The Lonely 2.5# Weight
Keith O'Neill-Live Forward Coaching
I help Empower those that want to live a life of meaning and impact! Stop living practically and create an Unstoppable Mindset! You can Rewrite Your Story! 2401 Days Sober #ODAAT
The Most Overlooked Plate In The Gym May Just Be A Metaphor For Life…But How?
“Walk slowly, but never backward.”~ James Clear, from the book: “Atomic Habits”
I used to be a large plate stacker.
What the hell is a large plate stacker??
You know the people who load a ton of weight onto a bar without a hope of lifting it properly…yup, THAT GUY.
In my younger lifting days it was all about the large plates and how many I could fit on the bar.
All about the vanity weight, brah.
(For the record I’ve never ever said “Brah” in my life but it sounded good there so I’m going with it…MOVING ON…)
I will also be the first to admit that walking by someone throwing a 5# plate (#=lbs) on each side of a bar would have me shaking my head…wondering: “Why even bother?”.
And don’t even get me started on the 2.5# plate.
Have you seen this thing?
In the gym world it looks like a dime compared to the other weights.
Basically nothing.
You can pick it up and flip it around like it’s weightless for the most part.
As I’ve aged (and learned, and studied) my thoughts on this little old weight plate has changed dramatically: even on the big old compound lifts, and I’ll tell you why.
In a world full of PR’s (Personal Records for those not in the know)…the 2.5# weight could be the most important plate in the gym.
But, how?
How can something so light and insignificant be that important?
I am so glad you asked.
Well, that 2.5# on both sides may be the difference to breaking through a plateau that you never thought of.
And once you break through, there’s no going back.
Say you are benching 200# and have been stuck there for a while: no matter how hard you try putting 5’s or 10’s on either side it’s still just not something you can handle.
Enter the 2.5# weight.
What seems so insignificant is now your savior in adding just enough to keep the weight moving north while still challenging your body to get stronger just by adding that LITTLE BIT MORE.
Your new PR for your bench is 205#…and you now have a new goal of 210#.
But you couldn’t have gotten there without that lonely little 2.5# weight.
That’s kinda what life is like isn’t it?
Those small steps we take that seem to mean nothing at the time but when you look back those steps took you to the version of yourself that you are today.
The fact of the matter is that our life is filled with different PR’s built around 2.5# plates, metaphorically speaking of course.
We could never get to: “a2+ b2 = (a — b)2 + 2ab” without starting out somewhere learning: “2+2=4”.
(Yes, for those wondering I totally looked up that algebra problem and still have no idea what it means…MOVING ON…)
Those small victories that have accumulated over the days/weeks/months/years that we somehow have overlooked as nothing have now become the stepping stones for what we consider to be as natural as brushing our teeth.
But we wouldn’t have gotten there without the 2.5# plates in our lives to break through our plateaus.
Too often, we listen to the voice in our head that tells us we should be doing more.
The truth is that lasting (and dramatic) changes are just the opposite, and we need to be thankful and learn from every single small step we take in this life, whether painful or helpful.
None will ever be insignificant to your growth.
So next time, when you think you are stuck and you are not doing enough, take a step back and look at how far you’ve come so far.
Maybe the difference in your success is just to find that 2.5# plate that needs to be added for that extra push and confidence you need.
And there is no shame in that.
Sharing my learnings as I help brands with my Copywriting skills
2 个月This is so common, and for almost every goal, we try to go with the attitude of intensity. Here's what I've personally experienced for myself: Whenever I try to do something, my motivation level is 10/10, and I feel like I'm on top of the world. I set goals with high intensity and might be doing that thing for 1 or 2 days, but after 3-4 days, my motivation starts to drop off. It becomes hard for me to go back to that goal and even put in minimum effort. My mind gets overwhelmed and stuck, thinking that I might have to give 100% every day no matter what happens. Now that's a problem, and there are so many factors behind that thinking. Yes, when we read 10-second posts about someone's success story, or we watch 2-3 minute videos of someone sharing their transformation, it seems easy. But the truth is, in reality, it's very different. We're humans, not robots. No matter how much we try, we always need connection, energy, peace, clarity, feedback, and emotional support. There's not a single step-by-step guide that can fix us and give us solutions that we can easily apply. Approach things with a long-term mindset, take actions every day, and be self-aware. Ask yourself why you're not achieving your goals and why it's hard?
Partner @ Olsen & Magnan, LLP | California Family Law
2 个月I love how you’ve woven life lessons with your passion for weight training! It’s amazing how much we can learn from pushing our limits—both in the gym and in life. Thanks for sharing this!
Leadership Development for Professional Selling Organizations | Author | Christ Follower
2 个月I love this idea that just a little bit more can get you too a new level.
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2 个月"The truth is that lasting (and dramatic) changes are just the opposite, and we need to be thankful and learn from every single small step we take in this life, whether painful or helpful." A mic drop moment there. So much wisdom in those words! We truly believe that big things happen all at once, and the most impactful and radical and life-changing things are often accomplished through baby steps.
Founder. Investor - We help career, executive coaches, recruiters, and franchisors Grow & Scale their businesses using inbound leads. Generated $88M+ ARR in the last 5 years, 400+ clients, Creator of Client ProFinder?
2 个月You have written the whole article in a very beautiful way Keith!