Giving Voice to the Demon

           So I noticed something odd the other day and Friday seems like as good a day to comment on it as any. I cannot recall specifically but it was a story detailed in either Schwarzenegger’s book THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BODYBUILDING or his autobiography TOTAL RECALL. In the story he was talking about how a reporter commented how Arnold was always smiling when he was in the gym. He was always exuberant and happy. Arnold explained this joy came from the knowledge that all the hard work he was putting in was transforming him into something better.

           Now, when I am in the gym, I am wearing my headphones 99% of the time. I listen to music that pumps me up and it brings a certain focus and intensity to my countenance, I am sure. There is also a bursting levels of testosterone that comes with heavy lifting and I do find myself making certain “angry faces” when lifting heavy. This is not to say that I am mad. It is just the natural physiological response that comes from your body firing on all cylinders and this flood on natural chemicals would put a woman’s pelvic bones as risk if approached immediately after said workouts.

           When my workout is done and the headphones come off, I consider myself to be a happy person. I joke with the employees (who now know me by name). I give thumbs up to others working hard. And I will smile and laugh with the best of them. And when my routines are done, I do spend a few moments flexing in the mirror. I feel a person should admire the results of this hard work. That is where the smiles come in earnest.

           So, with all that being said, I think it is safe to assume that I enjoy my time lifting weights. I really do. It has become my routine now. I enjoy seeing gains. I like seeing the separation between the muscles in my arms and legs and seeing muscles emerge that were not there before. I still have a long way to go but my limbs don’t just look like tubes of hanging sausage anymore.  I take great pride and satisfaction in that. I do believe that is the attitude of a champion.

           Now, let’s look at the flip side of the coin. We all know that person. They are working hard. They are putting in the effort. For that they should be applauded. But they are complainers. They whine about how much an exercise hurts. They are vocal about the exercises that they dislike. They comment how much they hate this exercise or that exercise. They are too focused on the immediate pain and not the rewards that they are striving to attain for “bikini season” or whatever event.

           There is probably a moment in every coach’s career where they ask their athletes if they are having fun and if they are not having fun then they should quit. This is typically after your eighth wind sprint and you feel like your lungs are about to explode. Here is a hint. In that moment, everyone wants to quit. But you push on because you know all those wind sprints will give you victory in the fourth quarter when your opponent is out of gas. You don’t mind the pain now because you know it will give you an advantage later on.

           Like the great ones say – and this is true – no pain, no gain. You have to find a way to enjoy all that hard work knowing what is waiting for you on the other side. Everyone is miserable in the moments of lifting all those heavy weights but the rush of endorphins that you get from getting one more pull up than the week before or setting a personal record on the Bench Press is what you push through that pain to achieve.

           So what good does it do to complain in the moment? You are miserable doing burpees? Everyone is miserable doing squats. Being vocal about it gives a voice to that demon. Now, maybe the complainers are just naturally negative. That could be the case. Those people are out there. But I think you have to enjoy what you are doing. If not, where do you draw your motivation to continue?

           If I am placing a wager on which person will turn fitness or bodybuilding into a lifestyle, I am betting on the guy who is smiling as he is walking out of the gym over the person that is vocally whining about how much they hate Exercise X or Exercise Y.

           Is it going to be painful? If it is not painful, you aren’t going hard enough. But can you embrace the pain? Can you maintain your morale knowing that the pain is molding into something better? Can you stay focused on what you are going to become? Can you focus on why you are doing this in the first place? If you can answer yes to those question, congratulations. You just made it to the next level.

           And if you can apply that happiness level to aspects outside of the gym… you might just be on your way.