First Published -

T-Nation

The Void

We all have demons inside of us. Some have more than others, and some guys can deal with them better than the next. That 40-something stressed-out businessman who suddenly snaps and bludgeons the Walmart greeter with a plunger is an example of someone who can't handle his demons. I'm not saying I'm always inches away from committing manslaughter, but I can be a real dick when I let stress get the better of me. To combat this, I tried to do what I always did when life got stressful – I trained. So I smash my demons. I crush them under PR's. And if I'm too fucked up to train heavy, I torch them with extended sets, rip them apart with rest pauses and drop sets, and then chase them away with whatever fucked-up finishing exercise I can think of. Normal types might scoff at the notion of hitting the gym with so much shit going on, but they aren't seeing the big picture – or at least my big picture. I don't punish myself with drop-sets and high-rep squats to build muscle. I do it to kill my demons. The demons always come back, mind you, but as long as I have a key to my gym I can stay one step ahead.