Powerlifters are, at heart, a bunch of nerds. Most of us were the weird kids in high school, hanging out on the outskirts of modern societal hierarchy. We didn’t adhere to any one clique, just fit in where we felt comfortable.
We found the gym at different times. I believe that there is anxiety for most people their first time. You come to the gym, not really sure what the equipment does, or why the bars have to be so sharp. Some of us want to be functional, some of us want to get big, some of us want to get strong. But we all want to be better.
At some point most of us were also big superhero fans and connected to those characters. I loved the big guys, Colossus from X-Men, Kilowog from Green Lanterns, The Hulk, you get the pattern. Colossus especially resonated with me, remarkable strength, and impenetrable skin, coupled with an overwhelming sense of morality and positivity. He was the emotional compass for the X-Men.
When I got into powerlifting, I assumed an alter-ego. Maybe not at first, but when it became more of an obsession and less of something I did recreationally, there was definitely a shift in my head about the person I was.
At first, I became your stereotypical meathead, cut offs, high fade, long socks, heavy metal and always a can of Monster somewhere on my person. A hard exterior that allowed me to feel like I belonged. My Instagram posts consisted of me dropping weights from the top of the deadlift, cut to Lamb of God with lots of contrast and black and white filters. I developed a thick layer of skin to keep everyone out.
But as I’ve grown in the sport, and in my local community, I’ve found that you really have to come out of that shell. Most of us pay a lot of money, travel longer distances and spend a lot more time in the gym because of that community. Investing in it allows you to get stronger, creating friendly competitions, or sitting down with the Tier 1 powerlifters at your gym and trying to absorb any ambient radiation they may be releasing all contributes to making you a better lifter. It was in this environment that I found my positive, albeit very loud alter ego.
All that changes on meet day, I’ve talked before about psychological cueing, and it’s no different on meet day. I get to be my own superhero. I shave my head down into a mohawk, I cut anywhere between 7 & 15 lbs, I feel hungry and like I’m about to fight for my life. I don’t usually like talking to anyone until after my opening squat.
This person allows me to tap into the extraordinary and push the physical and psychological limits of my body. The level of hyper focus you use after actualizing what you’ve been visualizing for months. It’s a rush, and day to day me cannot handle that amount of emotion, he’s exhausted from getting us there. So, I have to make the switch, and call on that alter ego I’ve created and, hopefully, make some friends while I’m there.
