I just competed in my first compoetition of 2024, and for the first time in a number of years, I went into it with no pressure to do well, and it was an amazing feeling.

Here’s the thing, in a rep event with a 60 seconds time limit, you have the chance to repeat reps that aren’t given, but on a shield carry, you don’t get the chance to fix the mistake of turning too soon.

But if you are willing to aim high, even if you don’t reach those goals, you will always end up in a better place than if you aim low and succeed.

As Bruce Lee once said,
“I don’t fear the man who practices 10,000 kicks, I fear the man who practices 1 kick, 10,000 times”

Once you’ve found a gym, message them, ask if they have a Saturday or Sunday group training session that you can come along to. Most gyms will have a group of lifters who get together at the weekend for events training and will be more than happy to have you come along.

Providing a high quality trophy or medal is the icing on the cake for a well run, fun competition.

As a promoter, I have run competitions from gym level, all the way up to a World Championships and there are a lot of things that I have learned over the years, which I want to pass on to you

It is a bitter pill to swallow that you can no longer train the way you once did, but for longevity, understanding what you can and can’t recover from is the most important part of training.