sports psychology

Bare truth, the real self, vulnerability, trauma and disclosure (and the bar, of course)

I have been reviewing the literature about difficulty in communicating with non-literal speech. Almost everybody I know suggested that this is my case, to the point of comedy and tragedy. Very frequently, this is a sign of some form of autism (the spectrum is wide). Maybe that’s the case, maybe not. I’ve also been praised for …

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Unwanted attention: female muscularity, its admirers and distractors

The spectrum of male admiration/attraction for strong women and female muscularity and how to react to different levels of (sometimes unwanted) attention No, it’s not an article, just some thoughts: For some guys we are disgusting. For some, we are pretty. For some, we are VERY pretty, meaning very sexually attractive. That’s ok – everything …

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The gym as the home: Brewhouse Barbell

This article is a case study partly based on ethnographic analysis about a strength training gym. The goal here is to explore the concepts related to “homeness” on the choice of the training environment. It sets the ground for subsequent essays on alternative training settings and facilities and the concepts involved in their evolution. This …

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The beauty of team work in sports: organizing meets is a very specialized occupation

I have been the president of a national powerlifting organization in a powerlifting and ethics-unfriendly country. Our organization never really grew: the corruption tradition was so strong that the IPL/USPA project could hardly be understood by people who were already lifters. Our chance were the newcomers. I didn’t have the time: I moved away. I …

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Never cross, step on or even approach too closely a loaded bar

The bar is a sacred object for the lifter. No, I’m not taking poetic license here: sacred means that something is connected to something transcendent. The loaded bar a lifter is ready to lift is sacred to the bone. Be especially watchful with the deadlift bar. It’s on the ground, you might (if you are …

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Question from reader: I am burned out. What should I do

I received this question from a reader today and as I was answering him privately I realized this might be a question more people share.   I’ve written before about burnout (here and here) and will write more, so for now, this will be just a list of things you may do to start recovering …

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Why Do You Lift — Meaning, Identity, Hope and Passion (part 1 – EliteFTS series)

This is a series written for EliteFTS: Why Do You Lift — Meaning, Identity, Hope and Passion (part 1 – EliteFTS series) Peter heard his name and the bar was loaded for his first snatch. Up to one or two years ago, the minutes before he hook-gripped the bar were full of a deafening silence …

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Recovery from Chaos 1: on the nature of the beast and facing it

“Recovery from Chaos” is a series that I am doing basically through short video posts on my Instagram/Facebook page. I shared it here, on my wall, so that you have an idea what it is. I took this small project after having to give up the meet preparation I was doing: too injured, too chaotic, …

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The Shaming thing: eight points for thought

(elaborated version) Shaming is something serious: it means causing someone to feel inadequate or ashamed because of their behavior or even identity. Inadequacy and shame are among the most powerful causes of mental suffering. Both are deeply associated with trauma and abuse. Shame, for example, is one of the reasons for the huge gap in …

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