Comment by Aromasin | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Aromasin | Hacker News Reader

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Good weightlifting should rarely feel boring - maybe only one week in every 4 or 5 during a de-load week (when I'm aiming for 3-4 reps-in-reserve), but boring feels good then because you're resting after weeks of hard work. If anything, you should feel fearful when training. A good weight-centric workout, at least when targeting hypertrophy, hurts. I feel equal parts scared and excited. I think what you're missing is intensity.

Good tracking is the best way to make it interesting. If I know I did 120kg for 7 on the bench last week, I know I need to beat it either by increasing weight or increasing reps. I remember how hard it was but I've done it, so I need to beat it. It's fulfilling in ways that I find other workouts just can't be.

In terms of intensity, this video is great for working out if you're quantifying it correctly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77nX_bMe5fA

> If I know I did 120kg for 7 on the bench last week, I know I need to beat it either by increasing weight or increasing reps.

This is the case for some of us, yes, and for us, this is obvious.

What I've found, however, is that most normies don't actually have an internal drive to monotonically increase stats. For 90% of people, vanity is the only driver that works.

To be clear, when I said that I didn't mean the joy is in chasing numbers. That's a bit reductionist. Some people enjoy that, but I was implying that the downstream effects of chasing numbers are the exciting part; challenging yourself and going through suffering to get a good physique or lift heavier things. Increasing reps/weight is the way to increase workout difficulty, thereby stimulating growth.

I don't think there's a fitness discipline out there that can put you in as much 'injury-free' pain as strength training does - at least, not acute pain like after a heavy leg press. It's almost sadomasochistic, which is why I think calling strength training boring is a little off the mark.

> I was implying that the downstream effects of chasing numbers are the exciting part; challenging yourself and going through suffering to get a good physique or lift heavier things.

Again, I still don't think you understand the normie mind. They don't want a challenge. They don't want to suffer. They don't want to put in any effort at all. There is a very large market for anabolic steroids, SARMs, and GLP-1 agonists, and it's not because normies care about the struggle.

The only time I've ever seen a normie care about their fitness is when it's been connected to their vanity.

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