At some point in our lifting careers, we all run into time frames when training gets really ridiculously tough. These tough training sessions could be the product of increasing competition, pushing past personal limits, working through sticking points, or overcoming injuries. Regardless the reason why training is getting harder, everyone at some level understands what it’s like to overcome adversity in the gym at some level.
It can be hard at times to combat tough training cycles because very rarely do they come with a set plan, as everyone’s experiences are individual. Sure, we can program more strategically to improve a weakness, but how do we mentally adapt? Who do we lean on to help construct a game plan and course of action?
As lifters, one of the best ways to learn and grow on this specific topic is to hear from others about their stories for overcoming tough training, and that’s why we reached out to two of the world’s best powerlifters, Russel Orhii and Amanda Lawrence.
Orhii and Lawrence have both built an incredibly accomplished resume over the last few years and we wanted to learn how they’ve dealt with periods of tough training. Check out the video below to hear more about their experiences.
When watching the video, you’ll likely notice that there are a ton of commonalities that exist between Orhii and Lawrence’s answers. Below are two of our favorite takeaways from each athlete.
Russel Orhii: Take It Day By Day
Orhii explains in the video that one of his toughest time frames of training involved overcoming an injury. To combat the limitations that an injury can produce, he recommends taking training day by day and more importantly, scaling expectations accordingly.
By adapting a mindset that is realistic with the resources you have personally available, you can set yourself up for daily wins versus let downs. When injured, it can sometimes be easy to want to mentally push ourselves to a point in which our body is not ready for, so having a day by day mindset is one way to keep progressing without running into more setbacks.
Amanda Lawrence: Trust the Process
Lawrence’s tough training was also the result of an injury and her lesson was trusting the process and those around her. She points out that all we can do is our very best and we have to truly believe in those around us to continually make progress.
Whether it’s a coach or a physical therapist, it’s important to lean on those with knowledge in the specific area that you’re struggling most with. While lifting is certainly an individual endeavor, it’s important to have a support system you can turn to when the train comes off the rails.
The Takeaways
Everyone has tough training days. A couple of the best ways to get through them is to lean on those around us and to remember why we started training in the first place. Hopefully hearing how top athletes work around their tough training brings some peace of mind when dealing with your own!
Feature image photo from @doohannohan Instagram page.