Day 62 of 365: Don't Be Afraid To Grind.

Alright.  Alright.  Get your mind out of the gutter, people!

  

We are not going to be discussing that type of grind, but rather the grind you find yourself in when you're pulling a huge deadlift.  Not quite as enticing, but stay with me here.  

I promise it's worth it.

My good friend and training partner, Michael Winchester sent a link to me today to a article on T-Nation that is worth a read!  Check it out HERE. 

As I read it, it got me thinking...

"Do people even know what it is to fight through a deadlift repitition?"

I found it scary and a little sad to think that there are those of you out there that have never actually fought for every inch of something so seemingly meaningless as a deadlift.

I hope that you all have had the experience of a 10 second deadlift.  For those that haven't yet, these "grinding" reps are the longest, toughest, and most humbling experiences you can imagine.  I remember the most epic pull I've ever had - at the time, it was a PR lift of 385lbs.  I got myself jacked up and went right for it.  I started the pull, the bar slowly broke from the floor, and where most deadlift become easier as the momentum builds, on this occassion, it did NOT.  It seemed as though the bar was slowing down with every inch.  Although the speed was painfully slow, I was not going to give up!  What felt like 30 minutes passed and I was now at the top of my knees with a long-ass way still to go! I hit several sticking points along my thighs that resulted in what I like to call, the "jack-hammer effect".  This, as you can imagine, is when your body begins to quiver and bounce around uncontrollably under the shear load and stress of the movement.  Pretty hilarious stuff when you see someone start convulsing like they've just stuck there finger in an electrical socket.  But, again, I was not going to be stopped.  I finally reached the top of the lift, where I quickly dropped the bar to the floor so that I would be able to catch myself if I were to pass out.  I saw my own personal light show with all of the stars I was seeing when it was all said and done.

Almost

Now, you may be asking yourself, 

"Why would anyone want to keep lifting at that point?"

"Why does this crazy bastard want ME to have this experience?  It sounds horrible!"

Let me be straight with you...It is absolutely horrible!  It really is.  But, it is also one of the most rewarding and most symbolic experiences you can have.  You see, you just fought through hell to lift a silly-ass bar off the floor.  That has to be one of the dumbest things to fight for, right?   

NO!!! 

It would have been so easy to just say, 

"This is too heavy!"  

"I can't do this!"  

"Today's a bad day."  

"I'll try it tomorrow."

BULLSHIT!  

If you don't fight for yourself and your strength, you will never fight, and you will never have the strength required to live an OUTSTANDING life. 

So next time that bar doesn't break off the floor as easy as you had hoped - 

DO NOT STOP!  

You are fighting for something bigger than a PR.  

Remember that!