Why Don't You Push Harder?

Training Bodybuilding
261

[quote]MaximusB wrote:
I skimmed through most of the pages and responses, but I want to drop in on this…

X,

I don’t know if this has been mentioned or not, I know some similar stuff has been posted already. But I think Marauder Meat is definitely onto something earlier in this thread. Why don’t you push harder? I wanted to really think about it before I write something.

What I have come up with is this…because not everyone is hard wired the way we are. This is more about the individual than anything else. Why do some people damn near kill themselves with training, nutrition, and dedication when others find it to be annoying? This mindset is in our DNA. Fuck it, I would even call it the Alpha gene.

Not that it should refer to dominating over another, but over one’s own self. This whole thing starts and ends with the self. I am the master over my own destiny, I accept nothing short of victory, I know that I willingly put myself through pain, downright fucking agony, yet love every bit of it. I know that a heavy leg day will make me walk funny for a good 2 days, and I will probably fall onto a chair or toilet seat when trying to sit down, but I would not want it any other way.

It is the soul of a man that you are making stronger, more so than his body. It is the ability to give yourself your own gut-check when needed, accept it and use it. It is knowing that everyone on this planet goes through tough shit, physical or mental, yet fight through it BECAUSE we are better. I have always been very self motivated, which allowed me to add 130 lbs of meat to my frame during my 4 high school years.

I believe that we are limited by our own thinking, more than that of others, which is why when someone tells me there is something I can’t do, I literally want to fight them. I don’t want anything to do with such people, on any level, fucking go away. I will not be fucking denied, not ever. Results might be scrutinized, and I willingly accept that. But you keep moving forward because as long as I am breathing, I am screaming. The older we get, the more we lose. But with weights, the feeling of "I own this squat rack mother fucker, you

That which gets your ass out of bed in the morning early as fuck, to make protein shakes, go lift, do cardio or whatever, is one of the few things life cannot take away. The intangible that makes an athlete coachable. You either got it or you don’t.

Perhaps a better question is, if you don’t have “it” why don’t you get “it”? If you have “it”, why don’t you seek more of “it”? “It” being the intrinsic motivation.

As far as people getting upset about your style of writing, they simply do not want the real truth, and I mean the REAL truth. I like it, I would not want it any other way, because what they fail to see is that your intentions are to help them. Some people need their hand held, others need it crushed. [/quote]

This is some inspirational shit right here. The only thing that I would add is -

“And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!!!”

Now, it’s epic.

262

X im glad you made this thread, I actually stopped and thought about my progress and realized I have been pushing too much on the short term (workout to workout) rather than long term (actually progressing as fast as i can).

I guess I didn’t push harder because of losing sight of the big picture, but im back on track and am pushing harder than ever

263

[quote]Im_New_Feed_Me wrote:

[quote]MaximusB wrote:
I skimmed through most of the pages and responses, but I want to drop in on this…

X,

I don’t know if this has been mentioned or not, I know some similar stuff has been posted already. But I think Marauder Meat is definitely onto something earlier in this thread. Why don’t you push harder? I wanted to really think about it before I write something.

What I have come up with is this…because not everyone is hard wired the way we are. This is more about the individual than anything else. Why do some people damn near kill themselves with training, nutrition, and dedication when others find it to be annoying? This mindset is in our DNA. Fuck it, I would even call it the Alpha gene.

Not that it should refer to dominating over another, but over one’s own self. This whole thing starts and ends with the self. I am the master over my own destiny, I accept nothing short of victory, I know that I willingly put myself through pain, downright fucking agony, yet love every bit of it. I know that a heavy leg day will make me walk funny for a good 2 days, and I will probably fall onto a chair or toilet seat when trying to sit down, but I would not want it any other way.

It is the soul of a man that you are making stronger, more so than his body. It is the ability to give yourself your own gut-check when needed, accept it and use it. It is knowing that everyone on this planet goes through tough shit, physical or mental, yet fight through it BECAUSE we are better. I have always been very self motivated, which allowed me to add 130 lbs of meat to my frame during my 4 high school years.

