The Tao of Sweat

[oldlifter50]

"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle-victorious." Vince Lombardi


You know one of the best things about being a competitive lifter is this. The training for the meet, and the sweat you pour into it. The above quote says it all and is so damn true.

Training brutally hard you initially feel beat to death at the end. You lie there exhausted and spent. Then a sense of euphoria sets in when you realize what you have accomplished. The feeling is unmatched and you want it again and again.

Personally I train year round in full sweats. This even during the Texas summer which is reputedly hotter than hell. Well it is hotter than hell and I do sweat. I sweat buckets.

Some of my favorite workouts are my Saturday sessions. These done in the heat of the day in a gym were they keep the air conditioning set at an uncomfortably warm temperature. Hey it is how they keep dues down. A typical session is like this on that day.
Elliptical trainer for 30 minutes.
Chest pulls with a wide grip 50 reps with 40lbs on stack.
Triceps pressdowns 50 reps with 30 lbs.
Rotator trisets done twice.
Stretching and meditating focusing on breathing and centering my chi.
Speed bench pressing totaling 12 sets.
A chest exercise for chest 3 sets.
A shoulder exercise 3 sets.
Two exercises for triceps 3 sets each since this muscle group is so critical in benching.
Abdominal exercise.
I then add 1 more exercise of 3 sets each week for a different muscle group.

After a session like this I am spent and wetter than Flipper. I once weighed my sweat shirt dry then wet. It was .4 lb dry and 3.5 lbs wet. In fact after one squat workout I weighed it since it was hard to get off. The damn thing weight 6 lbs and I was totally fried. Then after I got dressed I went in to comb my hair. It was a shocker, my energy came back. I felt like a monster, a happy monster, and a big monster.

Sweat is a way of purifying the body and soul.

Sweating rids the body of toxins and acts as a cooling mechanism. I got the idea to train in sweats from my days working in a forge shop. The guys working with hot metal worked in long underwear, long sleeved flannel shirts and bib overalls. Even in the hottest most humid days. It kept the body cool and they did sweat.

When I am not feeling good I work up a good sweat and this rids the body of the toxins making me feel bad. In fact if I have a cold I will suit up and do cardio and it does help.

Many cultures used sweat as a means to purify the soul. Native Americans used sweat lodges and would sit and sweat in them and refocus their minds and purify their bodies. With the introduction of European influence the Natives got into them to get back to the old ways.

Part of my morning breakfast includes habanero salsa on my egg white omelet. This causes some sweating and enables me to focus on what I need to do for the day. Then in my lunches I have a burger either beef or turkey that has chopped habaneros in it and a slab of pepper jack cheese on it. The heat causes a bit of sweating and my focus stays right on.

One of the danger signs of heat stroke is the body quits sweating. This is a sign the body’s cooling system is on the fritz. Incidentally when training I hydrate before leaving, drink a sports drink during and hydrate right after. Just like the coolant in your car’s radiator you need the fluid to keep the body working right.

So just remember it is good to sweat, it is needed, and damn it just feels good.

[trivial]

Wonderful post....

I love that feeling of being completely spent, and completely estatic at what you just acomplished.