Going Beyond Pain

[LuvsThePain]

So my friend decided he'd start training with me. I told him he had to keep up because I wasn't gonna sit around and twiddle my thumbs. He understood and accepted the conditions but didn't know what was in store. The last couple weeks I drove him to nearly loosing his breakfast each morning and being unable to lift his water bottle to his mouth, or walk properly for that matter. He's sticking with it though. He asked me the other day when the workouts would stop hurting so bad.. I laughed and said, "as long as you come in with me, never." He groaned, so I pointed across the gym at some guy who'd been sitting on the bench doing nothing for the last 10 minutes and said, "you wanna be like him? Where do you think that will get you?"

My question for you guys is, do you thrive in the pain or do you put up with it as a means to an end? Personally, i thrive in it. That may be seen as odd, but if I'm not sore and ready to collapse each day after my workout I feel I've failed. How bout it? Let's hear it brothers.

I'll keep y'all posted if my buddy sticks with the program.

[TheNaturalG]

I thrive more when pushing myself. I can never do a high volume workout that doesn't require alot of intensity because I would get bored and stop. When I am doing an exercise and battling it out for each rep I am having fun.

[NumeroUno]

I thrive more when pushing myself. I can never do a high volume workout that doesn't require alot of intensity because I would get bored and stop. When I am doing an exercise and battling it out for each rep I am having fun.

Amen brother.

[iron_alchemist]

That may be seen as odd, but if I'm not sore and ready to collapse each day after my workout I feel I've failed.

Iam sure iam speaking for many when i say thats its not odd at all. If iam not sore and feel i have failed i use that mental burden to come back next time with more intensity and ambition.
"That's rock and roll the plates are waiting"

[dmnspdg]

It does sound sadistic, but the pain is welcome
i love not being able to walk after squatting; not being able to pick anything up because i blew out my chest and arms; not being able to move my calves because they are so fried, I walk like Herman Munster

[TheNaturalG]

That may be seen as odd, but if I'm not sore and ready to collapse each day after my workout I feel I've failed.

Iam sure iam speaking for many when i say thats its not odd at all. If iam not sore and feel i have failed i use that mental burden to come back next time with more intensity and ambition.
"That's rock and roll the plates are waiting"

I personaly dont go by soreness. I log my workouts and try to beat my previous weights everytime. My opinion is that it's better to judge the effectiveness of a workout by strength gained not soreness recieved.

[thatoneguy]

THANK GOD FOR LEG DAY i train legs with an old powerlifter and i dont have a choice to quit . most of the time we have our post work out evaluation with me panting on the ground beside the squat rack because i cant get up to walk to the locker room . the man is nuts but i wont train without him

[Wolf Man CHG]

i agree.....i feel like i've let myself down if i do not go balls out every session....if my muscles arn't twitching and shaking after i'm done.....i havn't done my duty

[bigjay]

Yeah the PAIN is what i live for , and its not really pain for me its pleasure, and its a sign of workout well done.

[BigAnt]

Pain is weakness leaving the body...pain is temporary-winning is forever!

Just remember good pain, like muscle soreness is good...bad pain, like sharp stabbing pain is bad, an injury is no fun to have...train hard but train smart!

[Freakshow]

Pain is what lets me know I am doing something right. If I dont walk out of the gym feeling like I just tore apart all of my muscle fibers, I didn't get it done.

Of course, there is such a thing as bad pain, and you gotta watch out for that, haha. FreakShow

[boar]

Yea I like pushing myself and my roomate that lifts with me. We do high volume workouts like 150 pushups and 50 pullups after a ball busting bench and chest workout.

I hate people that sit on their ass between lifts. No wonder they dont get anywhere in this game. From the corner of my eye while I was doing box jumps and pullups I saw someone on a leg curl machine. I was able to do 2 sets of 20 box jumps and 10 pullups of this high volume workout while slow ass just finished their set.

[LuvsThePain]

When most people think of a bodybuilder or powerlifter the first thing that comes to mind is strength. The majority of us have built something that is considered much greater than "beach muscles". The muscle fibers that we have busted our ass to strengthen and grow have gotten us all out of some pretty sticky situations. As for me, I've had to use my strength on more than one occasion to get myself and others out of a dangerous situation.

