Lifting the stigma

Last week I ran across a video from a man in the UK who had started a project called Lifting the Stigma. It was started because he wanted to raise awareness of male suicide, in hopes of preventing men from taking their own lives.  Pete is a suicide survivor.

He was diagnosed with a mental illness, and medicated.  Yet this did not fix things for him.  He eventually found relief through powerlifting, in tandem with medical treatment.  Well, DH and I also do "The Big Three" lifts in our own training routines.  That means Squats, Bench Press, and Deadlifts.  We also add Overhead Press, and Bent Over Rows.  We both feel better mentally and physically when we lift.  Much like we did when we were cycling a lot.  It was pretty clear to us too, that physical activity is GOOD for the mind as well as the body.

Pete's video

The challenge from Lifting the Stigma is simple.  Do 6000 repetitions, at #187 (85kg).  Use the hashtags #6000reps and #6000lives when you post to social media.  Take as long as you need to work through 6000 reps.  Use any lift you are able to make weight on.  It doesn't matter.

For me, there are two lifts that allow me to get enough reps to make progress.  Deadlifts and squats.  I could add chin ups, but my reps would not be high enough to make progress....so I stick to the two I mentioned.  Right now I am doing 50-60 reps a day and trying to go at least 5 days a week.  Its proving to be a large increase in volume for me, which isn't necessarily a bad thing!

I'm not a guy (duh!) but I have known men who were suicidal at various points in their lives.   I care about them.  If through this challenge, and posting about it, someone is helped through a tough time, especially if they started lifting to help themselves, that would be fantastic!  The more folks who join the challenge and share their experiences of it, the better!  We can reach more people.

Will you join me in 6000 reps?

You can share your progress with Lifting the Stigma, on Instagram and on Facebook.