Comments on: How competitive are you?

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Strength revelations: what I’ve learned from strongman | Hard Sweat — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:17:01 +0000

[...] How competitive are you? [...]

By: Kaira

Kaira — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:32:13 +0000

A guy should be competitive. Competition gives incentives for self improvement. This is not only true for a guy. Without competition world cannot progress too.

By: Justin_P

Justin_P — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:30:05 +0000

One of the keys to training is balance… and there are way too many people that lost that set of keys.

Competition in life can’t be eliminated, no matter how hard we try to ignore it. It’s a great catalyst to push yourself past what you thought was possible. Accepting that there is always going to be competiton is a key to accepting difficulty in life.

On the other hand, there is a point of dimishing returns with competition. There comes a point in life where you’re going to peak and when that times comes, it’s pointless to keep pushing yourself harder and harder. At that point, you’re just sapping the life out of yourself. I read somewhere about a powerlifting coach who fried his body up so bad that the only thing that he can do anymore for exercise is swim!

Balance competitiveness in your training. That’s my take on the matter.

By: gubernatrix

gubernatrix — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:46:09 +0000

I think aggression is sometimes mistaken for competitiveness. You don’t have to be aggressive to be competitive, but you do have to have a deep desire to triumph. Over whom is up to you!

By: lelak

lelak — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 22:05:05 +0000

I’m not as competitive as I like to think I am.

By: Niel

Niel — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:10:35 +0000

I think competitiveness is healthy to some degree.

Although for myself, I just trying being better than I was the week before. That’s good enough for me!

By: gubernatrix

gubernatrix — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:21:28 +0000

Interesting range of views here!

I enjoy being competitive but sometimes I wonder whether it has a detrimental effect on form, technique and style? If competition is the primary object (and you are not being judged on style) then the aim is results at all costs. There’s an element of doing ‘what you can get away with’.

Whereas if the object is purely betterment of yourself, there’s no reason not to execute the move with as good a technique and style as you possibly can. Even though this might result in slower times or lower numbers.

Then again, I enjoy the adrenalin and thrill of competition and I’m not sure I’m ethical enough to do my own pure thing if everyone else is taking liberties.

Interesting topical parallel: Rebecca Adlington choosing not to wear a polyurethane suit in her world championship 400m freestyle event earlier this week – and still winning bronze.

By: Moose

Moose — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:39:16 +0000

For me, it all depends.
If I think there’s a chance I can win, I’m the most competitive person on the planet. On the flip side, if I know there’s no chance, I just focus on my on stuff and don’t get pulled into a competition.
I’m sure any amateur psychologists out there could write a PhD on me…
In other people, though, I find super-competitice people really annoying (I may be a bit of a hypocrite here – psychologists make note again). I have some friends like this, and avoid any activity that could develop into a competition.
As with all things, though, I think the answer lies in fnding some kind of balance – competitiveness (is that a word?) when appropriate, and just “plaing the game” at other times. I believe that, like stress, we all need a bit of competition in our lives to achieve our potential. But too much can have the opposite effect.
My tuppence worth.

By: Blaine Moore

Blaine Moore — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:21:57 +0000

I know some people that are more competitive than myself, but not many.

Being of better health is just a side benefit of being in shape. I would prefer to challenge myself alongside my betters in the hopes that I can find a way to beat them.

Which does happen, now and again. That’s important; if I never beat people I might get discouraged.

By: Kira

Kira — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:12:48 +0000

I’m not competitive at all.

Doing my best is good enough for me.

I’ve seen too many athletes ruin their lives by confusing competitive success with personal sucess. There’s always someone better.

If you can’t be satisfied doing your best and you’ve GOT to win to feel good about yourself you have all ready failed(in my opinion). Sport and training is supposed to be a liberating experience, not another means of reionforcing insecurity and feelings of inadequacy.

Just my ywo cents … Don’tn get me wrong I love competing ,,, but I’m genuinely satisfied if I do my best (win or lose)

Cheers