Weightlifting: Aggression or Art

I have learned a lot this year in school. Or at least I’ve tried.

Today in my sport psychology class we reviewed the topic of Aggression, which is defined as an intentional behavior directed towards another living thing with the intent to do harm to that thing. Pretty straight forward.

Psychologists have also differentiated between hostile aggression (only purpose of the aggression is to inflict harm) and instrumental aggression (the aggression is used as a means of achieving some greater end or competitive edge).

Aggression is not typically a respected personality trait, outside of the context of physical activity. It is also a trait viewed as brutish, primal, and maybe even inferior. Especially when compared to something like creativity.

I would argue though that weightlifting provides just as much room for creation as composing does. From the development of a training program, to the execution of the movements. Everything done inside the four walls of the gym is an expression and a transfer of energy.

Just as a concert pianist develops notes through the transfer of energy through his fingers to the keys, an Olympic weightlifter develops movement by rapidly creating energy and transferring it to the bar. There is poetry in the pen, but there is also poetry in motion.

Do not let anyone tell you going to the gym is an exercise in repetition only carried out by thoughtless drones. Let your training session be a manifestation of who you are and more importantly who you want to be. Create movement and create a new you.

It got a little existential at the end there, but hope you enjoyed it.