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A Truly Good Reason for Missing a Workout

January 29, 2012

A very special card my daughter made for me.

This is a post I wrote a few days ago, and it is my answer to all the diehards out there who state one should “never miss a workout.” Dedication to your training is critical if you want to reach the zenith of your physical potential. However, there are times when training should take a back seat to what is really important in life, and what I present here is one such example. And, as it turned out, missing a day of training did me no harm whatsoever. I made up for my missed workout the following day in a most spectacular fashion.

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Another very special card my daughter made for me.

Today was ready to do battle in the gym with full force. I was never more ready for a personal-best performance, and I couldn’t wait to get home after work so I could toss my heavy iron plates around like toys. The stage was set for my all-time best workout, and nothing, I thought, could possibly stop it from happening.

As my Honda rolled into our driveway, Shadow, the neighborhood’s strongest dog, was there waiting for me. After first checking to see if I had any food for her, she gave me a warm greeting with lots of wet licks to my face, as she usually does. Then, after this greeting ritual, I made it clear to her that some big things were about to happen in the garage and that she better be ready for the action. I also gave her a stern warning not to cause any more trouble. During my last workout, Shadow just couldn’t resist jumping right on top of me while I was doing fingertip pushups, and it was 100 pounds of added resistance and flattened fingers in a flash. This time, around, I was prepared to give her a temporary eviction notice from the garage if she pulled such a stunt again. And, I think she got the message.

The Story of Pinky was written last year when my daughter was six years old, and it got high praise from Jim Carr, a former Indiana State Weightlifting Champion. My daughter wrote this story so I would understand why “Pinky is much stronger than Paul Anderson and Doug Hepburn.”

After my little “talk” with Shadow, I went into our house to greet my wife and kids, grab a Metallica CD, and change my clothes. The plan from there was then to return to the garage and shatter all personal records in the barbell press and follow up with record performances in an array of bodyweight exercises. And, I couldn’t have been more ready to carry out the plan of action, at least so I thought.

When I walked into our house, my seven-year-old daughter ran up to me and excitedly said, “Daddy can you come with us to the horse place? ” I told her that I would be glad to take her to the “horse place” as soon as I was done training. “You don’t understand Daddy,” she moaned. “We have to go now. They are having open house in just a few minutes at the horse place, and I want to take riding lessons. This can’t wait. Come on. ”

This sample page shows just how strong “Pinky” is.

So here I was, faced with a choice. Do I go ahead with my training as planned and follow the “never miss a workout” philosophy, or do I share an important moment with my daughter and wife. One look at my daughter’s beautiful and excited face immediately told me the answer, and my “record-breaking” workout was postponed for an INFINITELY more important cause. Parents will undoubtedly understand what I am talking about, and maybe some of you who do not have children will also understand.

Thanks for visiting,
Rob