Mission 1, Day 26: Why do I do this?
Last night I went to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. As I went off to bed I was thinking about my deadlift workout in the morning. As soon as I went to sleep I dreamt about my workout.
I'm up at 3:30 a.m. and getting prepared for my workout. I have a protein shake blended with a portion of oatmeal. I down that and fill up my shaker with a portion of protein, glutamine and some glucose for the insulin spike when I drink the shake after my workout. I head off to the gym and begin thinking about my workout and what I'm going to try.
I walk into the gym and it is farily quiet as this is a holiday week. I step onto the treadmill and do a 10 minute warm up. I then head over to the squat rack that I use for my deadlifts. I have been increasing my weight by 5 pounds on my deadlifts and this time I feel strong, so I add 10 pounds. I am about to attempt a 195 pound deadlift for 10 repetitions. I step up to the bar and squeeze my hands tightly. I squat down and grip the bar with alternating grip on my hands. I push my heels hard into the ground and with locked out arms, I begin to lift the bar off the ground. I'm full vertical and my traps are squeezed together at the end of the lift. I lower the weight. That's one repetition. This repeats for 10 repetitions. I have completed one set of deadlifts. Without any rest, I immediately drop and do 11 explosive pushups. I follow that with 10 Bulgarian Split Squats. Finally, I end the set with 10 two-point rows on each arm. I rest for 60 seconds and my mind starts wandering to that deadlift I need to do on the next set.
"Why am I trying to lift so heavy today? I should've stuck with 190 for today."
My mind is playing tricks on me. I step up to the bar and again, I squat down and grab the bar. I push hard with my heels and the bar is in motion again. I complete 10 repetitions and move right into explosive push ups. From those I move to the Bulgarian Split Squat and end the set with 10 two point rows on each arm.
On the third set of deadlifts, I still manage 10 repetitions. I move on to the explosive push ups. The sweat is literally dripping off my head onto the mat on the ground. My arms are shaking as I do the explosive push ups.
"I wonder if I should drop the weight on the final set of deadlifts?" my mind is thinking.
I finish off the Bulgarian Split Squats and the two point rows and get ready for the next set of deadlifts.
"I need to push through" is what I'm thinking, so I don't change the weight.
I push hard through the next set of deadlifts and manage 9 repetitions before I reach the point of failure. I drop the bar to the ground and feel quite satisified with what I just did.
"Why do I do this?" my mind wonders.
I move through the 2 sets of the second giant set and then it is off to the cardio area.
"I have hit a pretty high heart rate during my workout, so maybe I can do cardio later?" I think.
Despite what my brain says, I step onto the treadmill. I am aiming for 20 minutes. After 5 minutes I start to think strange thoughts.
"This is boring. I can't believe I forgot my mp3 player in the car!"
I continue on and work towards that 20 minute goal. Steady cardio at 4.5 mph with an incline of 4.0. I am sweating profusely as I walk quickly on the treadmill.
"Why do I do this?" my mind wonders yet again.
It is now 10 minutes into the cardio workout.
"I should just go into the cool down now." my mind is working on tricking me again.
I continue pushing forward. I am now at 12 minutes.
"I should stop now." my mind thinks.
I continue to work. I am now at 16 minutes.
"Why do I do this?" my mind continues to wonder.
Finally I hit 20 minutes. What a dream this has been. Except...
This wasn't a dream at all. It is what really happened at the gym this morning and it gave me the answer to the question "Why do I do this?" There's a selfish answer and a not so selfish answer.
The selfish answer: I do this for the triumphs and victories I get at the gym like today's personal best on the deadlifts and because it is taking me closer to my ultimate goals.
The not so selfish answer: I want to inspire others to do the same thing. I want to inspire others to workout as hard as they can and to get them to leave it all on the gym floor.
I do it because my goals have propelled me forward and I almost feel compelled to do my workouts. Stong or weak on a given day, I give it my all and in the end, I feel better about myself (witness the smile on my face now).
My workout log:
| Exercise | Results (Weight/Sets/Reps) |
| Deadlift | 195 x 10 *[PB] 195 x 10 *[PB] 195 x 10 *[PB] 195 x 9 *[PB] |
| Explosive Pushups | BW x 11 BW x 11 BW x 11 BW x 11 |
| Bulgarian Split Squats | 25 x 10 25 x 10 25 x 10 25 x 10 |
| 2 Point Bent Row | 40x 12 *[PB] 40 x 12 *[PB] 40 x 12 *[PB] 40 x 12 *[PB] |
| Deadlift from a box | 85 x 20 85 x 20 |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 35 x 20 35 x 20 |
| Walking lunges | 25 x 20 25 x 20 |
| Seated Cable Row | 80 x 20 80 x 20 |
| *PB=Personal Best | |
Until tomorrow...
