When I first began lifting I was trying to make myself stronger in my sport. Cleans, sled push and trap bar deadlifts were what I believed to be the key to becoming a better athlete. The coaches could keep the burpees, wind sprints and rolls for themselves and I would be fine. I looked forward to the weight training more than anyone else on the team, who believed it to be a boring chore. I would complete my workouts with youthful exuberance and suffer no repercussions as I ate everything in the pantry I could find.
Fast forward to my post-school years and while I no longer play sports, I am still working out religiously. I spend the day at my job anticipating 5:00 PM so I can finally go workout. On one particular day I’m leaving and happen to start a conversation with the college kid on front desk shift. We talk about the recent game, just basic small talk until they ask “So what sport are you lifting for?”
I reply “I just like to lift” and they nod with a slightly confused look.
As I’m walking to the parking lot I have a lot to ponder now. Why do I lift? Is it weird to go to a gym with the sole purpose of just wanting to lift weights for the sake of it? Later that night I come to the realization that I am no longer lifting for a sport, but that lifting has become my sport. I’m here trying to put higher numbers on a board everyday. Even though gains don’t come as quickly as they used to, I still see marked improvements on different lifts. To me, that’s the whole reason for being in the gym.
So what are you lifting for?