The scowl

Why is there that terrible feeling in the pit of your mind when you just had a crappy lift? Walking away from the gym dreading your protien shake thinking "It's not even worth it -I didnt do much of anything". For instance: Trying to feel "warmed up" but you just never get there. Constant yawning for the am lift. Legs are heavy and dragging. That ache in your bad shoulder refused to subside. A pit in your stomach like you need to shit, but you did before you headed to the gym! And maybe its just a sorry excuse for just not wanting to be there, which unfortunatly I know I can relate to. Becuase this brings me to an important concept: Less is more. However much this applies to the gym rat as I am myself now, I do not know. Though I do understand that there are times when you really do just need to cut it. But for the ahtletes I help allocate, I have developed the theory of "I barely know how to make the call when I shouldnt lift, which means you certainly cannot make that call. So load that fucking bar up!"
And so continues the cycle, becuase I begin to run the posibilities in my mind, whether its worth doing more or if I should just go. Weight every option untilll eventually a compromise is reached.
If it isnt clear yet, obviously this is what happened to me this mourning. And there are about 7 or 8 things I can attribute this feeling to, all of which I wrote about before were applicable, and maybe some more. But none the less -I had to come to come compromise with what to do with the lift.
8x5 squats @225 on 45 seconds.
10x5 bench @165 on 25 seconds -slow, controlled reps (pull the bar apart!)
LEAVE!
Unfortunatly a lift like this doesnt reap the amount of respect it could very well do. And there are a couple of points that justify such a statement. BUT
I want to talk about the scowl, becuase I was fucking burning a hole through this god damn ILS ma fa today and he certainly had no problem returning the favor. Thus, he most approperatly judged me as weak and foolhearted with my short appearnce in the gym, apparently easy sets on squat / bench, and he did catch me checking out my calves in the mirror (still sore from raises on tuesday). So I recieved a scowl. Which is what I call it. and I am sure other people have names for it. It is the look you give somone when you know you're better than them, do something wrong, are complete tools bags, or possibly befuddled as to what they are doing. I give this look constantly, between sets I can barely keep my eyes to myself, always scanning the floor of the gym. Seeing who is there checking poeple out trying t get a feel of whats going on. Maybe, after a hard set, looking around for some sort of sign of victory to keep me going on another set. Never the less - I have given this look a many a times. But today I was on the recieving end of such a look, and from such an asshole! Huge chest, decently shaped arms skinny legs and a cut off sleeveless shirt, chinstrap and red hair. Arg, I didnt deserve such a look. But maybe it was just in return to my stare becuase of his ILS or his constant constatn non stop looking at himself, I just couldnt bare to not spare him from my (hopefully) painful scowl.
I just cannot give sombody respect when they are half an inch away from the mirror and pumping thier biceps up with half reps.
Finally I end on this:
There are specific times, for many reasons, why one should call thier workout short. Somtimes we are just having an off day. There is no weakness calling it short, there is nothing to compromise. In fact you are doing your body a favor. though there probably isnt any quanitifiable number to attribute to this fact BUT i would say that if you think you need ot call a workout more than 3 times a month, then you're probably just a pussy looking for an exucse. So suck it up when you can -pop caff- slap your face -drink more water, warm up your abs and glutes better and then get back to it. If that doesnt work, well then you have my permission to leave.
-GFH