I’ve been lifting weights since I was 16 years old. I love to be in the gym and move the weights, but I wasn’t anywhere near where I should be with my strength and totals. I started really thinking about where I was in my life at 37 years old and where I wanted to be. I knew that my desire for powerlifting had risen since the opening of my gym, but I still felt I needed to take it to the next level. When it comes to the numbers, I fit the criteria for average strong, but that isn’t good enough. I want to try and be the best.
After training for a year, I made the assumption that I could be the best with the right mindset. Until I started taking my training seriously, I never thought I could reach the weight numbers that classify me as elite.  Up to this point in my life, I always thought that certain people were born with the gift or talent. I learned what hard work was from my father but never put that together as being the sole reason others succeed. It took a barbell to make me understand that hard work and passion can get you the things in life you truly deserve.

I have learned in powerlifting as with life that if you want to be successful you have to move past your comfort zone. You’re going to come across failures, walls, emotional distress, and doubters. If you know and have an understanding that these days are going to happen, it makes the transition to your goals that much easier. If you think bad days won’t happen, you aren’t thinking rationally.

If you want to stay on track and reach your goals, here are the six standards that must be met:

1. Have passion for the goal: When you have the passion to achieve your goal at all costs, it carries over to the other aspects of your life.  Family, career, and other personal goals will all have positive results from your passion for the barbell.

2. Stay focused on your goal: Everyone starts out with high energy and dominates the world. The problem begins when the consistency ends. You have to stick to your plan and your goals and make sure it is a daily reminder. If you need to train that day, do everything possible to get to the gym and train.

3. Rest when needed: If you need to deload so you can recover, do so. As we know in powerlifting, the central nervous system gets taxed highly. After several weeks, it needs time to recover. Stay consistent with your goal but be smart about how to get there.

4. Pursue and seek expert advice: Utilize resources like EliteFTS, and T-Nation. These websites offer an insight into the sport as well as information that you can’t find anywhere else. Of course, follow my blog as well.

5. Lots of time with the barbell: “Greasing the groove” as it’s known it some circles is the best way to improve with your lifts. The more times you squat the barbell, the better you’re going to be at feeling the lift. That’s right. I said “feeling the lift.” It means don’t stand in front of a mirror and look at yourself. You need to feel your body and what muscle tension is during the lifts. Staying tight and controlled is the key to not missing the lift.

6. Don’t be lazy: I’m not talking about the type of lazy where you never even make it to the gym from the couch. I’m referring to the type of laziness during the actual barbell movements. “How is this possible?” you ask. “I’m squatting the barbell. How can I be lazy?” Simple. If I watch you squat two repetitions with your knees crashing in and then give you the cue ‘knees out’ before your third rep and they don’t crash in, you were being lazy. It happens all the time, so make sure you treat every rep and weight with the same intensity and tightness.

I have lifted weights subconsciously over the last 16 years but never with the focus and attention to detail that is required to achieve a truly high level of excellence. What's changed is that I make the most out of every effort in the gym and understand what it takes to achieve my goal.

What I truly enjoy about powerlifting is that I’m still capable of reaching a goal that I never thought was possible. The great thing about this is that you’re just as capable with the right program and the right mindset. The information is out there, so utilize it and work toward something that rewards you not only in sport but in life.