Sunday, August 4, 2013

Bitching about The Summer Heat?

So, it's mostly in the low 90's here in Florida where I've been sentenced to stay for the foreseeable future with 60-80% humidity on any given afternoon.  Inside the garage is even worse.  Since the air conditioning exhaust runs through there too, it makes the already hotter-than-outside garage even more unbearable.  There I am, on the floor of the garage, with my hands squeezed inside the handle of my kettlebell doing Lat Pullovers.  My knuckles grind into one another and my back is picking up all kinds of dirt and dead insects off the floor because I'm sweating so hard as I move the KB through my sets.  I'd prefer to move this whole outfit outside but with my ACL in my left leg barely repaired, I don't chance carrying the large chunk of metal outside.  So, I do this all in the garage, hoping those ants I'm killing aren't the kind that bite and that spider in the corner the size of a my palm stays put. 

This is the first time I've ever written about this.  No, it's not a complaint but a wake-up call.  From one hardened mind to another, I'm sure that you'd love nothing more than to reach through your computer screen and grab those people on the other side who is complaining about how hot the summer is and tell them to shut the hell up and get to working out. 

This is classic a sign of lack of intensity.  Remember what that was when you train?  If you don't you might  need to be spanked with a spiked baseball bat.  That's when you do stuff that takes you past what's physically (and mentally) comfortable in your training.  We should also know that we need to push things past comfortable and into painful when we train.  If you didn't get that, spank yourself again with the studded baseball bat. 

So, since you're already there taking yourself to Intense-town, what difference does it make if the landscape is hot, sticky, humid, dirty, smelly and generally as miserable as the burn in your biceps and upper back while you're there?  You're supposed to be in a zone where you are forcing yourself to disregard the stresses you're putting yourself under and continue working.  The miserable backdrop to this scene is just matches the pain of the action.  This is why I've always loved the gyms with concrete floors, working out in basements and garages, and martial arts schools that are rough around the edges.  Anything to the contrary is Planet Fitness.

Clean, climate-controlled comfort is for bedtime.  If you're bitching about the weather and mitigating training, then you're just doing it wrong. 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello,
I am from Holland, so sorry for my bad English. I am a martial artist and I like your post very much.
I already have learned from that quit a lott. I like your no-nonse writing.
Is it possible to get your writings automaticaly in my mail box?
Or do I have to go to this site everytime.
Take care and keep on writing :-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Justin.

Here's wishing you a speedy recovery. I can relate, as I've injured both knees, though not really to the extent you have.

May I ask where in FL are you currently? I'm in SEFL, and would love to buy you a drink and quiz you about PT.

Regards,
Manny
(Palm Beach)

Justin_PS said...

Holland Anonymous: Unless I start a newsletter, I don't think so. I post links to all of my current posts to the FB page. Thanks for reading.

Manny, I'm in Southwest Florida, between Sarasota and Ft Myers. Thanks for the well-wishes and stay cool!

Anonymous said...

Okay Justin thanks. I will visit this site often :-)