Gotta say, I’ve enjoyed this conversation more than most of the recent episodes of Iron Culture. I like it when the guys get other folks with new perspectives on the show to broaden the conversation. Without out it, in my opinion, especially on the science-focused conversations, Eric can get a little mansplainy, and I miss hearing new points of view.
In this episode, Omar and Eric interview Mike Tuchscherer about his recent return to competitive powerlifting, how he ended up leaving powerlifting in the first place and the journey that got him back on the platform. The part of the conversation that I want to highlight comes about halfway through, when Mike talks about how we must all learn to adapt our training to where we’re at right now, because we literally are never the person we were the last time we did a lift. Of course, it’s easier to see this when we’re talking about taking years between certain training modalities, but even when we’re talking about last week’s session and this one, who we are and what we are capable of today will be subtly different that who we were and what we were capable of a week ago.
I find settling into acceptance with this reality, and the acceptance that all we can do is approximate what we believe our limits are based on the data we have before us, deeply empowering and reassuring. All we can do is the best we can do right now. We can’t predict the future with 100% accuracy based upon the past. We have to let go of those expectations if we put them on ourselves. It gives us permission to make a best guess and move on. It also gives us permission to back off when we need it, and to take a leap of faith and push ourselves when we feel like we can do that, too. I studied Hinduism in college, and they have a practice of “unattached action,” learning to take action without being attached to any particular outcome. I don’t consider myself a Hindu, but I always felt there was wisdom in pursuing some detachment from the outcomes of our pursuits. As Mike says, we don’t have control of whether or not we win or lose, only what we do to prepare and participate in the moment.
Have thoughts on this episode or anything I said here? I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or find Progressive Strength on Facebook.
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