I’m with the lady
I used to do XC, but quit because I couldn’t stand competing. I’d push myself in practice, but fall apart in races
Life seems to me like an endless competition (academics, jobs, etc), so I just wanted to do something for myself. With lifting, it’s much more about self improvement rather than a rat, or literal, race until you get to the very top (which I’m nowhere close to)
Then again, I probably am just mentally weak and bad a handling “pressure”
I found success in deciding I had already lost before the event occurred. It may seem a defeatist attitude, but it’s honestly empowering. When you try your hardest and still lose, victory was taken from you, and fate acted upon you. When you decide you’ve already lost, you took control and didn’t allow fate to interject, and from here you can still just try your hardest.
When I fought, I wasn’t there to win: I was there to make sure they other guy knew he was in a fight. For strongman, it’s the same way. I don’t want to win: I want to make someone else catch Rhabdomyolysis when they beat me.
I did my first comp last year in a specific First-Timers category. Dude that won took first in four of five events and third in the last one.
Going to say he probably could have stepped up a class or two…
I equate this to my own lifting. I’ve been lifting for over 14 years but don’t have much to show for it. Really, it’s just been an outlet for stress and a way to prevent my eating habits from turning me into Chris ‘Christie’.
I’ve heard you want to start in novice and move to the open once you’re top 3ish.
I ignored that advice and took last place in every event in my first comp. 3 comps total now and last place overall in each one (but at least I’m only taking last in half the events rather than all of them).
Maybe I need to go the opposite direction of all these other guys and drop down…
isnt that called the physique division? ( I kid)
I went to a Spartan race to watch a buddy of mine who I had advised on lifting, who is in the top % for his age bracket. I was shocked by the number there who competed that looked like they spent more time sitting on their ass at the dinner table then on a actual tread mill . He had taken under 45 minutes to complete his race while those I mentioned were at 3 hours plus.
Maybe… that winning is secondary and everyone is a winner for just trying anymore?
I’m at my events to push myself as hard as I can, and I only care about whoever’s directly in front of me, and, once I pass them, whoever’s next. Being there to walk or just finish is whatever. We’re all paying entry fees, if you want to pay to not challenge yourself it doesn’t bother me.
I signed up to a conference because the topic sounded interesting but then I looked at the speakers and my boss’, boss’, boss is speaking and a roundtable panelist.
On this alone, I have cancelled my attendance. I am currently going with the excuse that it will be my wife’s birthday and I didn’t realise when I signed up lol
Try Dr. appointment for “X chronic injury ppl assume you have because you lift” 
I’m in that peaceful no man’s land right now where anyone I beat isn’t really worth beating and anyone I need to beat to make it worthwhile is so much better than I am I have no chance of beating them unless they bomb. So all I do is focus on my total getting bigger until I’m one of the people worth beating.
More gold from CT’s section. I’m starting to feel genuinely sorry for the guy, even though he kind of brought it on himself
'Is there a difference in cortisol release when comparing unilateral to bilateral dumbbell exercises when the load is held constant for either?
If there is a difference, is it a meaningful difference that should be considered by a natural trainee?’
I think this will not be surpassed in ridiculousness for some time.
I’m just picking comps with weights I can’t hit now so that I’ve no choice but to get stronger in X amount of time. I figure at some point that’s going to wind up getting me in opens.
My personal favourite was about a week ago. A trainee had bought a program based on his neurotype, got the program, decided he didn’t like it and asked for a refund. No sign that the program wouldn’t have worked. Just acceptance that if it doesn’t look right for his neurotype, it couldn’t possibly work and there was no point in trying it.
That beats the pharma section!!
So… yesterday afternoon, I felt a strange urge to squat and since I’m pretty much 5min or less from the gym at all times, I ended up doing 5 more hard sets + some pause squats
Well, my lower body is dying but I feel great otherwise
Question: should I take the day off or go in for some battle ropes
Take a day off. Eat some extra meat. No-one got stronger by doing battle ropes.
LOL! I just splurged on a can of salmon for dinner tonight- a budget is quite like macros, I find ways to “ fit things in “
Well, after a walk, I’m not even really sore anymore…
I honestly don’t know where all my time during the day goes. I work 6-9 hours each day and study a bit on top, yet I get to the end of the day with 5 hours left to sleep and it feels like I barely got anything done. Any thoughts/tips?
What would you do if you consistently found yourself running out of money every pay period? Write a budget. Do the same with your time.
I’d also advise tracking. Just like when ppl who are trying to loose weight forget the “bites licks and tastes” that end up adding hundreds of calories, you (and most ppl) probably have “hidden time wasters” that are digging into productivity