Example: I witnessed my sister crash on her ATV, (350 lb vehicle with tires and handlebars). The result of that crash landed my sister underneath the crushing poundage of the machine unable to move. On instinct and adrenaline, I ran as fast as I could to the crash and tossed the ATV off of her with ease. She still came out of it with a broken arm, but I saved her from further injuries and burns.

Let's hear it, when have you had to use your strength to save yourself or someone else??

[JUGGERNAUT]

No shit, when I was a kid I saw an older guy (80years old) got pinned under his car when the jack kicked out, his (85year old) year old wife picked up a side and he crawled out
PURE adrenaline.. The reason for me posting something unrelated is we also have to give our mind some credit too for our strength.

[LuvsThePain]

Exactly, something I failed to mention. Strength of mind, body, and heart will get you through anything.

[ldskenpo]

I posted in another thread about my nickname ( BBB). When I was in Iraq, my strength and size came in extremely handy when I would kick in doors and begin to scuff up the guys inside. I was a rifle team leader and also the biggest in my squad, my team consisted of a 5'1'' navajo kid from arizona, a 5'6'' kid from new york,and a%'7'' sioux from south dakota, and me a 6'1'' kid from tennessee, even after i lost all my weight due to the wonderful climate over there and the rationing I still weighed around 200 pounds, so it was pretty much me who kicked in the doors and so on.
Plus, when you think about it, there is a certain amount of shock value of seeing a big GI storm through your door, and fling all the adult males in the house around( after ascertaining they were a threat, of course). I would rather scuff a guy up and detain him, than shoot him and bag him.

[Grim Tavis]

ldskenpo, I love that term..."scuff a guy up".

Hope you don't mind if I steal that one and use it up here in Canada!

[Tron]

No shit, when I was a kid I saw an older guy (80years old) got pinned under his car when the jack kicked out, his (85year old) year old wife picked up a side and he crawled out
PURE adrenaline.. The reason for me posting something unrelated is we also have to give our mind some credit too for our strength.

Without the mind, the body is a waste.

[Joe Pas]

well i not as big as i want to be or as some of you guys but my size and strength have come in handy on several occations ...one time i leaving a bar with a few of my boys ...one of my friends got cornered by some kids he had problems with and one of them gave him a cheap shot in the jaw ...before anymore damage could be done i was on these kids i grabbed and tossed them and proceeded drop the rest of the kids who were tring to do some more damage to my friend ...i could have sworn to tossed a kid who had to be about 6' 185 a good 15 feet through the air lol... this led to me getting my bouncing job lol

[RowdyRobby]

A buddy of mine was gettin off the freeway in his 72 beetle going to fast, turned to sharp and the axle broke, so he was completly spun around on the over pass facing the wrong direction, i was following him, when I got out he was freak'in. So w/out thinking about it i grabbed the front of it Deadlift style and started moving it about a foot at a time until it was facing the right way. I know it was only a beetle, but its still a car!

[Pokoritel]

I used my strength in a fight that i didnt want to fight and i fight that shouldnt of happened. Very simple, some losers started up and i hardly get into fights cause i mind my own business and I am always training and eatin right so i dont go out much. Well when i did have friends which i have none now cause they dont like the lifestyle w/e etc...

My boy got his nose broken and three guys jumped on another one of my friends who they thought was the strongest guy in the group, big mistake. I was about 200 lbs and deadliftin 405, i grabbed the fuckin little shit and i literally threw him off my friend right at a parked car. Then i yelled stop fightin mother fuckers, and they all ran across the street, i challenged them all but i guess i scared the living shit out of them. I felt bad hurtin that that little dude, but i did what i had to do.

[LuvsThePain]

Those are some amazing clutches you all have been in! It's good to know that the mental and physical strength of the ANIMAL has come in handy outside of the gym. Keep training and always be prepared for anything.

Any others??

[Steve7m]

I was walking near WPI in Worcester mass, when I saw a jap bike t-bone a car at about 40. The guy literally hit the car and both the bike and him went flying. I started running towards the accident to see if I could help. The guys bike pinned the unconscious guy down. I grabbed the rear rim with one hand and flung it off of him. I know it sounds crazy....but I was amped up like 2 seconds before you pull a deadlift max. Crazy.

