I'm not sure it really matters unless your like a basketball player chasing a 800lb squat for no reason. Your non-sport specific goals are what give you identity and something else to concentrate on. For example, anyone who has seen the UFC all access episodes should realize how different everyone's training is.

W. Silva: swimming with weights underwater
Griffin: running with a weighted sled behind him
Lesnar: bear crawling long distances
Sherk: tire flipping
Franklin: 60 minute circuit lifting

Did bear crawls make Brock Lesnar the athlete he is? Probably not, but the exercise resonated with him thats why he does them a lot. Picking a "favorite exercise/lift" is healthy and having a good attitude towards training is far more important than diminishing returns. For example I'm a 160 lb wrestler with a 500 lb deadlift. I have no idea if the 180 pound difference between 320-500 has improved my wrestling, but I like doing heavy deads because if I can get 500 lbs off the floor, it makes me feel like I can lift a 160 lb person with ease no matter the position.