Weight on your back

I joined a cross fit gym a few months ago.  It has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. It pushes me both physically, and mentally.  Everyday I wonder if I will make it through the workout and fight a battle inside myself. The one thing that I have been thinking alot about is lifting weights.  We lift often.  We do a heavy lift day every four days, however we usually incorporate some lighter lifting into our WOD's (workout of the day) several times a week.  Last week we did front squats.  I saw this meme.

I have been thinking about this for days.  I totally agree. Usually when I get ready to lift I start with a lighter weight and slowly build up.  When I get to a working weight I start my workout for the day.  Usually it is something like 6 sets of 5 reps.  The thing I have realized is usually the weight is so heavy that I am afraid every rep.  When I take that bar off the rig I am afraid that I will not be able to stand up after I have squatted. I am afraid of failure.  However, one thing I am realizing is that when you keep putting yourself out there, always chasing a heavier weight, always trying for a PR, you will fail. You will get to the point that you have maxed out and are not able to stand back up with that heavy weight on your back.  Failure is ok.  If you are working hard and chasing your dreams, you will fail.  The thing about a back squat is that if you fail you just let the bar roll off your back as you step forward and the weigh falls off.

I loved this idea when I was thinking about failure.  As we work towards our goals and are chasing our dreams, there will be failures. As we are trying to survive this journey we call life, we will fall.  It is what you do with your failure!  Do you let that heavy weight hold us down or do we let it roll of our back and stand up.  Do we turn around and try to make the lift again or do we walk out of the gym?  Do we cuss and swear and throw a tantrum? It is what we do with our failure that makes us who we are.

We have to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and pick that bar back up. You have to have the tenacity to keep trying.  You eventually will be able to stand up under the immense weight on your back. Failure will happen but if you keep at it, you will eventually make the lift. We can't be so afraid of the failure.  It is what makes us the people we are.  This so much more than the successful lifts.

  There are days when life is just too heavy and my muscles are just too fatigued to stand back up. I can't do it! No matter what I do I just can't stand back up.  In my life, I know that my Savior and Heavenly Father are on both ends of my barbell. On those days where I HAVE to stand back up and I just can't do it, I know they are on each end and lifting where I can't!  I am so grateful for that knowledge and the spiritual and physical strength I have received from squatting!