Published: September 20, 2009 09:02 pm      

The old adage rings true: ‘No pain, No gain!’

By Anthony Moye

In my profession, I see people everyday who workout daily and are extremely committed; after months of dedication they still see very little change in their body.

We have already covered the basics of diet and how important it is to the success of your program. Let’s discuss the intensity it takes to overcome that plateau and be successful.

Webster describes intensity as exceptionally great concentration, power, or force. We have all seen the bodybuilders and powerlifters in our gyms. You know, the guys brooding around stomping, making all that racket, flashing their huge muscles.

Although these guys may have different goals than you do and you may have no desire to behave that way, you can utilize the same training principles to reach your specific goals.

Intensity is not defined by yelling, stomping or making a scene when you lift. It is a frame of mind. A mind set that failure is not an option. It is you versus the bad habits and the dark sides of yourself and YOU will win!

When you first start to train in the gym anything you attempt can seem hard or even impossible. Lifting a 25 pound dumbbell may seem like a feat for someone stronger.

Then, the more you train and the more you apply yourself and see yourself lifting that 25 pound dumbbell the easier it becomes.

Take that mentality and apply it to each rep, each set. You will see those results faster and easier than you might imagine.

One mistake most people make is not pushing their muscles hard enough. In order to build a muscle or strengthen it, you must adequately tear it down.

Most people stop when they begin to feel the burning of fatigue in their muscles. When you begin to feel that burning sensation, it is actually the blood rushing to the muscle that is being worked and shock beginning to set into the muscle. This is a good thing!

What separates those who have made changes to their bodies in the gym versus those who have not is the ability and determination to push past this point. To truly transform your body shape, pain is inevitable.

You must accept this as an honor badge to be worn proudly to get to the end result.

The old adage “No Pain, No Gain” is true to a point.

You must learn to identify the difference between the pain in the muscle as fatigue and pain that is your body alerting you that something is wrong. The easiest way to avoid this is to learn correct form.

When you leave the gym you should feel like you’ve just worked out. It isn’t fun all the time, but the results are!

“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” –William James



Anthony Moye is a personal trainer at Mother Frances Health and Fitness Center in Jacksonville.