Dave Tate: Was it worth it?

[BendtheBar]

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ability
noun
1 the ability to read and write: capacity, capability, potential, potentiality, power, faculty, aptness, facility; wherewithal, means.

2 the president's leadership ability: talent, skill, expertise, adeptness, aptitude, skillfulness, savoir faire, prowess, mastery, accomplishment; competence, proficiency; dexterity, adroitness, deftness, cleverness, flair, finesse, gift, knack, genius; qualification, resources; informal know-how.

Yesterday I posted the results from my last three MRI's. There were several reasons why I did this with the biggest being "breadcrumbs". I think it's important when keeping a training log to let the readers know why you are training, the adversities you face, and then to show how you deal with these and move forward. Leaving "breadcrumbs" the readers can follow.

I will share more about my issues, treatment and modifications in my log as my journey continues and do not want to use this post to focus on this. Instead I want to focus on what happened after I posted my results.

Thought-out the day I received emails from many veteran Powerlifters (whom I will not name but many are very well known for their amazing accomplishments). These emails were along the lines of support but also sharing their own stories and MRI results. When I say I received some emails it was MANY more than you would think. No doubt we all paid a price for the years we put into the sport.

Before I continue I feel I need to make some statements.

*Not everyone will end up a train wreck.

*There are many factors that play into this including family history, bodyweight carried over years, years under the bar, and many others that I am sure every specialist in the world will point out.

I have been around long enough to know there will be many that will say my training is the main reason, others will say it was nutrition, some will say it's all bone structure, family history, multiply gear, not taking MSN, not using a specific mobility program, you name it I have heard it.

Here is the truth. When you spend 3 decades doing essentially the same movements over and over, training hard and heavy, weighing close to 300 pounds, and training around and through injuries you will pay a price. A very quick guess would indicate that over the past 30 years I have performed over 6000 training sessions (this is based on a low average of 4 sessions per week. I spent years training 10 sessions per week). Out of these 6000 sessions, on average I have performed way more than 1 million loaded repetitions. While I'm not 100% sure I do not think our joints were made for this. I also feel how hard you push yourself is a big factor.

HOWEVER - MANY - MANY - MANY lifters do get away with it. This is where I feel your family history and bone structure comes into play. The thing is there are MANY factors that all comes into play. There is no way you can point to just one and say "that's it". When I am asked why this happened the only real answer is "a lot of reasons".

This brings up the next BIG question that has been part of all these conversations and emails...

Was it worth it? and... Why do we keep doing it?

I think this is very personal for everyone but I would be lying if I said I hadn't asked myself this questions many times over the past few months.

Last week when I was driving home from getting the results of my third MRI my mind was in a haze. Each MRI got worse, while I knew they were not going to be good and expected worse - it still sucks when you are smacked in the face with the reality of the situation.

Years ago I used to joke with others lifters that it didn't matter how I would feel when I was 40 or 50 and if I pushed hard enough I hoped all my joints would need replaced.

Whatever it takes!

This was an awesome philosophy back then. Now that I am looking at the possibility of this I'm not quit sure how I feel about it. I sure as hell am not as excited about it as I once was but would also be lying if I said I didn't know there would be a price to pay.

Was it worth it?

Midway through my drive home "The Dance" by Garth Brooks came on the radio.

But if I'd only known how the king would fall

Hey who's to say you know I might have changed it all

And now I'm glad I didn't know

The way it all would end the way it all would go

Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain

But I'd of had to miss the dance


I may have suspected, I may have underestimated, but I am glad I didn't really know at the time because as I get older I see that there are not many things that really end well. EVERYTHING burns out, fades away and dies.

BUT - the ride (the dance)

This is where it's at!

Lift Hard! Get Tight! Push Hard! and give everything you got because when you do this you will find incredible things you never imagined. Extraordinary things, memories and character than will carry you through your entire life!

It can all be (and one day will) taken away from you but extraordinary memories last a lifetime. Be Extraordinary!

I have no regrets and will find a way to keep training hard and doing what I love to do (modifications are part of life). I feel extremely lucky that I found something I love so much that I'm willing to pay the price and DO NOW KNOW exactly what that price is.

I will end this with a message I received from Coach X - Buddy Morris.

Welcome to the world of "fucked up beyond all reason" (fubar). It just goes to show how hard we have pushed our bodies, and I wouldn't do it any different, if given the opportunity. You can either be laid to rest peacefully or slide into the grave screaming "wow what a fucking ride " I choose to ride!!!!! You're the best.
- Buddy


We all have Ability. Over time our ability changes but as long as the passion stays the same. We will always find a way to be extraordinary.

- Dave Tate

[bruteforce]

Great read.

[SCStrong]

Awesome

[SeventySeven]

Dave is the epitome of awesome.

[Fazc]

We all have Ability. Over time our ability changes but as long as the passion stays the same. We will always find a way to be extraordinary.

Word.

[EliteDreams]

Tears in my eyes.

[5kgLifter]

I'm not entirely sure how that could ever be considered as "awesome" on any level; certainly not on a future level. Being Fubar'd may be considered fine and even worth it to some degree at the present but not once reality sets in and knee joints don't move, even after replacement, enough to permit a person to step up or down a curb or to get in and out of a chair or a car and so forth...elbows won't bend correctly or straighten fully, hips will not permit anything less than 90 degree sitting or cycling due to constant threat of dislocation...and that's without the further complications...in my book, that's not awesome, by any means.

Personally, I take it more as intended, a warning from experience for people to put their training/goals into perspective and decide upon in the knowledge that they may end up down that road, in the end; at least, then the choice is based on prior knowledge and when they can't get out of a chair (if that should happen), they can't say that nobody forewarned them. If you're out to set records, dance with the devil; if it's purely for fitness, however, think hard and fast about how much you wanna push your body and the possible outcomes with no meet totals to look back on. That's my take on it.

[RobMoriRB]

I found this insperational. I have to say the two quotes are deep. I choose to chase down peoples records to show that hard work pays off. I already been through a set back of many to come; there is a passion for this sport where I will always keep going.