Becoming God for Ten Seconds. What Powerlifting Really Gives You.

It’s not just about lifting heavy weights. It’s about what happens in your head in the moments before you approach the barbell.

“The moment before the lift. It’s not just about moving weight. It’s a confrontation with yourself. Generated by AI (Grok Imagine)”

Rafał Siwiecki, known in the community as Brzyt, holds a PhD in biochemistry. He once researched plant compounds that could potentially replace heparin in the future. Today, instead of working in a lab, he spends most of his time in the gym — as a coach and competitive powerlifter.

His team, “Pod Sztangą PL”, has been winning titles for the strongest squad at competitions in Poland for years. But what’s most interesting about his story isn’t what happens on the platform. It’s what happens in the mind.

From the Lab to the Barbell

Rafał never planned for powerlifting to become his profession. He started like most people — training for himself. He ran a small powerlifting section as a hobby while working on his PhD. After defending his thesis, he gave himself one year to see if he could make a living from it. If it didn’t work out, he would go back to chemistry.

He never went back.

“After a year, I stopped thinking about returning to lab work at all. It completely consumed me.”

This wasn’t a story about having a perfect plan and iron discipline. It was a story about something that started as a hobby suddenly making more sense than the career he had spent years preparing for.

“Becoming God” for Ten Seconds

The most fascinating part of speaking with Brzyt is how he describes the moment right before attempting a maximal lift.

It’s not about aggression. It’s not about screaming or slapping yourself in the face. It’s something much deeper.

“There’s this feeling that you can fucking do anything. That you’re unstoppable. For me, it’s a kind of taste of being God. When I talk about it, I literally get goosebumps.”

This isn’t ordinary motivation. It’s a state in which, for a few seconds, fear, doubt, and all the usual limitations disappear. The problem is that most people believe you need to be aggressive to reach this state. According to Rafał, that’s a mistake.

He emphasizes that the key is not aggression, but authentic emotions — emotions that are genuine for that person. For some it might be joy, for others sadness, and for others a sense of absolute control. What matters is that it feels real.

Why Most People in Commercial Gyms Stay Stuck

Brzyt has been observing gyms for over 20 years. He says it bluntly:

The level of knowledge and movement quality among beginners today is the same as it was 20 years ago.

Phones, poor technique, and a complete lack of understanding of long-term progression — none of it has changed. In his opinion, the system is to blame. People aren’t being taught the basics. No one shows them how to move properly, how to recover, or how to think about training over years instead of weeks.

The result? Many people train for years but essentially stay in the same place.

Doping — How It Really Is

In powerlifting, the topic of performance-enhancing drugs is more openly discussed than in many other sports. There are federations where testing is minimal or nonexistent. Rafał speaks about it without sugarcoating.

What’s more interesting, though, is what he says about the psychological consequences. Many men enter the sport because they struggle with self-worth. Training and building size give them a sense of control and strength. But when they start using substances, the original problem often gets worse instead of better.

Low testosterone after coming off cycle, erectile dysfunction, emotional instability… Combine that with the pressure to keep getting bigger and stronger, and it can seriously mess with someone’s head.

Three Exercises for Life

When I asked Rafał which three exercises he would choose if he could only do three for the rest of his life, he answered:

• Walking lunges (instead of back squats — more joint-friendly and functional)
• Some form of rowing
• Overhead press

He didn’t choose the classic powerlifting movements. He decided movements that give the highest return in terms of long-term health and daily function.

What Remains in the End

The real value of powerlifting doesn’t lie in the numbers on the barbell. It lies in what a person learns about themselves.

This sport quickly reveals where you actually are — not just physically, but mentally. You can take steroids and pretend everything is fine. Or you can go deeper and honestly look at what’s really driving you to keep lifting heavier.

Rafał Siwiecki decided the second path.

And that’s precisely why his story is worth reading.

What about you? Do you train for results, for how you look, or because the process teaches you something about yourself?

You are welcome to share your thoughts in the comments.