Usually, when I’m at the gym lifting weights, I really don’t worry about what any body else is doing. For one thing, it’s usually almost all guys working out in the weight room, so, to me, whatever amounts they’re lifting is really irrelevant to me.
I just work on my form, making sure I use a little more weight, or do another rep every time I work out (also known as “Progressive Overload”). I focus on what ever weight does the job for me and I don’t worry if it looks like I’m lifting heavy or light or what.
Until today, that is…. there I was doing a great leg workout and lifting more weight than I’d done in a long time. By the time I rolled around to the Leg Press, I got up to 140 pounds that I was doing for sets of 15. My legs were getting a little wobbly. I felt great.
Then I saw young slender girl go over to the Leg Press after I got done and load it up. She had four 45-pound plates on each side! Wait a minute!! What was going on?! I couldn’t even watch; it hurt my knees just thinking about the pressure. I had to walk away.
All I know is she was done really quickly. I don’t know what that was about .. a one rep maximum test? All of the sudden I was left feeling silly and inadequate. I do know that I just have to worry about what I’m doing and not what other people are doing in the gym. I’ve got to focus on my reps, my sets, my personal bests, and my improvement. It really is me versus myself; not anyone else’s anything.
Once I jolted myself back into my usual mindset, I felt better. I’ll be super sore tomorrow and lucky if I can walk down the stairs. So, I know what’s working for me, and I know my limits and when to push myself. And that’s what it’s about in the weight room – doing your own thing!