It’s for
me
Why do so much work you don’t get paid for? What are you
training for? Do I need to squat to be fit? People who do not enjoy training
ask questions like these all the time. The fact of the matter is nobody needs
to answer any questions about loving chess, playing basketball, or anything
more unoriginal. Training is a matter of improvement, learning, and increase. Does
anyone ask Donald Trump why he wants so much money? I say no. we do not need to
describe our quest for improvement. It may be difficult for many to understand
if one does not compete; frankly I do not understand it here either. But I do
not need to understand your objective. It’s your thing. Love it. Dream big. Do something
for yourself. Be an individual.
I listened to comedian doing stand up, it may have been Jerry
Seinfeld, and he compared people working out to a mental institution. If we
think about gyms they are really just big mental wards. Next time you go to the
gym close your eyes and just listen. Repetitive clanging, grunting, the
occasional ohhh-yeaaahhh! It’s really funny if you think about it. This may
turn some away from the gym. I don’t care I love the old fashioned gyms. They are
a dying breed these days. Fitness centers are more gymnastics than
weightlifting gyms. I forget where I heard this but there is a quote that goes “people
often confuse new with improved”. Weightlifting, powerlifting, and bodybuilding
are all valid forms of training. We should be allowed to pursue them with
little or no interference.
People wonder if people who lift world record weights are
mentally challenged. Simply stepping out of the pack is difficult for many to
understand. Others wonder if it a desire to be the alpha of the pack. While
both are very possible the fact is we do it for ourselves. It’s just for me. It
makes me feel good. It makes me work hard. It makes me focus on the next thing
I need to understand. Then, it makes me focus on the following division in need
of adjustments.
Training is personal. It is about physical, mental, and demonstrative
exhibition. This is who I am! If you cannot understand it, fine, leave me to
it. We can hang out later. When I was working as a bodybuilder in the initial
stages of my lifting career the muscle magazines wrote frequently about leaving
people who do not support your interest in the past. I think this is a little
extreme, now. Back then I gave serious consideration to this very topic. I left
some people in the past. Decisions carry consequences. Sacrifices must be made
if you want to reach your towering goals.
My advice is keep all the friends you can. Don’t leave people
on your dust covered trail. Life is short and we need all the friends we can
gather. Some will persist and others will go anyway. This process does not need
to be accelerated for your earnest attempt at greatness. I am not saying keep
negative people around. Get rid of them after the second conversation about
them being other than supportive. There is no need for drudgery. Life is hard
enough. Like everything else, keep the good and shed the bad.
If anyone you care about is taking wind from your sails talk
about it with them. People do not need to understand your mission. If you want
them in your life you have to talk about it. Negativity breeds negativity and
nobody wants to be around a negative person. Most don’t even know they are
taxing you. It is a simple matter of conditioning. That is how people
interacted with them and that is what they will do with everyone unless they
are made aware. Once they are aware give them the chance to correct the tendencies.
Humor is different for everyone. Keep your eyes opened and laugh at yourself. Look
at someone who has a “strange” want in your eyes. Relate this to your goals. Then,
laugh at yourself again. If someone cannot understand your mission it’s OK. Explain
it even though you probably cannot even begin to explain what a desire to
improve your health, your expertise, your overall physical ability, and your
problem solving prowess. Describe what comes across your mind when you hit a
PR. Describe setting goals, working hard on them, and what achieving them feels
like. Most have a goal they want to reach. You don’t understand their either. Just
like you do with every part of your body during a lift, coordinate the parts. Some
events are more difficult than others just like people.
Weigh the people in your life and determine if they are
keepers or not. Do not abandon people for a goal which they may help you
achieve if you would just talk about it with them. Heck, you may even help them
while they are helping you. Coordination is more than an ability to activate
the right muscles at the right time. It works in communication also.
Get stronger!