[Giant Killer]

here in Kansas City, we got mad snow--probably similar wherever you guys are--but last night I went over to my girls house and there was this little probly 90 lb girl trying to push her equally small friend's Honda out of a big rut they had dug in the snow, UPHILL, and they were just spinnin' their wheels and helpless in the middle of the street...
so I hopped out of my truck (not to hit on them although they were HOT) to lend some good animal power & strength to the situation-so what did I do?
dug my wheels in and deadlifted them out of the rut and pressed them up the hill into their driveway-they were blown away in thanks as I just walked away

[7Forty7]

I completely agree with the guys who said they feel like they've failed if they're not completely drained after a session. I know when I've worked hard, and if I've had a bad day and didn't go 100% - as happens now and again - I feel depressed walking out of the gym, cause I know I can't just go and repeat the workout the next day - it's a wasted week.

If I know I don't have it in me to go balls out on a particular day, I'll just rest and do it tomorrow. I don't mind a bit of extra rest - I HATE wasting workouts though.

[Pokoritel]

Its the soarness that makes me continue on, I am addicted to pain. However if i dont get pain iam cool with it as long as i see my lifts are going up and that iam improving.

[deeder]

I think you guys are all a bit nuts! I'm not sore very often the day after a workout. I've gotta say that's the way I like it. I however, am not a bodybuilder.

I don't quite understand the obsession with DOMS. How is that an indicator of growth? Anyone have any proof there is even a correlation?

[7Forty7]

I think you guys are all a bit nuts! I'm not sore very often the day after a workout. I've gotta say that's the way I like it. I however, am not a bodybuilder.

I don't quite understand the obsession with DOMS. How is that an indicator of growth? Anyone have any proof there is even a correlation?

It isn't. I don't get very sore either, unless a) it's a new exercise, or b) I've had some time off or haven't trained that bodypart in a couple of weeks - which happens now and again when I'm away with work etc.

I can completely smash a muscle group, and get nothing but some tightness the next day, with little to no actual soreness. I'm no scientist, but I've read and heard enough from the "experts" to the effect that, no, DOMS is NOT an indicator of how successful a workout has been or how much the muscle has been damaged - or how much growth has been triggered.

In short for myself - I'd worry if there were NO aftereffects of training - but I rarely get truly sore. Just some tightness, and quite often the muscle group feeling dead for a while after.

[PlacentiaBay]

Pain is weakness leaving the body...pain is temporary-winning is forever!

Just remember good pain, like muscle soreness is good...bad pain, like sharp stabbing pain is bad, an injury is no fun to have...train hard but train smart!

thats what I have had for my signature since I signed up lol

[Toni69]

If I am not sore, I didn't lift heavy enough. I will do it again until I am.

Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.
Arnold Schwarzenegger

[LuvsThePain]

Today I was thinking back and reminissing about a night in the gym that I will never forget. It was probably the most intense, adrenaline pumping workout i've ever experienced.

It was late one evening and I was heading to the gym for a good chest and shoulder session. I heard on the radio on my way over that there was a storm brewing, a big mother. When I got to the gym I looked around outside, thunderheads were forming and darkness was spreading.

I said to myself, "this is gonna be good".

Once I was done with my warm up I remember looking out the window and it was pitch freakin black. I'd never seen it that dark outside. A few people were scared and ran home. Those left in the gym were the animals. From that point on my entire workout was a blur.

The thunder was louder than I've ever heard and lightning was striking every 15 seconds or less. Every time the lightning would strike, the thunder would practically rattle the plates. My adrenaline was flowing threw my veins like it was coming straight out of a fire hose. To say the least, I was halling ass and hitting PRs with every lift. There was a sense of ferocity there that could rival that of a wolverine, and it was present in every animal there.

I felt like the monster in Frankenstein's layer, but I wasn't the only one. It was like a dungeon full of monsters. It was something straight out of a nightmare and i was loving every minute of it. The lightning was cracking, the thunder was booming, the lights were flickering, and the animals inside Gold's gym that night were anything but tame. There was grunting, yelling, weights dropping and sweat all over the floor. It was nothing for the faint of heart. I saw a few people walk through the doors of the gym that night who turned heels and practically ran out. I remember pounding out dips and feeling the thunder vibrate through the handles.

At the conclusion of my workout and the majority of every one else's, the storm had stopped. We arrived with the storm and left with it. That night, those of us that decided to stay developed an understanding and respect for one another. We never talk, but we don't have to. A simple head nod or a wave is all you'll see. That night we recognized each other as brothers in the iron game.

