Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 191 – The After Dinner Conversation
Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 191 – The After Dinner Conversation
The After Dinner Conversation
I hope all of you in the states had a peace filled and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday and weekend. Having gained about five pounds, I would say mine was both a culinary experience and a fitness disaster at one and the same time. Of course, I realize that the weight gain is only temporary and that the many hours spent in training will pay off with a return to my plan. As always, it is necessary to strike a balance when the world of fitness and the world at large meet. In the case of a holiday, the fitness regime must give way to family and friends, a well deserved good time on occasion, and a little cheat. I try to keep in mind that for many, this is just another day of uncontrolled shoveling of food into the already overfed and under-worked bodies of the masses. But, as I have often said, these times can be used as a little reward for hard work and dedication as well. For most of you on these forums, this holiday meal was earned.
Well, after finally pushing ourselves away from the table, a few of us settled in the living room for some conversation. At one point our host, my brother-in-law, asked about my training and mentioned to his step-son that I lifted weights. I don’t usually like to talk about it at gatherings because it can seem like bragging, but he appeared to be genuinely interested. He mentioned that he knew that I had some pretty good lifts and asked what my best was. I replied with the weight of my deadlift. Then came the little zinger. “That’s one of the easier lifts, isn’t it?” I don’t think it was meant as a put down, but more as a way to show that he knew something about lifting. I replied that it was possible, since my other major lifts were less.
Now here is a guy in his mid-twenties, who appeared to have lifted nothing heavier than a beer for some time so I didn’t go into detail and I managed to change the subject rather quickly. I am sure all of you have had occasions like these and it would have been pretty easy to respond with a sharp “when was the last time you lifted 405 pounds?” Easier than some lifts? Perhaps. Easy? Not by a long shot. In fact, it’s one of the easiest lifts that thousands of gym rats across the country avoid.
Suffice it to say that you are always going to have a mixed reception to your level of fitness and your success at what you do. A casual comment may find you doubting your resolve. So with that in mind, I have dredged up something I wrote back in May of 2003 that I think bears repeating.
“We are all works in progress and will continue to be. When we reach a goal, we set a new one. Reaching the top of the mountain is exhilarating but it is the climb that we relish and soon look for another mountain. And should we reach the pinnacle, grasp the brass ring, our new goal is to hang on tight and not lose what we have fought so hard to gain. Unless you live it, you cannot understand it. And for those who live it, there is no explaining to those who cannot understand. Some, even though they do not understand, will admire our achievement and their words will give us affirmation. Others of those who do not understand will see only vanity, self-interest & obsession. Their words will give to them the affirmation that they so desperately need in justifying never having tried. Trust that you know what you are about, and pursue it wholeheartedly and without regret.”
Last thanksgiving my family and I got into a discussion about my workouts which landed some of us at the gym after dinner It was great to see that this year 2 of my uncles are in the best shape they've ever been, and both ran in turkey day runs with their sons.
On the other side, I'm nursing a knee back to health this year and would love to have gained 5 lbs over thanksgiving. Instead I'm trying to reverse the 10lbs I've lost since my ACL surgery 4 weeks ago...grr!
__________________
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." -- T.S. Eliot
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit."-- Aristotle
I try to avoid the topic just like politics and religion in my house, especially since I have opinions vastly different from everyone else. However, one saving grace is that my brother is a personal trainer and is often eager to talk to me about training and nutrition (on the rare occasion that we talk at all). Thanks as always, John.
__________________ No Magic Pill (the log)
My Movember page (yes, I'm slacking on pictures)
I try to avoid those conversations when I can. First, I'm no expert. And second I know that no matter what I say the person asking is never going to change their ways. So it's just wheel spinning for me.
__________________
"A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have."
"Their words will give to them the affirmation that they so desperately need in justifying never having tried." I see this everyday
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In a way it makes me glad that my family's not that interested in talking about weight training.
That "easier" thing is pretty meaningless, IMO. It's like people talk about playing the flute is "easier" than playing the oboe. Sure, a beginner might progress more rapidly on one instrument than the other, but getting to a professional level requires an enormous amount of dedication and work regardless of the "difficulty."
Great thoughts in that last paragraph, John. Thanks.
__________________ The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same. -- Carlos Castaneda
It will be interesting, given your fine example, to see, at next year's dinner, if the young fellow decided in the interim to lift something heavier than a beer bottle and perhaps find out for himself how easy or hard those lifts actually are. You have set the example; let's see if he follows it.
__________________
"Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right." - Henry Ford
"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss
"Life is no brief candle to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
Discussing fitness with family? Less than motivational in my experience too. You handled that with more control and finess than I. 405 and easy lift? WTF?
Good thing your roid rage didn't kick in. (only kidding sir)
Wow, I have no problem discussing it with my family, and noone else lifts. It doesnt feel like bragging, in fact in same aspects my twin brother and my nearly 60 year old father are stronger than I am. Working all day on farms lifting heavy stuff will do that. They appreciate the fact that I sit on my ass all day, so they're happy when I'm doing something to get in shape when I could easily just become a fat slob instead.
As for the 405lb deadlift, thats an easy topic for use with my immediate family anyway. The maximum weight of a bale of wool is 200kg. Just pushing those things along the floor was a big effort growing up. If I could tell people I could lift the equivalent of a 'lightish' bale of wool from the ground to standing upright, they'd be amazed. Sometimes it helps if you can put the weight in some kind of perspective I guess.
I guess reading things like this, and the responces, help make me thankful (and we dont even celebrate thanksgiving!) that my family is full of supportive people all genuinally interested in maintaining health and fitness.
I have been lucky as 2 of my 3 sisters are in great shape and paticipate in sports and a brother in law who cranks out 5 mile runs with his dogs like a walk in the park. They were all very suportive of my change in fitness gears. But conversations at the some of my old haunts can be a totally different thing.
Thanks John
__________________ -50# by 4/1/10 2 down 48 to go.
Several years ago, I copied those words, and put them in my wallet. I still have that today, in my wallet, a bit tattered and worn, but still readable. Many, many times I have read those words over the years, and those words have gotten me through some workouts that I didn't want to do, got me out of bed on some days I didn't want to, and made me rethink many thoughts that were going astray.
Thank You.
Ray
__________________ "I'm growing older but not up. My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck. So let the winds of change blow over my head. I'd rather die while I'm living then live while I'm dead."
That past quote is one of my favorites. Of course, I have so many! Thanks John and I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RacerBill
Great thoughts in that last paragraph, John. Thanks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MindPower
That last paragraph is my all time favourite.
Thanks John
Quote:
Originally Posted by rem1956
John,
Several years ago, I copied those words, and put them in my wallet. I still have that today, in my wallet, a bit tattered and worn, but still readable. Many, many times I have read those words over the years, and those words have gotten me through some workouts that I didn't want to do, got me out of bed on some days I didn't want to, and made me rethink many thoughts that were going astray.
Thank You.
Ray
I am humbled by your thoughts on this. I wrote that last paragraph back in 2003, but I don't know that it was ever a part of one of the motivators, so I found it appropriate to use here. That you remember it and see it as a favorite; and, Ray, that you carry it with you, is just beyond my powers of expression. Thank you.
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
I remember when you wrote that. When I worked I had it on the bulliten board above my desk. Every time I answered my phone I saw it. I'm pretty sure it's with the 'keepers' I brought home with me.
“We are all works in progress and will continue to be. When we reach a goal, we set a new one. Reaching the top of the mountain is exhilarating but it is the climb that we relish and soon look for another mountain. And should we reach the pinnacle, grasp the brass ring, our new goal is to hang on tight and not lose what we have fought so hard to gain. Unless you live it, you cannot understand it. And for those who live it, there is no explaining to those who cannot understand. Some, even though they do not understand, will admire our achievement and their words will give us affirmation. Others of those who do not understand will see only vanity, self-interest & obsession. Their words will give to them the affirmation that they so desperately need in justifying never having tried. Trust that you know what you are about, and pursue it wholeheartedly and without regret.”
This is definitely going up on my wall above my desk at work and home and in my journal. Thanks John.
__________________ It all starts with the mind, but the thoughts, the intention aren't enough. Action needs to come next. Dream it, believe it, plan it, execute it, celebrate it. - Wendy
Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 191 – The After Dinner Conversation
It was great to see that this year 2 of my uncles are in the best shape they've ever been, and both ran in turkey day runs with their sons.
(only kidding sir)
"I'm growing older but not up. My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck. So let the winds of change blow over my head. I'd rather die while I'm living then live while I'm dead."
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