At 15 I would have told you that workouts are about the pump. They elicit visceral feelings of power, a high. Lifting weights was the perfect outlet for hormonal aggression, testosterone - adrenaline release.
After kids it became an intellectual pursuit. I wanted to see the progress and optimization. Can I break mm:ss in the 400, 800, 1600? Results were the focus.
It’s still about all those things. But I’ve noticed something interesting lately; the main benefit, and frankly the key motivator, is in the space between sets, in the process itself.
Generally how it works is some maximal exertion, like heavy deadlifts, is followed by a quick 1-2 minute sit on the floor – usually with a notebook to capture random ideas or plan the day. I try my best to fill the whitespace with something useful – which includes just feeling good. The key though is bringing my awareness to these moments (they were, of course always there!). I’ve shifted my focus and it makes a difference.
So if I workout lasts 45 minutes and did 15 sets of strength training (allowing for transitions etc.) that’s still a solid 15+ minutes of clear-headed thought. There’s an after-effect as well that seems to last a good part of the day. That’s more than I would get in a typical ‘sit’ and actually feels much more energizing. It’s probably the clearest thinking I do.
I’ve been trying to ask this of myself lately: what might I notice and appreciate in the whitespace of everyday experience?