Muscle Sport Magazine

STRONGMAN MOTIVATION – TRUE BALANCING ACT!

By Robin Wright – When I reach the final stages of planning and organizing a strongman event, I stop to reflect whether it was all worthwhile.   These events require a great deal of time, preparation and promotion that often draw on my personal reserves.  It can become a balancing act while trying to maintain my  family’s budget.   Thankfully, I am blessed with a family that supports my strongman efforts although my wife may find it difficult to tolerate me a day or two prior to an event when stress levels reach their peak!

it is not till after the show, that I realize the reward; when athletes come to me and say they had fun and can’t wait till next year.  It makes it all worthwhile and fuels my energy to carry on with the sport that I have grown to love over the years.

edf_page_ad

When I do have the time and energy to train. I actually have a great time doing it!   Oddly enough,  I still surprise myself by what I am able to achieve…. despite the fact that I am undertrained and a bit frayed around the edges!

When I first began strongman in Western Canada, the sport was not well known.   There was one-off events but nothing stable or constant.  Now after five years, our organization has continued to grow as more and more guys discover this “best-kept secret”! Strongman offers a true test of the human spirit along with sportsmanship and camaraderie.

Recently I have observed a trend amongst certain strength athletes who suffer from burnout.   Unfortunately they enter into the sport with the notion that they need to overtrain to achieve their goals.  In addition they end up spending lots of money on travel to compete as much as they can.   This often leads to burnout especially when executed too quickly.  Like most things in life, there are no shortcuts in strongman and pacing yourself is important.

goliathlabs

My advice to anyone who participates in this sport or any sport is to maintain balance in their lives.  Train in a manner that is sustainable, eat healthy and do your best during competition while still having FUN.  Prize money for  this sport is normally small and it does require a passion to be strong and competitive.  The upside is the confidence and sheer joy of fulfillment that is shared by those who participate,  not to mention the friendships that evolve over time.

If you find yourself feeling burned out, maybe it is time to stop and ask yourself whether you are still having fun.  Often making a few adjustment to maintain the balance that best suits you  will go a long way and will allow you to ultimately continue to enjoy this sport for years to come.

Robin Wright
Founder and Director, BCEAA.org

lgsci_ani

Robin Wright, rwright@bceaa.org, Kamloops, BC Canada

Founder and Director of the British Columbia Extreme Athletics Association www.bceaa.org

Special thanks to my webmaster Diane Roberts: www.sbwebstudio.ca

Justin Cuzzetto: Reflex Nutrition, Kamloops, www.reflexnutrition.com

The City of Kamloops, BC, Canada Tournament Capital of Canada, www.kamloops.ca

and many more sponsors who have helped and are helping make the BCEAA strong in its continued success.

new_asnow2

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *