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Pain barrier

post #1 of 19
6/16/09 at 3:51pm
Thread Starter 
At the gym last night, I saw a bloke using the lat pull-down machine. When one of the instructors informed him that he'd have to put more effort into it, he said that he was already giving it 100%. I could see from his expression that he felt insulted and belittled. As far as he was concerned, he'd given it his all and had already broken into the pain barrier. Maybe it's true; maybe some individuals have such low pain barriers, that it makes it extremely difficult for them to stimulate the fibres enough. Could this be one of the many reasons why some get results, while others stall and stagnate? Or, maybe that's all nonsense, and blokes like that need a damn good thrashing from a psychotic drill instructor Your thoughts...
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post #2 of 19
6/16/09 at 4:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lear View Post
At the gym last night, I saw a bloke using the lat pull-down machine. When one of the instructors informed him that he'd have to put more effort into it, he said that he was already giving it 100%.

I could see from his expression that he felt insulted and belittled. As far as he was concerned, he'd given it his all and had already broken into the pain barrier. Maybe it's true; maybe some individuals have such low pain barriers, that it makes it extremely difficult for them to stimulate the fibres enough.

Could this be one of the many reasons why some get results, while others stall and stagnate?

Or, maybe that's all nonsense, and blokes like that need a damn good thrashing from a psychotic drill instructor

Your thoughts...

No. Your premises are wrong.
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post #3 of 19
6/16/09 at 4:16pm
What? I don't feel "pain" at the gym. My muscles just eventually give out.
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post #4 of 19
6/16/09 at 4:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by why View Post
No. Your premises are wrong.
The OP asked a question, and questions do not have premises.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lear View Post
Maybe it's true; maybe some individuals have such low pain barriers, that it makes it extremely difficult for them to stimulate the fibres enough.

Could this be one of the many reasons why some get results, while others stall and stagnate?
The word pain gets misused a lot in the gym, probably because it makes a nice rhyme, as in "No pain, no gain." However, I do think there's something to your suspicion that people have different levels of tolerance for discomfort. For example, one person gets off the treadmill after a short warm-up and says "I'm a little winded;" whereas another does the exact same thing and says "I'm out of breath!" One guy leg presses to failure and says "I'm feeling the burn;" whereas another does the same thing and says "My legs are killing me!"

It wouldn't surprise me at all to find a strong positive correlation between a person's tolerance for discomfort and his or her success rate on various fitness programs.
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post #5 of 19
6/16/09 at 4:48pm
I think most people have just never truly put themselves to the test. It took me tearing down mental barriers before I really started seeing improvement, not physical. I'm not a beefcake or anything by any stretch, but I know I've been improving. Every gay man I encounter now hits on me and compliments my ass. I guess I need to focus on other lifts besides the squat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lear View Post
At the gym last night, I saw a bloke using the lat pull-down machine. When one of the instructors informed him that he'd have to put more effort into it, he said that he was already giving it 100%. I could see from his expression that he felt insulted and belittled. As far as he was concerned, he'd given it his all and had already broken into the pain barrier. Maybe it's true; maybe some individuals have such low pain barriers, that it makes it extremely difficult for them to stimulate the fibres enough. Could this be one of the many reasons why some get results, while others stall and stagnate? Or, maybe that's all nonsense, and blokes like that need a damn good thrashing from a psychotic drill instructor Your thoughts...
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post #6 of 19
6/16/09 at 5:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Threadbearer View Post
The OP asked a question, and questions do not have premises.

Stay in school.
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post #7 of 19
6/16/09 at 5:50pm
OP made suppositions as well as had questions.

Dealing with any kind of pain barrier is important mentally, particularly if its a competitive event or sport, rather than recreational.

But to improve strength etc. one does not have to necessarily pass a pain barrier. At least IMO.

I know the sort of guy you're talking about though, they just go through the motions in the gym without putting much effort into what they're doing.
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post #8 of 19
6/16/09 at 7:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by unjung View Post
What? I don't feel "pain" at the gym. My muscles just eventually give out.

I feel the pain but I push through it 95% of the time. My quitting zone is when my muscles refuse to finish a contraction no matter how hard I try.
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post #9 of 19
6/16/09 at 8:35pm
Thread Starter 
Oops! It wasn't my intention to start a fierce argument. It's just that as I ponder my surroundings between sets, I've begun to notice people who look exactly as they did a year ago. Now... they appear motivated, they are regular, they make all the right noises (grunts, gasps etc). When they're finished they look as drained as anyone. It's just that the results are nowhere to be seen. What made me curious was a documentary about a championship cyclist. They devoted the entire program to explaining the reasons for his success. Among the many, were the fact that his muscles were able to get rid of the lactic buildup, faster than almost everyone else. He was therefore able to carry on for longer, under grueling conditions. In other words, the pain would bring others down before him. If that's the case, why can't it work in reverse? The opposite - would be an individual who gets rid of the lactic buildup too slowly; collapsing under the pain sooner than most. As you can gather, I'm no exercise professional. Nor is it my intention to put any of this forward as fact. Just trying to understand why more don't benefit from their tremendous input.
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post #10 of 19
6/16/09 at 8:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lear View Post
In other words, the pain would bring others down before him.

Your "in other words" sucks.
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post #11 of 19
6/16/09 at 8:47pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by db_ggmm View Post
Your "in other words" sucks.
I can already see that this isn't going to end well. I'll politely leave it there. Lear
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post #12 of 19
6/16/09 at 8:54pm
[quote=Lear;2171887]Oops! It wasn't my intention to start a fierce argument.

It's just that as I ponder my surroundings between sets, I've begun to notice people who look exactly as they did a year ago. Now... they appear motivated, they are regular, they make all the right noises (grunts, gasps etc). When they're finished they look as drained as anyone. It's just that the results are nowhere to be seen.

If that's the case, why can't it work in reverse? The opposite - would be an individual who gets rid of the lactic buildup too slowly; collapsing under the pain sooner than most.

QUOTE]

I get what you're driving at, but the most likely reason they don't progress is diet. When you hear hoofbeats, think horses (not zebras).
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post #13 of 19
6/16/09 at 9:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by why View Post
No. Your premises are wrong.
Quote:
Originally Posted by why View Post
Stay in school.
The Douchebag Train is never late
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post #14 of 19
6/16/09 at 9:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lear View Post
I can already see that this isn't going to end well. I'll politely leave it there.

Lear

What you asked was a viable question. But comparing the differences in how elite athletes and average gym goers deal with lactic threshold and mental strength is like comparing apples to oranges.

The same reason professional cyclist B falls off the pace of professional cyclist A is not the same reason gym bum can't finish his set.
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post #15 of 19
6/16/09 at 9:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Big A View Post
The Douchebag Train is never late

+1, although as much as i want to disagree with him, he's usually right.
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