CHANGE IS THE POINT

We all know an Ego-Lifter. Every gym has one. And if you don’t think your gym does, it’s probably you.

In bro science – anecdotal fitness and bodybuilding advice – an Ego-Lifter is someone who prioritises lifting the heaviest weights possible to impress others and boost self esteem, at the expense of proper exercise technique and appropriate load management.

Logically, this leads to some pretty serious problems. Lifting weight with improper form eventually leads to muscular imbalances and injury, and inappropriately managing training load and recovery leads to overtraining, burn out and… more injury.

You don’t see many seasoned trainees Ego-lifting. It is clearly a young person’s game. That’s because the Ego – which is a collection of ideas about who you think you are and what you are capable of – doesn’t really mature without authentic life experiences.

Ego-Lifters don’t know themselves very well. They mistake energy and adrenaline for inherent capacity; a caffeine high for extra strength; genuine lethargy and sluggishness as being weak and wimpy.

Training – done appropriately – should move you closer to your goals. But it should also teach you about yourself, and be a process of self-discovery; of getting to know who you are and what you are really capable of.

Opposite to the Ego-Lifter, some people discover they are much more capable than they had previously given themselves credit for. In this sense, under-lifting can also be a form of Ego-Lifting; it’s just in this example, the trainee places less weight on the bar. Yet under-estimating one’s abilities can be just as damaging as over-estimating them.

Because Ego-Lifters do not know themselves very well, they are unable to objectively and realistically assess who and where they are. If the Ego-Lifter displays enough bravado, and grunts loud enough during a lift, then perhaps they can convince the people around them that they are strong. Maybe even going so far as to convince themselves. Someone who is secure in themselves – has a healthy Ego – rarely does this.

Progress rarely happens “by faking it till you make it”. Especially when it comes to training. You often hear coaches and trainers tell their clients to “Leave your Ego at the door”. But training has a way of teaching humility, and providing natural checks and balances for those who don’t anyway.

If you are honest with yourself, you’re probably not Ego-Lifting. And if you are, then you’re only training a misguided projection. Only one results in genuine progression.

This article was originally published in the October Edition of The Sydney Observer‘s Health and Longevity Section of the Magazine https://sydneyobserver.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Observer1225.pdf