Everyone Else
It’s human nature to compare ourselves to others in a multitude of respects, from athletic abilities to hair styles. It’s also natural to rationalize away the source of our failures, inabilities or shortcomings in ways that mitigate the sting and comfort our delicate egos. These habits are reinforced by community behavior until they’re all but invisible. This process eventually transforms into a defeatist attitude, which only fuels the process further until failure is virtually guaranteed.
On a personal level, it’s easy to become discouraged with your own training when focusing on the performances of more advanced lifters. I’m frequently compelled to remind my lifters, particularly early on, that it’s important they compete with themselves, not the other lifters in the gym. It’s remarkable to me how discouraged lifters can become watching another lifter or looking at numbers on the record board when those lifters have made dramatic gains, often far greater than those of the lifter to whom they’re comparing themselves. This is simply a matter of maintaining perspective and reminding yourself that you started at a different time, a different initial level, have different strengths and weaknesses, and that the only performance you have control over is your own. You can get wrapped up in the abilities of others and get frustrated, or you can focus on your own abilities, watch them improve, and use your own progress as continued motivation.
This is not to say that it can’t be useful to have models or heroes. Having lifters whom you admire, whom you want to emulate, and who inspire you can be immensely helpful. However, this is different than becoming obsessed with the abilities or progress of such an individual and feeding feelings of inadequacy. This is far from productive and can have a profoundly limiting effect on your motivation, your commitment and your enthusiasm for training.
I’m not going to say that if you work hard enough, you can achieve anything, because that’s simply untrue. This is not cynicism or self-defeatism—it’s fact. The truth is that with enough hard work, commitment, and consistency, you can achieve your full potential; this is very different, and this detail trips up many athletes.
While there is inarguably a significant mental element to the sport of weightlifting, there is a more significant physical element. I tell my lifters that weightlifting is 90% mental—if you have 100% of the necessary strength. No amount of focus, determination or visualization of success will make up for inadequate physical capabilities; it will only aid in their development and recruitment. In this respect, these things are critical. But don’t make the mistake of believing they’re magic.
The take-home point is that there is no use in getting wrapped up in what the guy on the next platform or the rest of the world is doing. Focus on what you’re doing, what you can do, and what you can do better. Be ambitious; use your heroes as models without stripping yourself of merit unless you can duplicate their performances; let your competitors push you without demoralizing you; set goals that require a great deal of dedication and hard work; and then make the commitment and put in the work.
It’s human nature to compare ourselves to others in a multitude of respects, from athletic abilities to hair styles. It’s also natural to rationalize away the source of our failures, inabilities or shortcomings in ways that mitigate the sting and comfort our delicate egos. These habits are reinforced by community behavior until they’re all but invisible. This process eventually transforms into a defeatist attitude, which only fuels the process further until failure is virtually guaranteed.
On a personal level, it’s easy to become discouraged with your own training when focusing on the performances of more advanced lifters. I’m frequently compelled to remind my lifters, particularly early on, that it’s important they compete with themselves, not the other lifters in the gym. It’s remarkable to me how discouraged lifters can become watching another lifter or looking at numbers on the record board when those lifters have made dramatic gains, often far greater than those of the lifter to whom they’re comparing themselves. This is simply a matter of maintaining perspective and reminding yourself that you started at a different time, a different initial level, have different strengths and weaknesses, and that the only performance you have control over is your own. You can get wrapped up in the abilities of others and get frustrated, or you can focus on your own abilities, watch them improve, and use your own progress as continued motivation.
This is not to say that it can’t be useful to have models or heroes. Having lifters whom you admire, whom you want to emulate, and who inspire you can be immensely helpful. However, this is different than becoming obsessed with the abilities or progress of such an individual and feeding feelings of inadequacy. This is far from productive and can have a profoundly limiting effect on your motivation, your commitment and your enthusiasm for training.
I’m not going to say that if you work hard enough, you can achieve anything, because that’s simply untrue. This is not cynicism or self-defeatism—it’s fact. The truth is that with enough hard work, commitment, and consistency, you can achieve your full potential; this is very different, and this detail trips up many athletes.
While there is inarguably a significant mental element to the sport of weightlifting, there is a more significant physical element. I tell my lifters that weightlifting is 90% mental—if you have 100% of the necessary strength. No amount of focus, determination or visualization of success will make up for inadequate physical capabilities; it will only aid in their development and recruitment. In this respect, these things are critical. But don’t make the mistake of believing they’re magic.
The take-home point is that there is no use in getting wrapped up in what the guy on the next platform or the rest of the world is doing. Focus on what you’re doing, what you can do, and what you can do better. Be ambitious; use your heroes as models without stripping yourself of merit unless you can duplicate their performances; let your competitors push you without demoralizing you; set goals that require a great deal of dedication and hard work; and then make the commitment and put in the work.
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