I believe that we are limited by our own thinking, more than that of others, which is why when someone tells me there is something I can’t do, I literally want to fight them. I don’t want anything to do with such people, on any level, fucking go away. I will not be fucking denied, not ever. Results might be scrutinized, and I willingly accept that. But you keep moving forward because as long as I am breathing, I am screaming. The older we get, the more we lose. But with weights, the feeling of "I own this squat rack mother fucker, you

That which gets your ass out of bed in the morning early as fuck, to make protein shakes, go lift, do cardio or whatever, is one of the few things life cannot take away. The intangible that makes an athlete coachable. You either got it or you don’t.

Perhaps a better question is, if you don’t have “it” why don’t you get “it”? If you have “it”, why don’t you seek more of “it”? “It” being the intrinsic motivation.

As far as people getting upset about your style of writing, they simply do not want the real truth, and I mean the REAL truth. I like it, I would not want it any other way, because what they fail to see is that your intentions are to help them. Some people need their hand held, others need it crushed. [/quote]

This is some inspirational shit right here. The only thing that I would add is -

“And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!!!”

Now, it’s epic.[/quote]

I will let that William Wallace shit slide, just this one time :slight_smile:

264

MaximusB:

I agree. I used to tell people about my training and nutrition, and the amount of dedication/time invested in training. Long story short, I no longer talk about it with people unless they bring it up, b/c people find my way of life “weird.” Even my own brother, who used to lift, gives me shit for BBing. He always asks, “What are you trying to do?” I honestly don’t have a SPECIFIC goal, but several - I want to add size, stay healthy, and put myself on the track to compete in the near future. I will not subside, and my goals are going to turn into realities sooner than later. My bro says that I have a problem, b/c I “can’t even eat pizza on a vacation.” Well…I could eat shit, and I could take it easy and not train, but I’d rather bust my ass, day in and day out, and KNOW that I gave it my all. One day I’ll be older, with kids and more responsibility, and while I can I am GOING to bust my ass and keep on training.

265

[quote]MaximusB wrote:

I will let that William Wallace shit slide, just this one time :)[/quote]

Scottish pride.

We’ll defend our barren rock from anyone and everyone.

Like you said yourself “take shit from no one”

:slight_smile:

266

[quote]PAINTRAINDave wrote:

[quote]MaximusB wrote:

I will let that William Wallace shit slide, just this one time :)[/quote]

Scottish pride.

We’ll defend our barren rock from anyone and everyone.

Like you said yourself “take shit from no one”

:slight_smile:
[/quote]

Amen brother. I like people who take pride in who they are, and that goes for this iron lifestyle we live.

I gave this some more thought tonight, and I think I answered the question our good Professor asked at the beginning. The answer is… there is no answer.

Professor, I equate your question to something like, why do I have green eyes? My man, this is how we are. This is what we do. I don’t know anything different, and I cannot imagine not ever doing this shit. Your question is not a question to people like us, if anything, I wonder why more people AREN’T like us. I don’t mean for this to sound bad, and I apologize that I am gifted with FAIL when it comes to explaining my points clearly. But cousin, if someone doesn’t already have a reason to kick ass in life, check them for a pulse.

We are from different walks of life, but we are the same breed of animal. Protein shake drinking, waking up at 0-dark-30 having, steak destroying, t-shirt soaking, hogging up all the 45 lb plate enjoying, Vixen magnet, kind of people who need no other reason than just being ourselves.

267

[quote]hlss09 wrote:
MaximusB:

I agree. I used to tell people about my training and nutrition, and the amount of dedication/time invested in training. Long story short, I no longer talk about it with people unless they bring it up, b/c people find my way of life “weird.” Even my own brother, who used to lift, gives me shit for BBing. He always asks, “What are you trying to do?” I honestly don’t have a SPECIFIC goal, but several - I want to add size, stay healthy, and put myself on the track to compete in the near future. I will not subside, and my goals are going to turn into realities sooner than later. My bro says that I have a problem, b/c I “can’t even eat pizza on a vacation.” Well…I could eat shit, and I could take it easy and not train, but I’d rather bust my ass, day in and day out, and KNOW that I gave it my all. One day I’ll be older, with kids and more responsibility, and while I can I am GOING to bust my ass and keep on training.
[/quote]

With the recent passing of Jack Lalanne, I wondered what ran through his mind for his 96 years of life. I really wish someone would have asked Professor X’s question to him before he passed, because I would imagine his answer would be pretty legendary.

