The Barbell of Truth
When a person thinks of squats and deadlifts, it’s only natural to envision enormous maniacs covered in chalk, sniffing ammonia, slapping each other in the face, and yelling at inanimate pieces of iron before they attempt personal bests. Lifting weights that could crush a man isn’t for the faint of heart and certainly isn’t the norm. But I’d argue that it’s shortsighted to overlook the more cerebral side of lifting heavy barbells and write it off to the realm of the physical. Let’s talk about the barbell of truth.
Yes, heavy lifting is an endeavor based around brute strength, but at the risk of getting touchy feely let’s not forget the mental and emotional side of brutal training cycles, and testing oneself against ever increasing weight.
I’ll explain what got me thinking about this.
I recently finished the book Spiritual Warfare by Jed McKenna. It was definitely one of my all-time favorite spiritual reads. Though in a sense I hesitate to even refer to it as spiritual due the many connotations and associations that come with that word. The book contains several sections that explain exactly why most spiritual teachings and enlightenment gurus are focused on nothing more than ego-gratifying distractions for the sake of profit. They don’t force a person to confront their demons or the specter of death, but instead allow a person to feel righteous and warm-and-fuzzy without having to do any real work on themselves. Just sit cross legged and recite some mantras, and one can feign enlightenment without having to face the hard truths of this existence. No radical or painful change is required when a person can simply read the right books from the right “experts” and say the right things as they continue down a path of self-deceit.
Instead, McKenna argues for pure, unadulterated, ego-smashing truth-realization over simple beliefs that sound nice. That’s the most effective way of actually becoming enlightened. Seeing things for what they really are and acknowledging the reality of death.
The Enlightened Meathead
This got me thinking honestly about many aspects of my life. Are there any areas where I’m deluding myself and missing truths that should be obvious? And I also started thinking about the time I dedicate to barbell lifting each week because it’s something I’ve always placed a lot of value and focus on. Is it a distraction from the truth in any way? Is my fierce dedication to training holding me back in any way? It seemed worth asking the question since I put it before other things in my life.
In the spirit of McKenna’s approach to sorting these questions out, I decided to simply go out to the garage, put some weight on the bar, and think objectively about the process to decide for myself. And something became apparent to me. The barbell never lies. 400 lbs. is 400 lbs. No amount of mental gymnastics or spiritual guru teachings can change that.
And in this way it’s a great endeavor for keeping a person grounded in truth. Unlike the world of ego-soothing mantras and meditations, the barbell never fails to show a person exactly where they’re at. There’s no subjectivity, and the weight doesn’t care about anybody’s feelings. It’s 100% pure reality, and a lifter either got stronger since last week or they didn’t. This is similar to the dynamic of learning how things work. An electronic gizmo either functions or it doesn’t. Truths that can’t be denied.
Furthermore, adding weight to the bar every week gets mentally stressful. As a person starts approaching their natural limits, they might question their ability to continue progressing. But there is something mentally fortifying about doing things that are very difficult and facing potential failure. By doing that on a regular basis, one builds mental strength. There are other avenues of accomplishing the same thing, but the barbell always works.
So consider that heavy lifting isn’t just an endeavor for mindless meatheads. It has plenty to offer from a mental strength and spiritual perspective as well. Not to mention the many health and physical performance benefits.
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