Moving mountains, not just moving weights!

[DocColossus]

There have been a fair bit of folks on this site as well as the other one I keep a journal on who have been asking me how I'm feeling (physically AND mentally)... People in the gym, people on Facebook, people at the bar I bounce at and friends and family have been asking as well... So I really gave it some thought, sincere thought. I weighed out the pro's and con's, the rights and wrongs...etc, and this is what I came up with:

When I train, I'm not just moving weights, I look at it as moving mountains. I sit on the military press and remember sitting in the doctors offices before the surgery, listening to them tell me I'm done, I'll never train again. I lay down on the flat bench and remember waking up after the operation, staring at the lights in the hospital, catheter in so I could piss, oxygen tube in my nose helping me breath, feeling helpless... I lean against the stretching post before my workouts, and think to when I was using a walker to walk, think back to when I couldn't even walk without assistance.

I think of all of these things, think of where I came from, think of where I want to be, and know that all that stands between now and then, is me. It's my mentality standing in between the present and where I want to be. It's my rehabbing spine that hinges where I'm at and where I'm headed... No matter how I look at things, I see that all that divides life in training is me, and to get to where I know I can be, I need to move more than weights, I need to move mountains.

Mind body connection, that's the weakest link in so many peoples regimens, in so many peoples lives. People who wonder "if" they can do this or "if" they can do that... Rather than wonder "if", I just look at it as "when". "When" I leg press 1500lb+ today I'll be sure to write it down in the forums later. "When" I bend over and touch my fingers to my toes stretching I'll remember post surgery when I couldn't bend over more than 1" without wanting to throw up from the pain and agony.

So... to answer the folks who've been wondering how I'm feeling, the answer is strong. I have painful days... and less than painful days, high's and low's, but bottom line, end of the day, I feel strong.

Mentally.

Physically.

Strong.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by DocColossus

Mind body connection, that's the weakest link in so many peoples regimens, in so many peoples lives. People who wonder "if" they can do this or "if" they can do that... Rather than wonder "if", I just look at it as "when". "When" I leg press 1500lb+ today I'll be sure to write it down in the forums later. "When" I bend over and touch my fingers to my toes stretching I'll remember post surgery when I couldn't bend over more than 1" without wanting to throw up from the pain and agony.

Great post Doc, and I found the above paragraph especially pertinent. To piggyback on what you wrote, I always go into my training believing that progression will take place. Too many young guys seem like they're simply "waiting for the stall".

I've "really" stalled once or twice in my life. Once was a 4 week span on overhead presses this year where my reps didn't go up. I didn't quit. I kept at it, and the following week nailed a PR.

Sometimes the tendons, CNS, whatever just need to adapt to a load before the body is willing to allow you to lift it. Also, I don't psyche myself into believing I will make progress, I just "know", and trust in the process.

The young guys need to learn from you. You believe you will move mountains, even post-injury. It's not a question of "if". It's always one step after the other, and you're proof of this.

Keep hard at it one step at a time big Doc.

[bwys61]

nice

[RickB]

Good stuff DC!

[Bodybygamma]

Moving Mountains! Hell yeah! Awesome post Doc! Keep on smashing on!

[ricka182]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

The young guys need to learn from you. You believe you will move mountains, even post-injury. It's not a question of "if". It's always one step after the other, and you're proof of this.

Keep hard at it one step at a time big Doc.

Hell, I'm older than Doc and I've learned an insane amount from him, as well as kept my motivation high, even when I'm down.. What's he's been through, and where's he come to now is simply amazing. I'm now tapping my feet getting ancy about hitting the weights again. If all goes well, I'll be killing the iron starting Monday... I have to meet with my Doctor first to go over some blood work first, and then verify my company will pay my gym dues on time, but I think I should be good to go! I'll get my journal put up over here too once I start....

[DocColossus]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

Great post Doc, and I found the above paragraph especially pertinent. To piggyback on what you wrote, I always go into my training believing that progression will take place. Too many young guys seem like they're simply "waiting for the stall".

I've "really" stalled once or twice in my life. Once was a 4 week span on overhead presses this year where my reps didn't go up. I didn't quit. I kept at it, and the following week nailed a PR.

Sometimes the tendons, CNS, whatever just need to adapt to a load before the body is willing to allow you to lift it. Also, I don't psyche myself into believing I will make progress, I just "know", and trust in the process.

The young guys need to learn from you. You believe you will move mountains, even post-injury. It's not a question of "if". It's always one step after the other, and you're proof of this.

Keep hard at it one step at a time big Doc.

Exactly brother, not a matter of "if" at all.

Originally Posted by bwys61

nice

Thanks man!

Originally Posted by RickB

Good stuff DC!

Thanks brutha, trying...

Originally Posted by ricka182

Hell, I'm older than Doc and I've learned an insane amount from him, as well as kept my motivation high, even when I'm down.. What's he's been through, and where's he come to now is simply amazing. I'm now tapping my feet getting ancy about hitting the weights again. If all goes well, I'll be killing the iron starting Monday... I have to meet with my Doctor first to go over some blood work first, and then verify my company will pay my gym dues on time, but I think I should be good to go! I'll get my journal put up over here too once I start....

Make sure you do post that journal brutha! Keep us in the know!

[ricka182]

I will Doc...I've been making really good progress on the last stage of my cut, and I wll include it all in the journal posting, along with a link to the BB.com journal for "historical" purposes...

[DocColossus]

Originally Posted by ricka182

I will Doc...I've been making really good progress on the last stage of my cut, and I wll include it all in the journal posting, along with a link to the BB.com journal for "historical" purposes...

nice!

[BenReilly]