268

[quote]MaximusB wrote:

[quote]hlss09 wrote:
MaximusB:

I agree. I used to tell people about my training and nutrition, and the amount of dedication/time invested in training. Long story short, I no longer talk about it with people unless they bring it up, b/c people find my way of life “weird.” Even my own brother, who used to lift, gives me shit for BBing. He always asks, “What are you trying to do?” I honestly don’t have a SPECIFIC goal, but several - I want to add size, stay healthy, and put myself on the track to compete in the near future. I will not subside, and my goals are going to turn into realities sooner than later. My bro says that I have a problem, b/c I “can’t even eat pizza on a vacation.” Well…I could eat shit, and I could take it easy and not train, but I’d rather bust my ass, day in and day out, and KNOW that I gave it my all. One day I’ll be older, with kids and more responsibility, and while I can I am GOING to bust my ass and keep on training.
[/quote]

With the recent passing of Jack Lalanne, I wondered what ran through his mind for his 96 years of life. I really wish someone would have asked Professor X’s question to him before he passed, because I would imagine his answer would be pretty legendary. [/quote]

I think one thing quite critical is that Jack is a very congruent man. What I mean by that is his actions, his behaviors, what he said, what he did all lined up. He LIVED this life. This topic of “pushing harder” relates a lot to being true to oneself, having the integrity and discipline to follow through - I think you’ll find the best lifters on this site, the ones with the best results all have these strong traits.

PS - Max I keep thinking you look like Russell Crowe IRL haha.

269

[quote]Fezzik wrote:
It doesn’t require a long poetic explanation. Some people have different goals. Some people are pussies.
[/quote]

That’s good enough for me.

270

What I myself notice in the weight room is people doing a lot of the same things over and over. I left a few months for college ball and saw the many people I used to lift with, they look the same. All they ever talked about was a new ground breaking supplement that will “get them there”. Most people in the weight room dont understand the pain and struggle it takes to actually get there. Hard work is something that seems to be slowly digressing in our society and its sad. Thats why people dont push harder Proff X, they need a easy way out and justify there weak efforts to get there.

271

Xanderbuilt - I have been told I resemble Russell Crowe quite a bit, but I would argue my athleticism and lack of Australian accent make me cooler.

272

Lots of dramatization of a lifestyle choice in this thread.
Alpha Gene? Please. I lol’ed, though.

My opinion: either you want it or you don’t.
I mean: what does tempt someone to become an artist or a social worker? Both are callings known for not providing good pay. The way to artistry can be arduous and a social worker’s daily life is really tiresome.
Still: a lot of people embark on those journeys. And won’t regret it. Because they want it.

Lifting, bodybuilding etc. can be a hobby or a lifestyle.
Nothing wrong with both.

I like it as a lifestyle.
And I like getting better at things I do. Or I get bored and feel stuck in a rut. I hate that.

But:
the mere fact that one dedicates a lot to this lifestyle doesn’t automatically make one a hero, no matter the results. I’m mentioning this since there seem to be a lot of zealots in this thread. And those are usually NOT the people who’re gonna succeed at this.

I’m not even thinking about how my lifestyle differs from a non-lifting person’s one.
I just do it.

And I rarely do get shit for my lifting. Or my eating habits. Or the fact that I’m spending a lot of my time in the gym or doing sports. Least of all from friends or family (this one I find really strange: getting shit from one’s own brother?)
Maybe it’s because I suck at being a zealot.
And make no mistake: I do stand out in most crowds.

273

[quote]MaximusB wrote:
Xanderbuilt - I have been told I resemble Russell Crowe quite a bit, but I would argue my athleticism and lack of Australian accent make me cooler. [/quote]

You probably have a better temperament than him too :slight_smile:

274

[quote]FattyFat wrote:
Lots of dramatization of a lifestyle choice in this thread.
Alpha Gene? Please. I lol’ed, though.

My opinion: either you want it or you don’t.
I mean: what does tempt someone to become an artist or a social worker? Both are callings known for not providing good pay. The way to artistry can be arduous and a social worker’s daily life is really tiresome.
Still: a lot of people embark on those journeys. And won’t regret it. Because they want it.

Lifting, bodybuilding etc. can be a hobby or a lifestyle.
Nothing wrong with both.

