The True Meaning of Strength w/ Alyssa Ages

Have you ever asked yourself what there is to learn from the pursuit of strength? How do the lessons we learn in the gym translate to our lives outside of strength? Alyssa Ages set out on a quest to answer these questions, and in return found a multitude of answers that can help any athletic person get more from their training regime and their life.

Key Takeaways

If you are curious about the true meaning of strength, you should:

1. Connect with your deeper why of strength training outside of the aesthetic value
2. View strength training as something that can connect you more deeply to your body
3. Be aware of the ways in which the strength training mindset can improve your life outside of the gym

Strength In and Out of the Gym with Alyssa Ages

Alyssa is a Toronto-based, New York-born author, freelance writer, and copywriter. She is a mom, strongman competitor, endurance athlete (six marathons & an Ironman), rock climber, CrossFitter, and former member of the Jersey City Bridge & Pummel roller derby team. Her debut book, Secrets of Giants: A Journey to Uncover the True Meaning of Strength, was featured in The New York Times and Publisher’s Weekly, among others. The book, part personal narrative, part research mission, part midlife crisis odyssey into the world of strength to answer the question: What if strength isn’t about how much we can lift, but how we manage life’s struggles? 

The True Meaning of Strength

There is something about strength training and the pursuit of strength that is addictive and keeps bringing us back. But why do we love it so much, and feel so satisfied even when it feels hard? It all comes down to the story we tell ourselves. If you view yourself as a person who is able to handle hard shit, there's a good chance you don't mind getting comfortable with discomfort. Through Alyssa’s research, it became clear to her, that if you are purposefully able to do difficult things, the easier all of the things that you encounter in your daily life will start to feel.

You Can Do Hard Things

Building strength, physically, mentally, and emotionally, is all about pushing the boundaries of what humans can do. When strength is a part of your identity, you can discover things about yourself through the training process that will help you both in and out of the gym. Building strength is not just about looking good or feeling good, it is about having agency over your life and what you are doing. The ability to fail over and over again safely, allows you to learn something that is applicable in every other area of your life. That might be why we love it so much.

If you are also searching for the true meaning of strength, share your thoughts with me in the comments of the episode page. 

In This Episode

• Learn about the genre of Strongman Strength Training and the role it played in Alyssa’s journey (8:43)
• Explore what it means to be an athlete or athletic person (19:13)