What keeps you going?

[Cellardweller]

CD be patient.
Don’t try to hasten the process by letting ego dictate the direction. Trust me, a “set back” due to male bravado would be devastating. Better to be a live dog, than a dead lion! God willing you will live to fight another day!

The dangerous time will be when I am able to move it freely. I’ll have to restrain myself from trying to do things I’m not ready for. That’s always the worst time with an injury. When you start feeling better you want to jump back in. Healing takes time.

[spartan300]

How far do you want to take your “Journey”? I hate that
freakin’ word! This word to me indicates a beginning and a presumed end.
NEWS FLASH PEOPLE!
This bond with the iron extends well beyond normal reaches!
This is a sick, twisted obsession with sadistic tendencies that NEVER FUCKING ENDS!
Too much? Let me stop you right there then. For the weekend warriors and
faint of heart these posts sound unhinged. For the rest of you no real explanation
is needed. We, the committed embrace the madness!

[spartan300]

Satisfaction breeds complacency!
Complacency ultimately leads to mediocrity.
Well I think you get the picture,
if not, you’re freaking destined to be content
with just making it to the gym.
Always be ready to rise to the occasion!
The iron’s job is to humiliate,demoralize and demean!
So needless to say a half assed approach will only leave
you looking like complete stroke. The iron can crush your dreams
if you’re not mentally and physically equipped to meet the challenge!

[Altered Beast]

I am the GAINZ!

[spartan300]

I am the GAINZ!

If you believe it, YOU WILL ACHIEVE IT!
YES AB, YOU ARE “FUCK OF THE MOUNTAIN”!!

[spartan300]

That's what keeps me going! I can still, thank the ALMIGHTY,
sit up and take in fluids! As you probably already know, based on
my dumb ass posts I'm an old fucker.
I've been at this shit for more than half a century.
During that time I've met some really incredible people
and of course some not so incredible. Hustler's, grifter's,
degenerates and the like. I'm happy to say I some how
managed to survive the 70's bodybuilding scene somewhat unscathed.
It's actually those glory days that continue to stoke the furnace for me.
My training was raw and primitive. Fueled by an insatiable appetite for
the IRON!! Honestly, I just love this shit!

[spartan300]

I still get nervous as fuck when
I walk through the doors of the gym. It's like I'm going on my first date. Anxious and excited! The anticipation of that first set always gets my juices flowin'!

[spartan300]

What keeps us iron aficionados
motivated?
Money? Nah!
Fame? Not so much. The only motivation the true iron junkie
needs is his next workout!

[spartan300]

Back when I started if a gym had
the following I was happier than a pig in shit!
Dumbbells that matched.
Bars that weren't completely bent or rusted.
Benches built during this century with a quarter inch of padding.
Before Arnold put us on the map, gyms as most of you are accustomed to
just didn't exist! But you know what, as terrible as conditions were
I couldn't wait for my next workout! Saddest part of my day was
when I finished my workout because I knew I had to leave my little shit hole
until the next day. It was crazy, we had to improvise to add variety to our workouts.
Barring the blood loss and tetanus things were pretty great back then.

[spartan300]

Do you need a reason to train? Let me ask you this then,
Do you need a reason to eat? sleep? How about breathe? If you’re not a complete moron,
the answer is pretty obvious, no?
TO SURVIVE!! Those of us who are committed to our
craft will wholeheartedly agree training is right up there with breathing!
This mentality will never be exceptable to our main stream counterparts and really
I wouldn’t expect them to understand.
But then again I never gave a shit about there opinion anyway.

[spartan300]

Hitting the iron still gives me a sense of purpose.
The expectations are considerably lower but
at some 50 plus years later, it still gives me the
incentive to get out of bed in the morning.
We can't all be energizer bunnies,
having endless vitality, but then again I don't have an
ever ready battery shoved up my keyster.

[spartan300]

Please avoid the pseudo hardcore jerk offs
who are willing to give you unsolicited training advice!
Every gym has a few. Always come determined and focused.
Move deliberately and with purpose. These fuckers prey on
the unsuspecting and confused.

[spartan300]

People seem to think being in a rut is a bad thing.
I for one, see being in a rut as a reflection of
your work ethic. Some find that an antiquated notion,
but a repeated, exhaustive effort (a rut) to
gain a favorable outcome is something a serious lifter should
aspire to. Just ask Milo.

[spartan300]

Gym equipment has come a long way since I started.
Sooo many options! How can you ever get bored!
Integrating free weight movements with
some of the current selectorized and
plate load units is indeed the perfect marriage!!
It definitely has introduced endless
training possibilities for me! I mean, if this is not
enough to keep your training interesting I seriously
have to question your love of da' iron!!

[spartan300]

Prepping yourself before each training session doesn't
just mean ingesting a pre workout supplement alone.
I'm talking about mentally preparing yourself to
kick some serious ass! Going in expecting your stims to
do the job, is just another failed attempt at convincing
yourself how committed you are. You got to be all in,
Or go the fuck home!

[spartan300]

How many times has it come up
in casual conversation about what you do
for fun? Innocent enough. It does come up occasionally,
Right? Not unless you're completely stunted socially.
The topic can go south rather quickly however, if you give graphic
accounts. Best spare the gruesome details of how we approach
the issue of lifting when discussing in certain circles.
Depending on who you're chatting with, you could
find yourself being recommended for a psych eval!
Lift with passion, LIFT WITH PURPOSE!!
HASTA LA VISTA, BABY!!

[spartan300]

Planet fitness is notorious for making
the serious lifter look like a buffoon. They
have the silly notion that we’re all mouth breathing,
chest thumping morons. Thus the freakin’ “LUNK” alarm!!
I can’t blame them tho, I’ve seen where a lot of these YouTube yahoo’s
go in and try to intentionally set the alarm off by acting like complete assholes.
Way to perpetuate the myth. Well my fellow hardcore enthusiasts let us not
be labeled brainless, muscle bound, narcissists by a group who think pizza and donuts
are part of there “Judgement free” strategy to fitness.

[spartan300]

Have you ever flown to close to the sun?
If you’re a card carrying masochist
you know that which I speak!
Subjecting yourself to workouts so
brutal your body rejects them by expelling
all sorts of fluids! GROSS!! Nah! That’s just
how you know it was a great workout!

[spartan300]

Do any of you still sit down to a family dinner?
For those of you who do, the question that usually
pops up is "How was your day"? If you have a job,
you wind up reviewing the minutia of the days events.
If you're still going to school, you bitch about how hard shit
is getting. You know, the approved list of dinner table topics.
I'm sure if you brought up what a kick ass leg workout you had
that day most would fail to find a way to respond.
"You should've seen it, I almost lost my cookies
on that last set of squats"! "Pass the fuckin' potatoes"!!

[spartan300]

What is a good excuse for missing training?
That’s a trick question people,
THERE IS NO GOOD EXCUSE! However, one possible
reason that we, the committed might accept would
be if they were reattaching a torn pec from a previously
insane chest workout!