I like it as a lifestyle.
And I like getting better at things I do. Or I get bored and feel stuck in a rut. I hate that.

But:
the mere fact that one dedicates a lot to this lifestyle doesn’t automatically make one a hero, no matter the results. I’m mentioning this since there seem to be a lot of zealots in this thread. And those are usually NOT the people who’re gonna succeed at this.

I’m not even thinking about how my lifestyle differs from a non-lifting person’s one.
I just do it.

And I rarely do get shit for my lifting. Or my eating habits. Or the fact that I’m spending a lot of my time in the gym or doing sports. Least of all from friends or family (this one I find really strange: getting shit from one’s own brother?)
Maybe it’s because I suck at being a zealot.
And make no mistake: I do stand out in most crowds.

[/quote]
nice post! i’ve never understood the crap people get for living this lifestyle either from friends and family, most show a grudging respect for my choices and discipline. apart from a bit of banter from work colleages i’m pretty much left alone. maybe it’s because i don’t preach or judge people, most people are good/passionate about something. as to whether you need to push harder, just ask yourself "are you better today than yesterday/last week/month year etc. if so you’re doing ok, if not… well you know what to do.

275

For me it was a collection of things…in no particular order:

No power rack (possibly the biggest factor)
Focussing way too much on higher rep stuff
Lack of flexibility

As soon as I started to make the transition between training mostly intuitively to get a nice pump/smash teh muscle from twelvty billion angles to training more for strength, the way I viewed my training & the results I got in return changed massively.

Tis proof positive to me…what you know in theory is rarely sufficient for true wisdom/self-development to take place. Direct experience is often needed to fully bridge the gap.

276

[quote]FattyFat wrote:
Lots of dramatization of a lifestyle choice in this thread.
Alpha Gene? Please. I lol’ed, though.

My opinion: either you want it or you don’t.
I mean: what does tempt someone to become an artist or a social worker? Both are callings known for not providing good pay. The way to artistry can be arduous and a social worker’s daily life is really tiresome.
Still: a lot of people embark on those journeys. And won’t regret it. Because they want it.

Lifting, bodybuilding etc. can be a hobby or a lifestyle.
Nothing wrong with both.

I like it as a lifestyle.
And I like getting better at things I do. Or I get bored and feel stuck in a rut. I hate that.

But:
the mere fact that one dedicates a lot to this lifestyle doesn’t automatically make one a hero, no matter the results. I’m mentioning this since there seem to be a lot of zealots in this thread. And those are usually NOT the people who’re gonna succeed at this.

I’m not even thinking about how my lifestyle differs from a non-lifting person’s one.
I just do it.

And I rarely do get shit for my lifting. Or my eating habits. Or the fact that I’m spending a lot of my time in the gym or doing sports. Least of all from friends or family (this one I find really strange: getting shit from one’s own brother?)
Maybe it’s because I suck at being a zealot.
And make no mistake: I do stand out in most crowds.

[/quote]

The point I was going after, was “what makes you want it?” An internal drive that I probably didn’t articulate well, which is my own fault.

277

As has been stated numerous times, bad/no progress is a personality thing.

Lack of drive and focus (nothing to do with time, set backs, budget etc).

Secondly, it’s genetics. That’s not an excuse, it’s a fact.

Example: Someone who started off proper skinny (and by skinny, I mean to the point of being able to see your heart beat! true in my case believe it or not, e.g. 130 something pounds at 6 feet tall…and that ‘before’ picture on my hub was AFTER lifting lol) and needs 5000-6000 cals a day just to be able to gain a little is going to struggle to stand out…at least for a very long time. It takes time just to look average in clothes for these people.

If you have a metabolism that’s so fast that you can lose weight on 4000 cals a day, there’s no way that compares to the progress someone made when they just had to eat “normaly” to gain their first 30+lbs. I hear people moaning about having to eat 4000 cals a day to gain, well I have to eat that to maintain my weight LOL.

Once again, it’s not an excuse, simply a set back that needs to be over-come and delays “standing out” for some time.

278

[quote]its_just_me wrote:
As has been stated numerous times, bad/no progress is a personality thing.

Lack of drive and focus (nothing to do with time, set backs, budget etc).

Secondly, it’s genetics. That’s not an excuse, it’s a fact.

