No Pain, No Gain: Muscle Focus

How many times have we all heard this saying: No pain, no gain? I don’t remember the exact time in my childhood where I heard this for the first time, but Lord knows I was young. I’m not sure who exactly came up with this positive/negative use of words, but in my book, they were a genius. And let me talk my fingers off about why I think this…

Growing up in sports and many competitive atmospheres, I was always the one who hated to lose. Much of you are probably just like me in that way. Walking to the car after the previous defeat left me feeling weak and not good enough. As a young man, not every moment after a loss are you going to hold your head up high as say with a clear conscience, “I am going to learn from this and get better.” Not always the case right? Through many years of maturity and experience in wins and losses, I found that staying positive about the current goal was the only way to go. And in order to dominate my rivals, I needed to get stronger.

When I heard this “no pain, no gain” saying in TV shows and movies, I never really grasped the full meaning of what it meant. My first thought was, “Oh yeah, if you work hard for something, it’ll pay off,” Which can be a solid definition of this depending on how you look at it. But as I’ve become more and more educated in this fitness-filled life of mine, I now see the TRUE meaning behind this famous quote. And to my surprise, it was right in front of my face the whole time.

So let me explain this “no pain, no gain” concept…

When your mind is set on the task at hand, and everything else seems blurry compared to your immense focus on the next set, it is now time to establish what I like to call, your PAIN BARRIER. Each person’s mind is made to function differently, which means that every single person on this planet is unique in their own way. Just because your best friend Freddy put up 225lbs for 8 reps on the last set, doesn’t mean that you’ll get the SAME effect if you complete the same thing.

Your goal when you walk in the gym should always be to progress in your training, regardless if you’re a man or woman. So this is how a pain barrier works. It is entirely mental. How much pain are you willing to let your body go through to form it the way you want? This isn’t a battle to be fought between friend or foe, it’s a never ending battle in your own mind.

No Pain, No Gain | Your muscles should ALWAYS give out before your mind does.

I like to make this simple by applying the 1 to 10 scale; or 1-20, however you want to look at it; 1 being the easiest (No pain), to 10 being the most intense pain your muscles can feel. So how hard was your last set? A seven? Maybe an eight? Remember what I said earlier, progress is your number one goal! Your mind should be surpassing the pain brought on by yesterday’s workout. Once you move up to a new weight, NEVER go back. Your body is stronger now than it was before. Establishing these principles will ensure non-stop progression and a closer step to achieving the body you desire.

“It’s all about progression. Loiterers should be arrested.” – Jay-Z (No pain, no gain)

So with NO PAIN in your workouts, your body will absolutely see NO GAINS. When you put your body through this intense training, it will have no choice but to grow. So make the most of your time in the gym! Get in, get out, move forward and progress.

-Mitch Muller

MindsetFitness.net – No Pain, No Gain

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