The Magic of Training

Lifting weights equals magic?

I’m often asked what I find so enjoyable about training.

It’s a fair question. After all, when you wake up at 5:30 AM to train, the rest of the world will want to know what the appeal is all about.

I’m always tempted to quote Henry Rollins, “The iron never lies to you . . . two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.”

But that’s not quite it.

I do find some solace in the consistency of the iron. But that’s not what gets me out of a warm bed while it’s dark and dreary outside.

The reason I drag myself out of bed and put myself through what any normal person would describe as “torture with a barbell” day in and day out is because — to me — training is magic.

Let me explain with an example:

Last week I was performing bench presses for three sets of five reps with a record weight (for me). I completed the first set successfully. I completed the second set as well.

But on the third set, I ran into some trouble. I finished the first three reps without too much strain. The 4th rep was brutally difficult but I managed to get through it.

I slowly lowered the bar to my chest for the 5th rep, touched the bar to my shirt and proceeded to drive the bar up.

Except, it wouldn’t go. The bar went up about an inch and then froze. Sensing what was about to happen, I gnashed my teeth, squeezed the bar and put every ounce of strength and energy into pushing the bar up.

But it just wouldn’t go. This 5th rep was — in a word — impossible.

My spotters hauled the bar off my chest and I was done for the day.

Fast Forward Four Days

I’m bench pressing again. Same weight. Same goal — three sets of five reps.

This time, I got all the reps — even the last one — without much trouble.

I know on the surface this doesn’t sound all that impressive. It’s nothing more than the body adapting to the demands placed upon it.

But to me, it’s more than that. It’s magic.

Four days before, I exerted myself 100% and failed. I literally could not have tried any harder. But that last rep was impossible.

Four days later, I accomplished the impossible.

This is rare in “real life.” For starters, it’s rare to completely devote yourself 100% to a given task. And it’s even more unlikely to throw yourself into a task 100%, fail, and then succeed in such a short time frame.

In the outside world, “impossible” is usually a permanent condition. But in the gym, under the bar, impossible is only a temporary situation. What’s impossible today can be accomplished with ease four days later.

To me, that’s magical. And that’s why I train.