violence

Discipline and Sacrifice

(to Cody) I was talking to a friend, Cody, and we were laughing at the “tough” talk on “sacrifices”. Not to mention the embarrassing “alpha male”, “warrior” and “beast” embarrassingly stupid imagery. I did good both academically and in sports. Nope. Can’t remember any sacrifice. Let’s see what I remember as being an extreme sacrifice: …

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The endless cycle of grief: the day powerlifting died

The process of letting go is a slow and painful one, but it brings some relief. As if with each flake you shed, you become a lighter and a more genuine version of yourself. I just now opened the book manuscript I was supposed to hand in in 2012 and never did. It is in …

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Intimidation and the Fitness Industry

(This article was originally published at www.elitefts.com – link below) “Your compliance will be rewarded.” (Hydra, Marvel Pictures) This article is in sequence to my previous article. Its target audience is primarily the gym owner but also health professionals working in physical training in general, sports and fitness environments, and institutions. I hope it may be a tool …

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9/11, the worse and the best and why even bother to lift

I am writing this without a draft. This day has been always the peak of some deep dilemma for me since 2001. As an academic scientist with multiple backgrounds, my role was to observe a phenomenon against the best models for prediction and policy making. As a person, it was the final loss of any …

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Valentina Shevchenko versus Amanda Nunes: unmissable

Valentina Shevchenko versus Amanda Nunes: unmissable That’s a fight we can’t miss. Two of the best 135lbs weight class fighters going for Amanda’s title. I’m no fighter and no expert. As an athlete, I’m a powerlifter, with a history in fencing, martial arts and track and field. As an academic, I’m a biologist, biochemist and …

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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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Something about principles, right and wrong, good and evil, coherence and violence

(because many of the issues we discuss concerning sports governance, politics and interpersonal relations boils down to this – take it as a warmup for a discussion about performance enhancing drugs and the hidden agendas of the war on drugs) Principles are guidelines or beliefs by which one lives one’s life, makes one’s decisions, etc. …

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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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How to react to bad lifting videos

This is the article in which I will make the most extensive use of anonymity and pseudonyms. No federation will be named. I wish to offer a set of conceptual items for thought and discussion. Peter wrote to me and said he expected an article from me about the disgusting issues from this weekend. Charley …

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