Weightlifting | Personal Development | Personality
Lift Weights and Forge a Wholesome Personality
7 STEPS you should follow regardless of where your journey begins
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT WEIGHTLIFTING?
Dumbbells, weight plates, kettlebells, and similar implements are physical conditioning tools that offer a unique challenge that is unmatched by most other sports, or perhaps even no other.
You can use them to gain strength or size, tone your muscles, supplement your cardio improvement efforts, and help increase your body’s flexibility or functionality. It all depends on what you choose to focus on. Regardless of the mode you choose, regular exercise can also help you achieve better mental health, in the form of stress relief.
WORKING OUT AS A PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT TOOL
One aspect of working out with weights that isn’t discussed enough is the great extent to which it can contribute to building a wholesome personality. To succeed in your weightlifting efforts you will need to utilize several personality traits that you will build upon and develop over time as long as you keep putting in consistent effort.
In practice, you can accomplish this by doing a number of things during your workouts. Each of these individual actions will be helpful to you, but the more of them you choose to include in your training sessions, the better your ROI will be.
In the following sections, I will illustrate exactly how this can be done.
BUT BEFORE WE BEGIN — LET’S ESTABLISH A COMMON UNDERSTANDING AND AGREEMENT
For the sake of this discussion, it is assumed that…
- You have already made the initial decision that you want to start lifting weights
- You have gone through the process of either obtaining a membership at your local gym or acquiring some equipment that you can use to train at home
- You have researched and decided which workout program (exercises and the order you want to do them in, number of sets and reps, etc) you want to follow
- You have researched how to properly and safely execute each of your planned exercises
OK. BUT NOW WHAT?
STEP ONE: Decide how you will keep track of the number of times you work out each week.
Reason: To build confidence from your achievements, and accountability when your motivation dips.
STEP TWO: Commit to a realistic workout schedule.
a) Set aside a time of day that is best and most convenient for you to work out, each time that you go. This doesn’t necessarily mean when you feel the most rested and energized, although it can be that time. It means that you will be able to clear your mind and focus on your workout, free of all other distractions including work, social media, etc
b) For each exercise session, plan to workout somewhere between 30–60 minutes
Reason: Develop good time-management skills, learn to apply single-minded focus to important tasks, develop your prioritization skills, and continue to build accountability.
BEFORE YOU START LIFTING
STEP THREE: As soon as you get to your workout area, whether at a gym or at home, look around carefully…
- Which equipment is available (machines, racks, benches, weights, etc), and how does that impact your workout plan?
- How much space is available to use for freestanding exercises, and where?
- Who else is currently using the equipment, and can you tell if someone is almost finished or just starting?
- Where can you set your things down, such as towel, water bottle, and so forth, for easy access but without them being in other people’s way?
Reason: Develop better spatial awareness, and a better sense of observation by noticing the details that matter wherever you go.
DURING THE WORKOUT
STEP FOUR: For each exercise and repetition you perform, keep an eye on your form. If it doesn’t look good, stop, reset, and continue.
Reason: Develop your attention to detail and your safety awareness.
STEP FIVE: Don’t lift weights according to “feel”. What this means is that, if an amount of weight is truly too heavy for you, then you should not be able to struggle through one or two more repetition(s) with that weight, using the correct form. If it feels “heavy”, but your form was still good with the previous rep, then first try “one more rep” before giving in.
Reason: Develop better mental toughness (resilience + confidence), determination, and persistence. Learn to “dig deeper”. Don’t leave results on the table.
STEP SIX: Focus on You only. Try to improve upon what You have done so far. Don’t worry about other people and what they are doing, or whether anyone is watching you.
Reason: The reason for exercising is self-improvement. Even professional athletes must focus on self-improvement before they can win competitions and prizes in their chosen sport.
STEP SEVEN: Keep track of your exercises and progress (paper journal, electronic note, etc.)
Reason: Develop self-discipline, and become more goal and results-oriented. Don’t cheat yourself and your efforts by guessing and assuming how and where you are making progress.
BONUS STEP EIGHT: Plan your sleeping schedule and your eating in the way that best supports your fitness and health goals.
Reason: This requires good time management skills, consistent self-discipline, and willpower to not simply give in to urges and do the easy things, especially when it comes to food.
CONCLUSION
If you follow all of the steps I’ve outlined above, not only will you develop a winning mindset, and an ability to push past your perceived limits and achieve greater results, but you will also set a good example to follow for others around you, which is what leaders do.
I hope that this information can help and inspire you on your fitness and health journey.
All the best,
Pascal
PS: You can go here to read more personal growth and development-related articles and stories, here to read more health and fitness articles, or here to read more about me.
