"Brandon Smash" is my mantra as it describes the headfirst, 100%-effort approach I take in solving problems and overcoming challenges.
My favorite quotes include both the state motto of Kansas, Ad astra per aspera (To the stars through difficulty); and a quote by the poet Ovid, Perfer et obdura; dolor hic tibi proderit olim (Be persistent and tough; one day this pain will be useful to you).
Brandon smash.
Powerlifting is an extreme extension of weight training. Powerlifting generally involves three exercises: the bench press, squat, and deadlift (some, such as myself, prefer a sumo-style deadlift). Powerlifting is the most intense example of strength; how much can you successfully lift for only one repetition (1RM)?
Powerlifting is also a numbers game. Records are set by absolute numbers but meets are won by relative numbers. For instance, I may enter the 221-242lb. weight category but weigh in at a bodyweight of 239lb. A competitor may enter the same class but have a bodyweight of 241lb. If we both lifted an identical amount of weight, I would be the victor because the amount of weight lifted relative to my bodyweight would be higher. This is sometimes referred to as a lifter's power index. The power index (or "coefficient") is generally calculated by using a handicapping formula such as the Wilks Coefficient.
The rules of powerlifting are strict. Lifts must be done with good form without any interface between the lifter and the bar; for example, a deadlift must be completed without "hitching" (bouncing the bar up and down) or straps to hold onto the bar. The technology of apparel has come quite a long way and suits (for deadlift and squat) and shirts (for bench press) are often used to support a lifter's muscles and joints. This allows a lifter to move more weight, but at the cost of being dependent on equipment. Many powerlifting federations draw a distinction between "raw" (no or extremely limited equipment) and "equipped" (the use of apparel as regulated by the federation) lifts. There are also federations that have a strict drug-testing policy, federations that have separate classes for drug-tested and non-tested athletes, and federations with no drug testing policy. I prefer to compete in raw, drug-tested events as I practice lifts without compression apparel and do not use performance-enhancing pharmaceuticals.
In the early 2000s I was very active in teaching and practicing martial arts at the University of Kansas. I took up weightlifting as a means of better developing my fitness and ability in sparring. Before too long, I realized that I enjoyed lifting weights. I became very interested in nutrition, anatomy and strength and began reading textbooks on these subjects and participating in fora regarding these topics.
Within a couple of years I realized that I was becoming relatively strong and I took up powerlifting in specific as a means of further developing strength. I found that I was making good progress in powerlifting and decided to pursue it as a sport in itself. My lifts began making serious improvement and people started to encourage me to compete. I was skeptical at first since powerlifting wasn't my original goal in the gym, but after seeing that my numbers put me among the best in the world I began training for competition.
Now, while I participate actively in other sports, powerlifting is my primary focus. Brandon smash!