So every once in a while my English degree takes over my other faculties. What that means is that I get metaphorical. Don’t worry; it passes eventually. In this case, I was thinking that right now we need all the strength of character we can find to deal with the various stresses of this changed world. Which, of course, led me to lift heavy weights.
Technically, lifting heavy weights will only strengthen the muscles we use to do it. That said, on some level, we lift weights with our minds. The weight, sitting there, heavy and immobile on the rack, is a problem to be solved. We bring our minds to bear on the problem, prepare a strategy, and get the job done.
Sometimes, it’s not that straightforward. We get tired. Lifting weights is, after all, hard. There are times when we look at the bar on the squat rack and think: that is scary. If we are being safe and smart (please do not lift heavy alone or without proper safety precautions like drop bars!), facing this particular fear can help us build resilience in a context where bad outcomes are unlikely. That’s a skill that can apply across contexts.
It turns out that the metaphor works. Get strong to get strong minded.
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