Powerlifting my new sport?

Over the last I would say 2 years, I have grown a strong appreciation for the sport of powerlifting. As we all know, I’m originally a bodybuilder and will always be a bodybuilder at heart (even though I compete in the Men's physique division I will always consider and classify myself as a bodybuilder). Even though I have no intentions of ending my bodybuilding career anytime soon, and I will continue to step on stage year after year chasing my overall goals, powerlifting has become a new present goal of mine.

The sport of bodybuilding is one I have always loved, but recently became unsatisfied with. After competing in 6 shows this past year 2014, and all being a success (finishing 1st, 2nd, 6th 3 times and 13th at nationals) I realized something very unappealing about the sport. We competitors work so hard, devote our entire beings to the sport. We literally eat sleep and breathe the gym and our diets. Missing out on social activities, our families and friends ALL for the few minutes we are going to spend on stage in hopes to leaving with some hardware. We put so much effort and emotion into our preparations for the show, to make our bodies look better than 99% of the human population, and for what? We do all this for ourselves, just to go on stage and be JUDGED by someone else. To have others tell us we are not good enough for their standards. And honestly, this is okay with me...I can work even harder and get to the point where they can’t look away from my physique. However, what really upsets me is the bias judging panels and the politics involved with each show. Looking better than anyone else on the stage, but not winning because you don't have a popular name or know an "insider" on the judging panel has become a popular outcome. It’s very unfortunate but this is what the sport has become, and this is exactly why I have become addicted to POWERLIFTING. After my long show season, I really looked back and asked myself "was it worth it?" was it worth all the hard work and dieting that I put into it? Yes, it really was worth it because of how I grew as a person, but I was so frustrated with being told by someone else that I was not good enough. Although this motivated me to work even harder this off season, it even more made me find my competitive side and search for a new challenge. That challenge being powerlifting.

Unlike bodybuilding, powerlifting is raw, its real, is truly you vs. you. This is a sport where you and only you decide your outcome. It’s simple, either you pick up the weight or you don’t! No one can tell you yes or no, no one can tell you you're not good enough unless truly you're not....and if that’s the case then guess what? IT’S YOUR FAULT. I found this to be the absolute perfect way for me to "feed" my hunger for self-challenge. Now I don't have to train my ass off year round and get on stage to be told no, looking back wondering what I did wrong or what I could of fixed. Now each day I go into the gym, I set a new challenge for MYSELF and by the time I leave that gym I will either be of success or defeat, and that outcome will be dictated completely by myself.

As I said before, I have no intentions in ended my bodybuilding competition career anytime soon. I will continue to devote my whole being to those few minutes on stage, and even when I’m told that I’m not good enough, I will come back stronger. But for now, for my own self-drive, for my competitive hunger to WIN, I will continue to powerlift and challenge myself more and more every day. Who knows, maybe I’ll jump into a powerlifting meet and really test my limits and challenge myself. I challenge you all to set new goals for yourself. Find something that the outcome is dictated by you and completely you. Maybe it’s running a mile under 7 minutes, or even 10 minutes. Maybe it’s doing 50 pushups in 60 seconds, or maybe it’s going back to school and getting a degree. Whatever you do, set the goals for yourself and prove to yourself how strong you truly are! FEED THE MONSTER INSIDE YOU! -Kevin Lisak

#Wisdom