by Dunte Hector
Adults have an immense need to find some healthy competition.
Sports are pushed to children for myriad reasons, including the life lessons they can teach you and the building up of the mind & body that come as a result. Those same lessons are critical for adults!
A talented business coach once said, “The four most dangerous words in the English language are ‘I already know that.'” As adults, we already “know” the life lessons taught by sport: dedication, effort, savoring the journey, self-confidence, acknowledging weaknesses, showing up despite our nerves. But have you ever read a good book again and discovered gems hidden in it that you just weren’t ready for earlier in your life?
Today, I argue for you, DBS family, to get involved in our Strength Series. We have hosted two meets already, from which participants have emerged refreshed, focused on new goals, and excited about their potential. This Sunday, we have a third: Olympic-style weightlifting.
If you were present for the all-day weightlifting seminar presented by Thomas and Samantha Lower, or if you’ve been in Strength class in the last 3 months, or if you’ve enjoyed any part of the fast barbell lifts we’ve used in the last few training cycles, you will be delighted with the sport of weightlifting. The strength sports celebrate winners, of course, as all sports do. However, their true appeal, like Strength Week during the Community Gains Project, is how excited a whole crowd of people gets when you set a new personal best in a lift.
The entire community of weightlifting LOVES to see a lifter succeed. Lifters love to witness the courage of someone showing up on the platform. And they love those things tenfold for someone trying for the first time.
The DBS community – especially the coaches – loves to show the same kind of support. So why not let us cheer for you this weekend?
Weightlifting is made up of the snatch and the clean & jerk. During competition, no one is judging your technique or looking to correct your movement. During competition, everyone is just waiting to celebrate your personal victory on the platform.
Whether you’ve done so deliberately or not, you’ve already invested time and energy into preparing for this sport. These two lifts build explosiveness and encourage lean muscle growth like no other, so we do them every week.
Whether you’ve planned to compete or not, you’ve already committed your mind, on multiple occasions, to putting the bar overhead with as much weight as you could. The Olympic lifts demand focus and aggression that always carry over into everyday life.
And whether you ever thought of yourself as an athlete or not, you’ve already demonstrated many of an athlete’s finest qualities: cultivating a skill and constantly seeking improvement. Weightlifting has been described as “gymnastics with heavy implements,” and you’ve been practicing for at least 3 months now.
So try yourself in competition this weekend! At the very least, come to the Shop on Sunday between 10:00am and 2:00pm to cheer on one of your peers.
Because, in our sneaky way, we have already helped you re-learn many of the life lessons that sport provides. All that remains now is to show up and lift. A little competition will do you a lot of good.
Click here to register for Sunday’s Olympic Meet at the Shop!
