Training Motivation: Relight Your Fuse

Training Motivation: Relight Your Fuse

Maintaining The Path to Top Level Anime Fitness

After an absolutely amazing training week, I've come to realize how seriously I take this sport. Whether it is my training or nutrition, I love to be on top of everything.

Recently, I had been struggling with how repetitive powerlifting training can be - and began a depressive association with the gym. However, with a mental reframing that was necessary… I have found a new spark in training that has me more motivated than ever! Sometimes, going through the motions is good and necessary for the sport - but it can also be easy to drown in the monotony.

This week I’m going to show how I overcame the monotony of training - and found a new way to light a fire under myself. I will break it up into 3 sections, those sections being confidence, patience, and stress management. 

Confidence

The main culprit for training downfall is confidence, and a surplus thereof. Oftentimes overconfidence is seen on social media as “ego-lifting”, however it is also very common in powerlifters who quit the sport because of it being “boring”. While, at times, powerlifting can be boring - the chances of a lifter having nothing to work on at a given time is next to zero.

Lifters fall into the confidence trap that lifts have been going well, therefore they have nothing to work on. To the contrary, powerlifting is a constant project that is worked on - especially with technique. Lifters need to constantly scrutinize themselves, in a healthy manner, in order to constantly work towards a better version of themselves.

I had fallen into the trap of confidence, allowing myself to be confident and comfortable with my form and accepting that it was perfect. However, with video evidence from this week I’ve found things I can work on - and working on technique is my biggest motivator in the gym right now!

To conclude, lifters should have moments of introspection intermittently throughout their career and truly contemplate what they can work on to be a better version of themselves. 

Patience:

Another primary factor of training limitations is a lack of patience in lifters. Every person in powerlifting and fitness should have long term goals that will take an incredible amount of work to achieve - so don’t think what I say next means that I don’t believe in this. However, lifters need to be realistic with their expectations with training and how progressive overload works effectively.

Many lifters will not follow a workout routine for more than a week, before they try to max out and expect massive results on every lift - but they are disappointed with the results. In reality, it takes weeks (if not months or years) to gain the strength to hit a PR on whatever lift you are going for.

Understanding that progressively, every week, you get slightly heavier until you load yourself to a maximal lift. However, contrary to maxing out after a week on program, the lifter has taken their time working to that point - and they will most likely hit the PR because their body has been allowed to grow into the attempt.

Lifters need to understand that progress comes with intensity and time, rather than intensity alone. Allowing the body to grow with intense training over time allows for the most optimal growth.Every lifter needs to understand the principle of progressive overload, and the purpose it serves, in order to maintain the longevity of their career in the sport.

In regards to my training, I am currently coming off of a block in which I maxed out - and was losing excitement to train because of the fact that I hit my goals… and did not know where to go from there. After talking to a few friends of mine, I had to realize that I am now working towards my new goals (the long term goals that I mentioned in the beginning).

As a final note, take your time with short term goals, but once you achieve them do not forget that you still have long term goals to work towards. 

Stress Management (and taking accountability for your life):

“Today’s lift didn’t go as planned because of (insert 30+ excuses, not taking accountability for any of them)” ~ Most lifters who are not seeing progress in their training. The statement aforementioned does seem like a cold and harsh depiction of lifters who are not seeing progress, but unfortunately over time this depiction has become the truth.

 

Lifters often experience regression or maintenance in strength when life becomes stressful - which is OKAY - however, many lifters whose training are struggling due to life stress begin to blame every external factor in their life… formulating a victim complex.

However, lifters who succeed are those who take what life gives them - and either accepts that lifting cannot be a priority and that it was their decision to do so, or manages their stress in a way that allows for optimal to semi-optimal training conditions. I must emphasize, I am not saying that life stress sometimes requires training to take a lower priority to other things… I know very well that it does.

 

However, lifters who blame life rather than admitting that they need to prioritize life often lose motivation in training due to the feeling of powerlessness in their life. The feeling of powerlessness is facilitated through their mentality during stressful times - saying things such as the statement I made in the beginning of this point, or giving up, is reinforcing the idea that you are powerless in your life. Instead of digging the grave of your own training cycle, I incline you to take control of your life - or the decision for training to take the back seat.

Taking control of that simple factor is not easy, but it is one of the most empowering things a lifter can do… and will certainly help maintain or reignite their spark for training. 

 

Conclusion

To conclude, lifters often need introspection that frames their mindset into a realistic plan about training in regards to confidence, patience, and stress management. Lifters need to be patient with their training, and understand that the greatest method to gaining strength is giving their body time paired with training. Lifters also need to understand that confidence is a powerful tool, but also needs to be checked often in order for the lifter to not get comfortable in the monotony and believe they have nothing to work on - which will effectively kill training motivation.

The final thing lifters need to work on is taking control of their life/stress, making their decision on what to do with their training. I incline you to think on these three things, and how you can reframe them to relight your fuse. 

Bio

Hi! I’m Payton Cowan, I am a sponsored athlete of First Step Apparel and I’ve been powerlifting for many years now! I am a full time college student and a huge anime fan! My favorite anime of all time is either Violet Evergarden or Naruto

Check me out on Instagram @thejackedmclovin!

For coaching requests, shoot an email to prometheuspowerlifting@gmail.com, or DM me on Instagram!


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