Coach Ted talks about the personalities tend to be attracted to powerlifting and potential reasons why.
The Purity of the Pursuit
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The Purity of the Pursuit
Season 6/Episode 74
March 8, 2023
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
This is the Ted O'Neill program. There's so much information in science and philosophy, physical training, performance optimization, nutrition, human experience with Ted O'Neill and Jon Leon Guerrero.
0:23 Ted
If powerlifting was a state sponsored thing, or at least a professional sport where people actually got paid money (Yeah) I think this would be very different than it is now because we've always been totally grassroots and Diablo. (Yeah) People don't come in strong and they come in. Like if they're already lifters, they're not elite lifters. And we take them to that and beyond or they start out as just regular people and then go. We've chronicled that journey innumerable amount of times. But if we had those who had the best mentality and the best natural gifts I think, you know, the sport would look different. I think that's a little bit, maybe on the positive side of social media, or at least spreading the word about the strength sports in different ways where there's a larger base of people looking at it, is you do get some of these genetic freaks, who are now in the sport maybe instead of playing football or something else. And so, the numbers continue to change each generation where they go up more and more, I think due to a deeper exposure to a larger talent pool.
1:21 Jon
Interesting. Let me backup because you're talking about this endeavor, not being a profession that offers a lot of money, but still being an endeavor that requires of you (Yeah) the absolute most.
1:37 Ted
I think it might be one of the if not the hardest sport.
1:41 Jon
So, when you have the hardest sport, offering the least amount of money
1:47 Ted
Well we'll say it differently, the better you get, the more cost you.
1:51 Jon
Yes. (Right) So, is there a purity to this sport because it is completely based on virtue signaling? Because really, that's all that is left in whatever allows human beings and the human ego to chase after something. If there's no financial reward in powerlifting versus playing football, (Right) of course, those who are chasing financial reward would play football, because you can make this sport more and more difficult simply by adding weight.
2:27 Ted
And it's never ending. (And it never ends) So at least. At least in football, you can win the Super Bowl. (You can win the Super Bowl right) Or a national championship. There is an apex moment in powerlifting even if you're the best guy, or you’re the best guy by formula. (Yeah) Okay, then If you're the bass guy by formula, just there more room on the bar? (Yep) You know, and so it's a little bit like a Sisyphus reference, right? You're constantly pushing the ball uphill (there’s more hill) perpetually (Yeah) and you're never going to run out a hill.
2:55 Jon
So, the benefit there in terms of the you know, the human ego is simply that you are, it is a virtue signal to the others like you whose amount of he'll be damned will continue to push.
3:08 Ted
Yeah, and that's what I love about it. And that's the part that I don't like where social media has taken over the sport because I think that's become tarnished to a large degree, I mean that's, and that's a purely individual choice. Am I going to engage in that buffoonery? (Yeah) Or am I going to do this for myself? Because if I'm doing this for myself, I really see powerlifting like a martial art and the way that we coach it and train it at Diablo where you get a deeper perspective on what's actually occurring in those moments where you're most wheezed (right) can then also be in a highly individualized way of betterment and even a spiritual pursuit. (Yeah) If you wanted to look, I mean, a lot of people do martial arts for that reason. (Absolutely) Right. You're a martial artist. (Yeah) And so you can resonate with that.
3:54 Jon
I haven't bothered kicking somebody’s ass for quite a long time. However, it still is a spiritual person.
4:00 Ted
Yeah, that's, that's, in fact, there's forms of martial arts that exist only for that reason. There are derivatives of that. So…
4:09 Jon
Did you have a hard time kicking anybody's ass with Tai Chi?
4:11 Ted
That's true. Everyone would have to really slow down. (Yeah) Right.
4:16 Jon
But there is the common thread there because regardless of our pursuits, outside of the gym, those of us who train together all have a commonality among us in that we pursue for the sake of pursuit.
4:36 Ted
Well, this is what I would like it to be. (Yeah) I think a lot of people do that for the sake of attention seeking. That's my biggest problem.
4:45 Jon
A lot of people, a lot of people. Yeah, I mean I'm bringing it completely home because I'm just kind of running through the roster in my head of the people I admire and train with and we all pursue different things. (Yeah. Right) But there are a lot of, I mean, many of us have been very successful. And I think that's why because of pursuit for the sake of pursuit.
