go to my Y like maybe a hand full of guys that lift more, but having the whole place gawk at me is freaking me out. I used to go in and say that I could never bench 300, now on my ME days I am there each time.......I think as you get older you realize that idolizing someone is not really worth the time.
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Less Talk, More Chalk!
The Men and Boys are Separated by one thing: The Squat Cage!
7707mutt@freetrainers.com
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2006/08/10, 12:21 PM
Good post Wrestler ...
I agree at one point you gotta become your own `idol`.
Just recently I`ve decided to take my career to another level, so it`s important to visualize what I need to do short term but also long term, and I`m pretty good at it.
I know that I need to step up and do what I need to do for myslef and my family..
I still observe and learn form people that have the experience over me but at the same time I know that I`m different and got to be doing things my way
You are right about making excuses about being "hardgainer" too tall too short. It`s either you wanna do it or you don`t.
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2006/08/10, 04:26 PM
Wrestler,
Do you have a link to Tate's articles or are they only in print? I'd love to read 'em.
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--JBennett
"I've up-ed my intensity.... now up yours!"
"Pain is only weakness leaving the body."
"Never think of how weak you are; think of how strong you're going to be."
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2006/08/10, 10:14 PM
Everything Dave Tate writes (other than his Under The Bar book which I recently acquired) are published at elitefts.com.
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do;jsessionid=1FEE36CBEE325CDB6656968B9E5A5ECA.ba08?article=304edu2
http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do;jsessionid=0A9ACD7272BA7EF08CBCAD016382952B.ba08?article=305edu2
Education of a powerlifter part 1 and 2.
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Iron and chalk.
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2006/08/11, 11:15 PM
One of my fav quotes in amovie...is from blade 3.
After they cam ein and found all their friends dead...they girls started to cray....blade said 2 words.....which I think emplies to "awe'n " of a strong person in the gym.....
"Use It!"
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Get your bicep curling, cut off shirt, matching workout outfit wearing,flexing in mirror "toned" wanna-be ass , out of my squat rack!
People don't reach thier true potental, only those who seek it.
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2006/08/12, 06:06 PM
Yeah, Dave Tate is ok....how he got hooked up with Beardi though is beyond me.
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Maximus from Gladiator....Strength and Honor!
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