Example: Someone who started off proper skinny (and by skinny, I mean to the point of being able to see your heart beat! true in my case believe it or not, e.g. 130 something pounds at 6 feet tall…and that ‘before’ picture on my hub was AFTER lifting lol) and needs 5000-6000 cals a day just to be able to gain a little is going to struggle to stand out…at least for a very long time. It takes time just to look average in clothes for these people.

If you have a metabolism that’s so fast that you can lose weight on 4000 cals a day, there’s no way that compares to the progress someone made when they just had to eat “normaly” to gain their first 30+lbs. I hear people moaning about having to eat 4000 cals a day to gain, well I have to eat that to maintain my weight LOL.

Once again, it’s not an excuse, simply a set back that needs to be over-come and delays “standing out” for some time.[/quote]

Dude, if I posted a picture of me in junior high, you would think I was joking. I was that skinny. I got to high school weighing 90lbs and was only 150 by the time I graduated…and I worked UP to that by using some lame dumbbells at home and doing push ups.

I agree that genetics play a large part…but those of you still believing that any big guy you see was born that way need to stop. Some of the most stand out players in bodybuilding started out as skinny guys with super fast metabolisms. It took eating in excess of 6,000cals a day many times for me to progress in weight. That is simply what you do if you want it bad enough. That part has shit to do with genetics because a bodybuilder would WANT a fast metabolism. It means they can get away with eating things others can’t.

279

I’ll play… I love making excuse trains… never get the chance though.

To lazy to cook… always takes me forever, and clean up is a bitch so I don’t get enough good food daily. Have to stay within a weight class… don’t really have to but too paranoid to move up because I worry my strength levels will not be substantial for quite some time… I should mention that I’m nearly 5’10 so I practically feel anorexic… everyone I know thinks I’m crazy to think that but they don’t actually work out or do sports etc… one actually thinks I’m fat but her bfed is 125lbs /facepalm).

Oh other things get in the way… so its hard to perfectly schedule everything because every week you might have something else come up and I know its crazy to say but “take priority” omg!! lol. But keeping the job etc… is more important at this time.

Terrible time management skills… I’ll get home and it takes me an hour to get ready to leave again for the gym because I sit down and get involved in something else…

Just thought of another… lack of progress being demotivating… so the mental aspect goes to shit. Probably goes in with food intake.

I really thought I’d have more excuses, I feel I fell short with the list… not necessarily a body builder… but I don’t think anyone minds having some size and this thread seemed entertaining so I thought I’d post.

280

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]its_just_me wrote:
As has been stated numerous times, bad/no progress is a personality thing.

Lack of drive and focus (nothing to do with time, set backs, budget etc).

Secondly, it’s genetics. That’s not an excuse, it’s a fact.

Example: Someone who started off proper skinny (and by skinny, I mean to the point of being able to see your heart beat! true in my case believe it or not, e.g. 130 something pounds at 6 feet tall…and that ‘before’ picture on my hub was AFTER lifting lol) and needs 5000-6000 cals a day just to be able to gain a little is going to struggle to stand out…at least for a very long time. It takes time just to look average in clothes for these people.

If you have a metabolism that’s so fast that you can lose weight on 4000 cals a day, there’s no way that compares to the progress someone made when they just had to eat “normaly” to gain their first 30+lbs. I hear people moaning about having to eat 4000 cals a day to gain, well I have to eat that to maintain my weight LOL.

Once again, it’s not an excuse, simply a set back that needs to be over-come and delays “standing out” for some time.[/quote]

Dude, if I posted a picture of me in junior high, you would think I was joking. I was that skinny. I got to high school weighing 90lbs and was only 150 by the time I graduated…and I worked UP to that by using some lame dumbbells at home and doing push ups.

I agree that genetics play a large part…but those of you still believing that any big guy you see was born that way need to stop. Some of the most stand out players in bodybuilding started out as skinny guys with super fast metabolisms. It took eating in excess of 6,000cals a day many times for me to progress in weight. That is simply what you do if you want it bad enough. That part has shit to do with genetics because a bodybuilder would WANT a fast metabolism. It means they can get away with eating things others can’t.[/quote]

I remember in a thread you said something about your knees giving you shit in the winter. When you were still doing BB exercises for legs, what did you do to overcome this?