Brothers, every time we arrive at the gym it should be like arriving with a catostrophical storm. Every time I think about that night it gets my blood pumping. I will never forget it.

LTP

[Liftbig21]

Pain I feel you brother i remember a time last summer the same shit happened to me...barely anybody there and it was pitch black...your story brought back memories along with the chills and fury that acompanies it.I guess it is true what they say Thunder and Lightening makes Animals go haywire..Every training session should be brought with the fury of a storm.

[LuvsThePain]

Pain I feel you brother i remember a time last summer the same shit happened to me...barely anybody there and it was pitch black...your story brought back memories along with the chills and fury that acompanies it.I guess it is true what they say Thunder and Lightening makes Animals go haywire..Every training session should be brought with the fury of a storm.

Hey bro, it's cool to here that I'm not the only one that has experienced such a thing. I think back to that night when I'm lacking in motivation and it works every time.

LTP

[LuvsThePain]

I just thought that I would share an experience that I had the other day. One which I won't soon forget....

So it was Thursday, March 15th. My pickup had broken down on me the day before, so I had no transportation to the gym. I decided I'd walk since I only live 2 miles from the gym. I'm about halfway there when I hear a couple dogs barking about 2 blocks in front of me. These sounded like some big fuckin dogs too, and i'd soon be proven correct. "Oh well", I thought, "good thing there's a fence between us." HA!! A lot of damn good that did. I finally approach the area where the dogs were barking, it was a doberman pincher and mastiff. As I'm walking by I notice that their dog house is just as tall as the damn fence. Well, sure enough the pincher and the mastiff saw me and thought I'd make a nice afternoon snack. They came charging towards the fence and jumped on top of the fucking dog house! I looked up and thought to myself "oh shit.....they're not chained up". Most people would shit there pants in that situation, but what good what that have done? The two beasts standing on top of their dog house, teeth showing, could have easily hopped on top of my head. I stopped in my tracks, looked up and made eye contact witht the two animals. They glared at me and I glared right back. It was almost surreal, we probably stood there staring at each other for 2 minutes. They closed there mouths and stopped drooling. There seemed to be a sense of respect between us. I was given the right to passage and i finally continued on my way. They just sat there on the dog house watching me, dead silent.

I felt a deep sense of symbolism behind the occurrence that day. I felt as if I were recognized as one of them, another animal, another beast. The same goes in the gym, it's easy to separate the animals from everyone else. We don't need to talk and bullshit. We might however make eye contact, and in that instant you can recognize the animal. You see it in there eyes and the way they conduct themselves. In that instant, eye to eye, respect is given where respect is due.

LTP

[bigrhino]

i get where you are coming from. i never talked or bs'd much in the gym, but know when i make that eye contact, you learn a lot about someone.
-wide eyed
-look through you
-stare back with respect

[bleed_alone]

That's a really fuckin deep story. Made me sit back and think for a minute. Definitely a new perspective now when I think of animal and respect. Peace.

[LuvsThePain]

i get where you are coming from. i never talked or bs'd much in the gym, but know when i make that eye contact, you learn a lot about someone.
-wide eyed
-look through you
-stare back with respect

That's a really fuckin deep story. Made me sit back and think for a minute. Definitely a new perspective now when I think of animal and respect. Peace.

I'm glad you guys read it and understood what I was talking about. It was quite the experience. I too received new perspective that day.

[darkside64]

that is a tight story. I mean to a simple minded person it might sound absurd, but I definitely understand what you are saying. To me it is unbelievable what the eyes reveal. Nowadays most people don't even carry enough pride to look you square in the eye. Good post man

[djlr42789]

This happened to be somewhat like why I kept my dog Animal.
He got hit by a car and was walkin along this back road I was driving down...
He looked back at me and when he looked me in the eye he laid down,
so I stopped my car got out and when I walked up to him he was a mess with a slashed leg and barley any hair left, just pink skin and bones.

So I got my Hammer Strength t-shirt out of the back seat wrapped him with it and took him straight to the Vet. Costed me $300 to save him. But every penny of it was worth it because unlike people ,who worry about stupid shit or get mad at something like a bad girlfriend, he is thinking the exact same way as me.

Always just living your own way and always acting off of instincts. Not going by the fear of what someone might think of you. And remaining loyal to the thing that takes care of you the most. In his case it'd be me. But in my case its the Iron.

