Thread: Are you hitting it hard enough?

Every now and then we accomplish a major goal in the gym which takes a lot of hard work, time, dedication, pain, sweat, and if you are like me and suck at doing dead lift…blood. Once that goal is complete SOMETIMES we let up a bit. That happened to me about a year ago, I accomplished some things and when I went to the gym I found myself sitting around talking with other members and not exercising.

That was a year ago and I have made little progress since that time. I nursed some injuries for about 6 months but when that was over and done with, I still was not hitting the weights as hard as I could have. Since school let out about two months ago I have changed this. At first progress was slow, I was ACTUALLY undecided as to whether or not I wanted to commit myself. I did make the decision and the past two months have been great. I am not back to where I was but I am climbing the hill.

While in the process of doing this however, I am a little more experienced this time. It is as if I had gone back in time, I am doing it over again, with more knowledge. My goals are much greater now and now when I am in the gym I am hitting it harder and harder each time.

Now I ask you, are you hitting it hard enough? You may recall in “Pumping Iron,” when Arnold is discussing champions and how the difference is the one who will say, “okay I am going to go through this pain barrier no matter what.” Arnold said champions were made not at that tenth rep, but the 11th and 12th, the ones you did not think you could do, or were afraid to do. Those will make the difference, and make you grow. When I am in the gym I am constantly asking myself if I want my muscles to grow today, the answer is always yes. I oftentimes think back to “Pumping Iron” when Arnold and Ed Corney are doing squats and Ed is FINISHED, looks dead, and Arnold says “2 more, no matter what” and he does them. Afterwards he falls down, exhausted, and defeated…but victorious at the same time. This is how it should be.

There is no point to go to the gym and lift the same weight all the time, it is still painful yeah, but you are getting absolutely nowhere new. Test your body and push it, it will grow if you make the decision to force it. The decision to hit it hard is not made when you get to the gym, or right before the set, or even during the set. You make the decision to give it all you got in you before you even set foot into the place. I usually take the car ride over as my time to get it in my head. I do not enjoy chit chatting with my work out partner about anything except lifting before going to the gym. It takes away from my focus.

I finished a good leg workout today, I was not lifting as much weight as usual, but I made it a point to keep good form, going all the way down on squats, on leg press touching my chest with my legs. The important thing here is stimulating the muscles you are trying to work. Do not think about the weight, who cares about the weight, think about your muscles. Imagine them growing, feel every ounce of pain that your body is going through, channel it all to your muscle that you are working, make it as hard as possible for yourself to finish the set, keep your form perfect. Your body will definitely reward you for this.

When you are in the gym make it a point to try something new, to go that extra mile, just for the fuck of it, the experience, the pain, to feel something you have not felt in a long time. It is 100% real and when you leave, your body will physically be defeated, and THAT is the goal. It will repair itself stronger next time, and you can keep on pushing it and pushing it. That is how to get big. Do not simply go in and do your routine, anticipating the end so you can eat, or go home and see your wife and kid, or get back to your life. Take the time and enjoy it, one day you will not be able to work as hard as you can today. Do not be afraid to be great.