For many of us who have been in the game a while, it's easy to forget our first days in the gym and our beginnings in our strength journey. There's a mix of fear, excitement, and more information available than ever before on how to approach powerlifting. Early in my own lifting journey, I had no coach, and the internet was not the treasure trove of information it is today, so I was experimenting with different techniques and talking to others more versed than myself. I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but I also did some really great things regarding my training.

Things I Didn’t Do All That Great

I didn’t have a coach:

A lot of my early issues could’ve been easily mitigated by someone more knowledgeable than myself. In my defense, I was young, broke, and without a clue.

I ran whatever programs I could get my hands on:

Honestly, this one could go either way, as I learned a lot, but one thing I truly didn’t understand was, there’s no one size fits all model for training. From 5x5s to old Russian Strength manuals, I ran it all.

I overtrained regularly:

In an effort to make as many gains as possible as quickly as possible, I lifted every day of the week, sometimes two-a-days. Without understanding how to approach recovery, program design, and refine the mental game, I dealt myself a series of small injuries and pushed myself into a state of constant fatigue.

Things I Did Fairly Well

I prioritized movement precision:

Surrounded on all sides in Gold’s Gym by half-squats and dangerous looking techniques on all kinds of lifts, I understood near immediately how important technique and movement competency was.

Stayed committed:

Since I began the journey, I’ve stayed with it through ups and downs, and all sorts of life changes, but I stayed in the gym. You’ve probably heard, “It’s easier to stay than it is to come back.” I never really wanted to test that, so I just kept lifting. Different periods of my life have required different training styles due to changing goals, but I continue to put in the work to be a better, healthier, stronger version of self.

Continued learning:

Remain humble and remain open to new perspectives. From the first days in the gym to coaching many athletes over the years, I have always valued continuing education in whatever your endeavor is.

The moral of the story is, there are many roads to the same destination, but by learning from the experience of others, the process can be streamlined. Take from my mistakes and stay dedicated to building the strongest version of yourself. Powerlifting is certainly a commitment, but through working with many athletes over the years, the growth doesn’t usually stop at the gym door, as many of us find a clearer sense of purpose, more faith in ourselves, and a general confidence that permeates through all aspects of life.

Keep showing up and find your tribe, it’s always worth it.