Lean into the burn

Step-ups, Lat Pull Downs, Bent Over Rows, Cable Cross.

There was a time when these phrases meant nothing to me. Sadly, these days I know. I not only know them, I live through them a few times a week.

And it’s not enough to do them once. Ah, the cruel masters of the gym have deemed that hapless mortals repeat these actions multiple times. They try to make it sound cool by calling them reps. Multiple reps make up a set. And you need to do multiple sets. (!)

Well, if you’re human, a few reps in, you’ll feel your muscles burn. The temptation, then, is to count down. Ten reps left. Nine reps left. Eight reps left… You get the idea.

But this is a mistake.

Because now my mind is focused only on finishing the set – avoiding the pain. And avoiding pain is like adding another 10 kilos on the machine. You suffer unnecessarily.

Instead, I lean into the burn – focusing only on the rep I’m doing and nothing more. So, yes, I am experiencing pain – but less pain than if I were to try and countdown.

I am discovering that the training helps when I swap the gym for my desk. When I’m staring at the blank screen instead of 25 kilos on the machine.

I don’t rush to avoid the pain. Instead, I lean into the burn.