“Pain is weakness leaving the body.”
That’s an old boot camp saying that is being harshly repeated right now into the ears of sweating, grunting, collapsing U.S. Marine Corps recruits by their drill instructors.
Urban Dictionary, by the way, has a very humorous entry on this particular saying:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pain+is+weakness+leaving+the+body
I evidently have a lot of weakness leaving my body. It was lower-body resistance day with Danny. This is the same workout that almost made me hurl the first time we tried it. But now I’m getting more weight lifted — more work done.
And today I went hypoglycemic again. After the squats and deadlifts, my stomach roiled. My eyes glazed. I turned lightheaded. I owe Danny $2 once again for the Gatorade it took to bring me back from the verge of spitting up Clif Bar onto the gym floor.
There at the end, we do V-ups and planks. Danny says “We’re building muscular endurance.” Building muscular endurance feels a lot like hurting and sweating.
The first set goes pretty gwell. But then I can’t get my legs up. I try it again. Nothing. The brain is sending the signal — lift the legs. The legs aren’t moving. I stop, refocus – the legs rise, the abs contract. Progress continues.
It costs a little to find out what you’re made of and make yourself into more. It’s not pretty or nice — it’s taxing. It’s harsh. It’s painful. And now this throbbing in my legs tells me that I am a fortunate person, because a little more weakness is leaving my body.
Bryan
