The difference between training to win and training to complete an event has been an ongoing conversation that I have been having with myself as well as some of my athletes. I guess for myself it is never far from the top of my mind. So here are my thoughts on training to win. Over the years I have been as guilty as anyone else of training to complete an event, especially for bigger competitions, so trust me when I tell you that I am speaking to myself primarily. Trust me when I tell you that there is a wealth of potential in you when you train to win. It is as simple as that. Bringing that mindset and attitude to your work shifts something in you internally that produces results. It is like it dusts away the cobwebs of fatigue and apathy in your workout to give it a little boost. At least that is what it’s felt like for me when I bring that mindset.
In Strongman it is easy to get intimidated by the weights of an event. Usually you’re pushing the limits of your capability and that’s always tough but here’s the thing, you’re already putting in the work. You are already doing the hard thing of preparing yourself to compete. Adding the resolve to win the event can only help you. Committing fully to the event at hand will help you marshal all your physical resources to accomplish the task, if you hold back a little or mentally dial down the focus some of those resources will be left out of the effort. We want all the horses in your engine moving in the same direction. Even if you fall short of the win, training with the intent to win will drive you further than if you train to show up. This is the winning mindset, doing everything you do with the intent to win.
Intent to win does not necessarily mean going as fast, heavy, or as hard as you can every time. It does mean though that you are trying to do everything as good as you can. For example, I like using relatively light farmers walks or yoke walks done barefoot and slowly to help build the skill for those events. Learning to move smoothly and feeling your body shift weight from foot to foot makes you aware of what you are working and addresses weaknesses that might be masked by going too fast or too heavy. You use this type of work by leaning into what stimulus you are trying to get from it. What you’re trying to build, and work through limiting factors with it.
Put meaning into the work you’re doing in the gym and it will pay massive dividends. If we start with that intent to win and harness the drive to be the best, it can cut through a lot of the noise we tend to add to our training. It can help focus us to the point where we make the hard things we do in the gym mean more because it is in service to victory. When you train for events in any sport, train to win that event. Harness that desire, drive, and mental toughness and it will propel you forward. As always, I do believe that the weight-room is a microcosm of real life, so what works to make you stronger, faster, and perform better in your sport can also be applied to the rest of your life and can make you a better performer as a human. Of this I have no doubt. If nothing else take this message from this post, train like you want to win, train to be the best at whatever it is you’re doing, train like you deserve the podium and even if you fall short you will know that you put forth your best effort and that’s all any of us can do. Train hard my friends!
