Powerlifting taught me more than just how to lift heavy weights—it taught me how to handle life’s toughest moments, too. What I’ve learned in the gym goes beyond physical strength—it’s about perseverance, patience, and growth. From my toughest days under the bar to the struggles of job hunting, I’ve realized that life and lifting aren’t so different after all.

For those unfamiliar, powerlifting is a strength sport built around three key lifts: the squat, bench press, and deadlift. The goal is simple: lift as much as you possibly can in these three movements. But as simple as it sounds, there’s a whole science and strategy behind it—mastering the technique, finding the right mindset, and learning to handle the good days and the bad ones. In competitions, you get three attempts at each lift, and the heaviest lift counts toward your total score. My current total is just above 500lb (as of September 2024).

In training, there are good days and bad days. On the bad days, I don’t feel well-rested, I’m not feeling like myself, and suddenly, all the weights feel so much heavier. It’s like my body has forgotten how to lift. I may have walked into the gym hoping to crush a personal record, but halfway through, I’m just trying to get through the workout without quitting. Then, there are the good days—the days that keep me coming back to the gym. On these days, everything just clicks. I feel strong, focused, and motivated, and I usually hit a PR, lifting a weight I’ve never lifted before. That single feeling of excitement and accomplishment when I push past a previous limit is what fuels my passion for the sport. It’s the reason I keep showing up, despite all the tough sessions.

But here’s the thing: those bad days are just as important as the good ones. In fact, they make the good days even better. If there were no bad days, there’d be no point of comparison—no way to appreciate the highs when they come. If I hit a PR every single time I trained (which, by the way, is impossible), it wouldn’t feel like an accomplishment. The bad days are what create the value of the good ones.

Now that I’m looking for a job, I’ve realized how much powerlifting has taught me about handling life. Just like in training, there are good days and bad days in the job hunt. There are days when I’m flooded with rejection emails, I feel like I’m failing every interview, and I question whether my portfolio is good enough. I see other people who seem to have it easier—whether it’s their experience, their connections. It’s easy to feel like everyone else is ahead of me. But then I think back to those bad days in the gym. Just like in powerlifting, the bad days in life have a purpose. They teach me resilience, persistence, and patience. The bad days remind me that success isn’t guaranteed every single time, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t coming. If I can push through the tough moments—keep applying, keep refining my skills, keep preparing—then eventually, I know there’s a good day ahead. A PR in life is waiting for me, just like it waits for me in the gym.

The secret is not overthinking it. On my bad training days, I don’t focus on how I feel in the moment. I focus on the work—getting the reps in, showing up, and doing what I can with what I have. I’ve learned to do the same in life. Even when things feel heavy and overwhelming, the key is to keep moving forward, even if the progress feels slow. Every day, every action is a step closer to that next PR.