Inner Hulk
ApresGym presents, The Squad
Hello everyone, thanks for tuning in to the podcast. I’m your host, Todd Aftermath. In this episode, we’ll be discussing light weights vs heavy weights and which one is best for you.
Now I don’t know about you. But I was used to tinker with my exercise program. I would try different, body splits, or sometimes I’d try working out multiple times a day.
Did any of this help?
Download The Eating Plan
It did not.
In fact, a new workout program became a sort of lottery ticket. I would double-down on a new workout plan and become disappointed. I believed, it was going to make a difference. All of this was foolish- considering I had been ignoring, one key principle behind gaining lean muscle mass. I’ll delve into this fundamental later on in the podcast.
Now, let me spare you from the boring stuff. The stuff you already know. Light weights, higher reps are ideal for endurance. While heavier weights, low reps are ideal for hypertrophy.
For the longest time, I trained alone. I did not have a training partner. Until one day, I was challenged by four guys at my local gym. Now I hated these guys. These guys were cocky, had a lot of attitude and they were bigger than me.
Now me being the younger guy, they’d always taunt me – accuse me of being a chicken for not wanting to train with them.
So I accepted, their challenge. The five of us set out to train legs. We started off with leg extensions and then headed over to the squat rack… and that’s where the fun begins.
I already knew they’d outlift me. But I was willing to give them a fight.
We started off with a plate – 15 reps, easy peasy. Now I knew that by the time we got to three plates, I’d be struggling. But for the time being, I would just keep my cool.
2 plates came and went, nothing there, I’d done all of this before. I made sure that every rep was ass to the grass. I wanted to show these guys.
Now eventually, the main guy, who we’ll call Chris decides to load three plates per side. Chris can do a five and a half plate squat for multiple reps.
But I’m still willing to bang out my three plate squat to the best of my ability.
I’m up next…
Right before unracking the weight, I adjust my lifting belt. It needs to be set a little tighter. I unrack the barbell
Today it feels heavier.
Heavier than usual.
I take a deep breath and tighten my abdominals, I can feel all 315 lbs exerting its will on my traps. I’ve done this before – easy peasy, right?
The guys have big smirks on their faces. It’s as if they want to see me fail but yet, they don’t.
You see earlier, during the workout, a camaraderie had developed. Once I joined their click and accepted the challenge they no longer taunted me.
At this point, I focus on the task at hand. I lower my hips, bend the knee and find myself at parallel. Rep one felt good. I was confident, I felt strong. I wanted more…
I zoned into the mirror in front of me. I saw my reflection. The barbell had curved. I exploded back up to a standing position.
Easy peasy
One of the guys, Curtis said “nice job, keep going!”
As I lowered myself for the second rep, I had become transfixed by the reflection in the mirror. It was me, but a different me. This other me had determination written all over his face. This other me wanted to show them.
The second rep had me go far beyond parallel. The weight was unrelenting. It tried to get me to fail. As I exploded upward, I felt my quad become engorged with blood.
I was pumped, I was on fire. We’re going for three, four, five and six reps. By the time the fourth and fifth rep came around, I had become the monster I was looking at.. and it felt great.
This is what David Banner felt when he become the hulk. Unbridled rage, untethered from reality…
FREEDOM!
At this point, I became unstoppable. Chris did a good job giving me a spot for those final reps. He had urged me to rack the bar and save the remaining energy for the upcoming sets.
I conceded but only because I wanted to do it all over again. I turned to the guys, chest pumped even though I was hitting legs.
They were no longer smirking. In fact, they were smiling while offering encouraging words. And that marked the beginning of a long and lasting relationship riddle with competition, confrontation and the outdoing of the next guy.
By the time, I got home, I had ravaged everything in my kitchen. I ate for myself as well as my inner hulk. I also got proper rest but not before drinking many protein shakes.
The next morning, upon awakening, I flexed my quads. Muscle soreness had not set in yet. It meant the workout was effective and that pain would settle in later on that day if not tomorrow.
Despite going to school and work, I still managed to eat.
By the end of the day, hobbling home I made a discovery.
My quads and hamstrings felt thicker. My lower back felt stronger. My glutes had become tighter.
During the subsequent days, the five of us got together and trained. We blasted our shoulders, chest and calves. We would push ourselves, conjuring the inner hulk in each and every one of us.
I became more discipline and the workouts became more focused. Surely but slowly I was growing and I could see it.
During this time, I made sure I ate more than I usually did – and this was worthwhile. This was when I discovered how important nutrition was in gaining lean muscle mass. It wasn’t about “light weight or heavy weight”. It had everything to do with intensity and proper eating habits.
Since then, I haven’t stopped eating that way and since then I keep growing.
If there’s one thing to take away from this, channel your inner hulk. He or she is there, lurking in the shadows, ready to be summoned at the right time and place.
Thank you for listening.
The Squad was produced by ApresGym, narrated by Todd Aftermath, a personal trainer and Kinesiologist.