Posted by Michael Mahony at 11/20/2007 9:06 PM 
Categories: Accountability, Fat Loss, Exercise, Old Missions
Categories: Accountability, Fat Loss, Exercise, Old Missions
I really loved your post today. It was like I was right there with you! I too have those type of thoughts during a workout. you are victorious by not listening to that negative, "stop doing this" voice.
your ending comments make me think of a quote I keep on my desk, "your motivation to take action increases automatically when you imagine how great it will be when you succeed."
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Wow! You can lift 195 lbs not just once but a lot of times and instead of rest in between you do pushups and the Bulgarian thing (which I honestly have no idea what it is but I know what a squat is and a split squat with the word Bulgarian in front of it sounds really fierce and the word explosive does too for that matter). I don't have a lot of (well any really) background knowledge on weight lifting, but that just is so incredibly, strong. To put it in context in my mind, I think, I weigh 152lb now. That means Mike lifts even more than I weighed in my before photo (LOL), for three reps with very exhausting stuff in between.
Where were you when I was trying to lift my suitcase onto the weigh thing at the airport?! That nearly killed me!
I know men on average are stronger than women physically, but I had no idea it was to such an extent. I have suddenly felt an incredibly, alien desire to have a husband. I had NO idea men were THAT much stronger. lol
Well now, here's a very interesting case for those numbers that I am de-emphasizing. They make for some interesting comparisons and an opportunity for insight. Hmmm. I'm feeling another post coming on. lol
But seriously. Are these numbers common? I just can't get my head around them. Or do you have, what it looks to me like, a real TALENT for weight lifting. I just tried to do an Internet search an my Internet is going all wonky again. Sheesh.
Thanks for visiting my blog TWICE and really giving it thought. I really dug it.
Quick question? Why is your blogger profile set to private? I always want to click on your name when I see your comments on Adam's blog or mine, but when I click on your name to get to the profile that displays everybody else's link to their blog, yours says "set to private." I just started reading everybody's and it has like where they are in the world and what movies they like and stuff like that. If it's not too personal (and I don't want to pry), I'd love to read your profile.
Please let this comment go through...
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The reason the blogger profile says private is that I've never completed the setup of my blogger account. When I first got pushed into action by Adam's article on accountability, I opened up a blogger account because I thought it would be easy based upon the fact that I have a gmail email address, but immediately upon starting that account I realized that I had this other (more under my control) blogging resource available to me (being a tech guy that was important to me--to have more control over the look and feel of the blog) and to avoid advertisements. I just never went forward with the blogger account. In fact, just now I logged in and it is asking me for things like what I want to call my blog, etc.
I guess when you haven't set up anything at all relating to your blogger account they allow you to have the account, they just set everything to private. I have to see why my own blog doesn't have profile information. Check back 
As for what I can lift with my deadlifts, I am not that strong really. On Friday night when I was in the gym, I had just finished doing my sets of 185 pounds times 10 reps when another guy came in. He was doing deadlifts with 225 pounds times 10 reps. I'd say my deadlifts are rather average for a man. But, it is true that men are alot stronger than women. When you can get your searches working, look up deadlift 500 pound and you'll see a guy doing some incredible things with 500 pounds of weight!
I loved your comment today. Thanks for leaving it.
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Great post Michael, that's what I call a "Hall Of Fame" post! When you look back on your journey one day I think you'll remember this day very well.
Adam
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Hey Michael,
Loved the post mate, not sure if this comment will save but if not I will email you. I am not the best a deadlifts or indeed lifting weights but I think you should be extremely chuffed with 195. I can manage 110 quite comfortably but have not yet tried to push past this.
Why do we do this, great questions and great answers both of which would have been mine too. Keep up the great work, the blog is fantastic.
Take care,
Andrew
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Andrew, thanks so much for the posting. I appreciate it. I tell you, anything is possible when you put your mind to work on the issue. I had many problems with deadlifts in the past, but set out to master them and I'm well on my way to that now!
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