Ascent81’s BodyBlog

At my high-school gym there was a picture of Lee Haney doing barbell curls. Underneath was written: "No pain, no gain." That sums up how bodybuilders worked out back in the 70s and 80s. That’s old-school, right?

We know better now. Spend less time in the gym. Rest more, sleep more, eat more. This is how you make gains.

And yet, if you push yourself, you’re going to get sore, really sore. (I’m talking about muscle soreness, not injury). Yes, you have to sleep enough and eat properly. But sometimes the soreness doesn’t go away. Who’s to say you’re going to slow down your progress if you head back to the gym anyway?

As I write this I’m sore all over. But I’m planning on working out tonight. In fact, I’ve been sore all week, but I kept working out. One voice in my head told me to stop, rest, take it easy. But I’m making progress. It’s visible. I can see it.

Maybe there’s some truth in the old-school approach after all. Pain doesn’t lead to gains. But to make gains you have to feel some pain. Okay, maybe you have to feel a lot of pain. But the point is: pain is part of the process.