5:10 Ted
Yeah, this is to me why I think powerlifting as a sport, in its purest form, is still great. Because you're never going to run out of challenges. And the more of those challenges you actually have the courage to face head on and work your way through the more you get to know about yourself. And knowing yourself in the truest way, I think is one of the greatest pursuits that we have as individuals
0:23 Ted
If powerlifting was a state sponsored thing, or at least a professional sport where people actually got paid money (Yeah) I think this would be very different than it is now because we've always been totally grassroots and Diablo. (Yeah) People don't come in strong and they come in. Like if they're already lifters, they're not elite lifters. And we take them to that and beyond or they start out as just regular people and then go. We've chronicled that journey innumerable amount of times. But if we had those who had the best mentality and the best natural gifts I think, you know, the sport would look different. I think that's a little bit, maybe on the positive side of social media, or at least spreading the word about the strength sports in different ways where there's a larger base of people looking at it, is you do get some of these genetic freaks, who are now in the sport maybe instead of playing football or something else. And so, the numbers continue to change each generation where they go up more and more, I think due to a deeper exposure to a larger talent pool.
1:21 Jon
Interesting. Let me backup because you're talking about this endeavor, not being a profession that offers a lot of money, but still being an endeavor that requires of you (Yeah) the absolute most.
1:37 Ted
I think it might be one of the if not the hardest sport.
1:41 Jon
So, when you have the hardest sport, offering the least amount of money
1:47 Ted
Well we'll say it differently, the better you get, the more cost you.
1:51 Jon
Yes. (Right) So, is there a purity to this sport because it is completely based on virtue signaling? Because really, that's all that is left in whatever allows human beings and the human ego to chase after something. If there's no financial reward in powerlifting versus playing football, (Right) of course, those who are chasing financial reward would play football, because you can make this sport more and more difficult simply by adding weight.
2:27 Ted
And it's never ending. (And it never ends) So at least. At least in football, you can win the Super Bowl. (You can win the Super Bowl right) Or a national championship. There is an apex moment in powerlifting even if you're the best guy, or you’re the best guy by formula. (Yeah) Okay, then If you're the bass guy by formula, just there more room on the bar? (Yep) You know, and so it's a little bit like a Sisyphus reference, right? You're constantly pushing the ball uphill (there’s more hill) perpetually (Yeah) and you're never going to run out a hill.
2:55 Jon
So, the benefit there in terms of the you know, the human ego is simply that you are, it is a virtue signal to the others like you whose amount of he'll be damned will continue to push.
3:08 Ted
Yeah, and that's what I love about it. And that's the part that I don't like where social media has taken over the sport because I think that's become tarnished to a large degree, I mean that's, and that's a purely individual choice. Am I going to engage in that buffoonery? (Yeah) Or am I going to do this for myself? Because if I'm doing this for myself, I really see powerlifting like a martial art and the way that we coach it and train it at Diablo where you get a deeper perspective on what's actually occurring in those moments where you're most wheezed (right) can then also be in a highly individualized way of betterment and even a spiritual pursuit. (Yeah) If you wanted to look, I mean, a lot of people do martial arts for that reason. (Absolutely) Right. You're a martial artist. (Yeah) And so you can resonate with that.
3:54 Jon
I haven't bothered kicking somebody’s ass for quite a long time. However, it still is a spiritual person.
4:00 Ted
Yeah, that's, that's, in fact, there's forms of martial arts that exist only for that reason. There are derivatives of that. So…
4:09 Jon
Did you have a hard time kicking anybody's ass with Tai Chi?
4:11 Ted
That's true. Everyone would have to really slow down. (Yeah) Right.
4:16 Jon
But there is the common thread there because regardless of our pursuits, outside of the gym, those of us who train together all have a commonality among us in that we pursue for the sake of pursuit.
4:36 Ted
Well, this is what I would like it to be. (Yeah) I think a lot of people do that for the sake of attention seeking. That's my biggest problem.
4:45 Jon
A lot of people, a lot of people. Yeah, I mean I'm bringing it completely home because I'm just kind of running through the roster in my head of the people I admire and train with and we all pursue different things. (Yeah. Right) But there are a lot of, I mean, many of us have been very successful. And I think that's why because of pursuit for the sake of pursuit.
5:10 Ted
Yeah, this is to me why I think powerlifting as a sport, in its purest form, is still great. Because you're never going to run out of challenges. And the more of those challenges you actually have the courage to face head on and work your way through the more you get to know about yourself. And knowing yourself in the truest way, I think is one of the greatest pursuits that we have as individuals
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