keeping with the theme of our word association I want to talk about the response everyone had to the word “Muscle”
It seemed that most of you had a positive or at least neutral response to the word muscle. This word didn’t seem to conjure up any negative thoughts at all. Some of you seemed to just associate it with work or the mechanics of muscle, but in general it was all basically positive.
But is there a potential negative aspect to muscle that perhaps you weren’t aware of or never experienced. I’m talking about an addiction to building it. I used to be in this trap and it lead me to a seemingly insatiable desire to be bigger and bigger.
At first I started with a goal of reaching 200lbs. When I reached this goal I immediately set a new goal of 225lbs. when I reached that goal 25olbs was the new standard I was shooting for. Once I got to 250lbs my next goal was 275lbs!
Of course none of this is achievable naturally, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to be bigger and bigger.
Where was this ever going to end? And what the Eff did I think I was proving to anyone anyway!? (what a knucklehead)
The point is that this is an unsustainable and volatile way of thinking and living. The speed that drugs can cause you to gain muscle was intoxicating and tough to let go of.
My guess is that there are many other young guys out there who are very tempted to follow this path and get caught in the cycle I was in. (this is how guys get suckered into buying expensive and useless ‘muscle building’ supplements)
And part of the reason is the positive reactions we all have to muscle.
Muscles are attractive when they’re in a realistic and good proportion (which ever guy wants)…and then they’re down right intimidating when they’re at an unnaturally large size (which many younger and insecure guys would gladly take). Either way they give you attention and in the latter case the illusion of respect.
My point is that an unhealthy desire for larger and larger muscles could end up being a very bad thing. In which case my answer to the word muscle would be ‘careful’.
John