[Liftbig21]

Deep story...I see it the same way you do...Not many can look someone square in the eye...

[LuvsThePain]

Deep story...I see it the same way you do...Not many can look someone square in the eye...

Thanks bro. Too true, most people just look at the ground while passing by. Maybe some are afraid of what they might see, and what they might not see in themselves.

[T_N_Muscle]

Thanks bro. Too true, most people just look at the ground while passing by. Maybe some are afraid of what they might see, and what they might not see in themselves.
i NEVER EVER make eye contact in the pit, all that does is give people the "ok" to talk, and i dont talk in the gym. Like Mr. Yates says "its business as usual"

[HAWK]

Sick, bro. I know that feeling. I had the chance to go to a wolf preserve last year, and even though they're in a large fenced in area (about 10 acres) they were fuckin' awesome, even if they're not considered "wild" in most people's opinion...but when did we start caring about "most people"? One look in those yellow eyes tells you everything you need to know. They are still the most badass mother fuckers, and still have that wild instinct within them. Although some of them were born and raised there, they'd know EXACTLY what they had to do to survive, if released.

[Secur1ty]

Dude.. that was a sweet story. I cant say that has happened before to me though.

Sweet shit tho

[Painaholic]

most animals are like that bro if you dont show fear they feel powerless and back down. Heard that on discovery channle. But sweet story.

[deeder]

Crazy story man.

[T_N_Muscle]

I am referring to looking at others..................NOT to myself, the mirror IS my judge!!

[gnoll5]

shit man, this happened to me on the weekend too. my kids were away for the weekend, and i was left to do their paperroute on saturday. there is a house that is on their route that has a very large dog that looks and acts mean. from a certain timeframe the owners make sure he is in the house so they can deliver their paper. well, i didn't know this until after. i went up to their home, delivered the paper, turned around and found him about 3 feet away from me, growling and showing his teeth. neither of us moved, and i just kept staring n his eyes. a couple of minutes went by, i kept staring, and hoping inside that the owner would come out. finally, the dog just lay down and stopped barking. when i went to go around him, he rolled over and showed his belly. this is strange i thought to myself, and even though my whole body was screaming 'run', instead i bent down and scratched his stomach. he started licking my hand. a few minutes later the owner did come out, laughed and said i was the first person that had been able to go near him in years. it was pretty cool, and if i see him again, i will be bringing him some treats!!

[LuvsThePain]

shit man, this happened to me on the weekend too. my kids were away for the weekend, and i was left to do their paperroute on saturday. there is a house that is on their route that has a very large dog that looks and acts mean. from a certain timeframe the owners make sure he is in the house so they can deliver their paper. well, i didn't know this until after. i went up to their home, delivered the paper, turned around and found him about 3 feet away from me, growling and showing his teeth. neither of us moved, and i just kept staring n his eyes. a couple of minutes went by, i kept staring, and hoping inside that the owner would come out. finally, the dog just lay down and stopped barking. when i went to go around him, he rolled over and showed his belly. this is strange i thought to myself, and even though my whole body was screaming 'run', instead i bent down and scratched his stomach. he started licking my hand. a few minutes later the owner did come out, laughed and said i was the first person that had been able to go near him in years. it was pretty cool, and if i see him again, i will be bringing him some treats!!


That's pretty much identical to what happened to me. So you know exactly what I'm talking about. Like me, you were given the right of passage by the beast, and shown respect. All it took was a look in the eye. Cool stuff man.

[LuvsThePain]

i NEVER EVER make eye contact in the pit, all that does is give people the "ok" to talk, and i dont talk in the gym. Like Mr. Yates says "its business as usual"

That's why I said we NEVER talk, but we "might" however make eye contact. I think you missed the point. One of the things I was trying to get across was that you don't have to talk to the guy to recognize him as a fellow animal, sometimes all it takes is a look in the eye.

LTP

[T_N_Muscle]

That's why I said we NEVER talk, but we "might" however make eye contact. I think you missed the point. One of the things I was trying to get across was that you don't have to talk to the guy to recognize him as a fellow animal, sometimes all it takes is a look in the eye.

LTP
im down with a head nod

[Liftbig21]

I am referring to looking at others..................NOT to myself, the mirror IS my judge!!

What are you talking about?