Strength is gained in the range it is trained.
Charles Paliquin
The sport of bodybuilding is very fascinating. It is both an athletic and artistic endeavour. Athletic, because it requires discipline, proper nutrition, and smart training. Artistic, because the body itself is shaped by the mind to be most pleasing to the eye, like a Michelangelo statue, or a Da Vinci painting.
But not all curves are created equal and just because you want a more muscular exterior doesn’t mean that the body is going to build it, and so it is crucial to train in the proper range.
What does that mean exactly? Well, first there is the actual weight you are lifting. It cannot be light, nor can it be heavy. It needs to be the right amount because alone it does nothing. It only works with conjunction to the right repetitions. You will move that wight in a series of six to eight or ten to twelve, and you will do several sets of those until your muscle fibres are broken and ready to be rebuilt.
Now think about that? Building a beautiful body takes tremendous knowledge, experience, and discipline. It is not something you can buy or keep for very long either. Bodybuilding is fascinating because every day is different and every muscle responds to training differently.
It is exactly like anything else in life. Like anything else worth pursuing. The sport of bodybuilding and the understanding that strength can only be gained in the range that it is trained should be applied to your pursuit of happiness.
Whatever it is that you dream of being or doing has a range. You need several years of experience and if you don’t have it, you can’t cut corners, but must go out and get that experience. If you have the experience, it matters what kind of experience. Where did you get your knowledge from? Where are you going to get your knowledge from? The greater your teacher, the greater your own leaps and bounds.
You can’t just chase your dreams. You have to know a lot about them. You have to see your shortcomings and all the things that come easy. You need to know where you are and how long it will take to get there. You need to identify all the steps you are going to need to take along the way, and most importantly, you cannot wait any longer to take those steps.
Things that most people desire the most, take a very long period to build, which is why they desire them and don’t pursue them. It is a lot easier to dream and buy a lottery ticket and await your turn, than to take whatever money you make, and smartly pursue what you want in tiny little bits of reps and sets.
Strength is gained in the right range. It is found in the attitude and optimism of those who you keep company with. It is found in the books you read and podcasts you listen to. It is discovered in the timetable you keep and the balance you’ve created for yourself.
Train smart. Work smart. Prepare smart. Know the range of your dreams. Know the reps of success. Know the sets of purpose.
Train you mind and your body and what you want must follow.