For about a year now I’ve switched my training over from general strength / athletics to a powerlifting-centric workout. I fell in love with powerlifting because it takes all the guess work out of your progress. Weights are cut and dry, the more weight you’re able to squat / bench / deadlift, the more progress you’ve made. There’s very little subjectivity to it, more weight, more reps, better form are all marker of progress that are easy to focus on. As a beginner in the gym you might be wondering if your arms grew a little this month, or if you lost a little off of your waistline. It’s much easier to quantify your progress when you have 5 more pounds on the bar than last week. It’s a feeling of instant gratification, you’re stronger than last week, so you’re progressing, you’re learning and improving on a skill; you’re getting stronger. Hitting a big personal record gives such an amazing high, whether it’s the first time you squat a plate (135 lbs) or the first time you squat 4 plates (405 lbs), the high is the same, perhaps even more intense than the last. Powerlifting for me isn’t a competition against others, it’s a competition against my past self.

Sometimes I take a step back, look at the loaded bar and think “can I do this?”. But I take a deep breath, hone in, and fight against the iron. Sometimes I lose, but with proper planning, diligence and patience, I win.