I didn’t want to scare anyone right off the bat, so I chose a nice, SFW picture for my article’s cover; but don’t worry, it gets worse.
First of all, let me tell you the story of the picture you’re about to see.
A couple of years ago, after I first read David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me, I felt the urge to level up my overall fitness game — from cardio to strength. David’s story and teachings made me believe I was leaving a lot of potential on the table, so I figured I might just start doing some tough shit I was clearly not ready for.
But it was not my fitness that needed more exercising; rather, it was my mind. I needed to know I’m capable of more than I show and that my ego could take a punch for the better. I had never pushed my body far enough to face hard pain until then, but what I did only paved the way for further endurance endeavours.
I read about David’s pull-up world record (4030 in 17 hours) and I wanted to see if I can establish a personal best, just for the sake of it — 100 pull-ups in 20 minutes. I jumped on my home pull-up bar and did — well, tried to do — a set of 5 every minute on the minute. I failed executing the task in 20 minutes, but I gained something much more valuable.
The palm that’s on the left side had only been through the first 50 reps — the skin could already be ripped off my hand and the pain was excruciating, but I did 20 more until I got it looking like the right side. My palms felt like squeezed lemons on open wounds, and each repetition felt more painful than exhausting. When this happens, the battle’s no longer fought with physical force, but with mental strength. It all happens inside.
Finishing the task despite the pain I felt was one of the most satisfying things I ever did. Just like David says:
Don’t stop when you’re tired, stop when you’re done!
I pushed through and I gained a shiny new achievement I could hang on my mind’s walls. That day, I understood that I should not only follow physical gains, but mental gains, as well. A strong body may scare harm away from you, but it is no weapon if the mind controlling it is too weak for the duty.
People use moisturizing creams to keep their hands soft like a baby’s butt, but I don’t endorse that. I like my palms freshly callused, damaged by hard work and punished iron. By doing this, I keep proper track of how comfortable I’m becoming, because if my calluses start fading, I have to take my ass to the gym ASAP.
When someone shakes my hand, I want them to feel scratched, rather than caressed. It is mandatory to make a good first impression, after all. But really, I do it for my own image. I need to keep myself accountable and see that I’m able to sustain healthy, challenging habits that ensure mental and physical growth.
We need challenges: for the mind and for the body. The wars we fight rarely involve the strength of our muscles, but they sure require a lot of mental focus and strength. We don’t have a gym for that, but through the things we do with our bodies and the experiences we feel in our hearts, we can learn to push through whatever comes in our paths, treating every obstacle like a learning opportunity.
So be proud of your calluses — treat them like polished trophies in your cabinet, for they are nothing less than status symbols and proof of hard work. No matter what you did to get them, do not fall prey to complacency and do what needs to be done in order to keep them shining at all times. No one’s ever regretted a good workout.
You have to build calluses on your brain just like how you build calluses on your hands. Callus your mind through pain and suffering.
— David Goggins
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: Victor Freitas on Unsplash