The other day I was asked how much the average female lifts in a weightlifting competition, and what would “I” have to lift to be competitive.

My response was “you have to lift exactly what’s on the barbell in front of you to be competitive”. The barbell I was looking at had 2 wood training plates on it. I wasn’t joking or trying to make anyone feel good, I was being honest. The way you are competitive in weightlifting is you lift the bar in front of you. You cannot lift anyone else’s weights, just as they cannot lift your weights for you.

In weightlifting it is strictly you vs. the barbell or you vs. You. The second you compare your weights to another persons you have lost. The moment you realize this will be the moment you set yourself up for some amazing gains in the gym and in your life. Everything is about pushing your body past its previously conceived limits. Whether you succeed by 1 lb. or by 20 lbs. you have won.

The only time you lose is when you compare your weights to another person. How could you do that? Each person has an entirely different set of variables as to how much they are able to lift and why. Your body and your numbers are the only thing that matter in training. Everything and everyone else is secondary.

Train for you, and for your own successes one PR at a time; there are no averages.

Train heavy, train often, dream, and repeat.

Written by: Nic Scudamore

USAW level 1 weightlifting Coach

Head Coach Rochester Barbell Club

Head Weightlifting Coach CFPfit.com