Maintain the rage

Meme by me. Quote by Rip.

There’s something about 315 pounds that gives me a case of the yips. I don’t know why, but the sight of three big plates on either side of the bar suddenly makes me forget my form.

310 last week was fine. 320 next week will go up easy, hell, last year I was doing this lift with 365 pounds on the bar. No reason at all that this one should have been difficult except for the little worry goblins in the back of my mind.

Mark Rippetoe, the owner of the gym that Rita and I attend, is fond of saying that lifting heavy weight — particularly the deadlift — “… Trains the mind to do things that are hard.”

We can all stand to be a little healthier, a little more active than we currently are. I titled an earlier post “Mens sana in corpore sano” a quote from Juvenal, which translates as: “A healthy mind in a healthy body”, and we — particularly writers, but applicable to everyone — need to remember that physical exercise is extremely important for mental and psychological well-being. As writers, the mental part is particularly important to continued royalty cheques.

Does this mean I think you should be under a barbell squatting 315 pounds? No. (Although I will point out that Rita and I — and at least one other little bitty, well-known author — regularly lift heavy. If we can …)

I am saying that everyone should be doing some regular physical exertion, and doing a little more each day. If you walk for ten minutes today, walk for twelve minutes tomorrow. If you lift five pounds 15 times today, lift five pounds 20 times in a couple of days. Or lift seven pounds 15 times.

And I know all of the excuses — I’ve used some myself — and I do realize that there are some folks who are quadriplegic, thus it’s physically and literally impossible for them to exercise … but let’s be honest: For the vast majority of Americans whatever excuse they’re using to not do some kind of regular physical exertion is just that — an excuse.

Kelly Grayson took his life-threatening pulmonary embolism for a walk in the pool, a little further every day; worked up to swimming, and now is swimming a mind-boggling amount of distance very day.

You were gifted one body and one mind. Of the two, most people are more protective of their minds; more terrified of losing their mental faculties. One of the easiest ways to PMCS¹ your think-pudding is to break a regular sweat.

Think about it.

Ian

1. Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services