Strength is a Second Job

by Carl Raghavan, SSC | November 05, 2024

When someone asks me, “What do you do for fun?” I say,
“Drinking.” They give me a puzzled look, and their next question
is usually, “But isn’t the gym fun for you?” No, it’s not.
Training has evolved into a second job. But here’s why that’s
actually a good thing.

Before I
head to the gym, my fiancée always used to kiss me goodbye and say,
“Have fun.” I would grumble, kiss her back, and leave,
fully aware that training isn’t fun – it’s a second job. It’s a
funny thing: the more I treat it like work, the more progress I see
as a by-product.

Sure,
hitting a new PR feels great, and seeing your body change is
rewarding, but at its core, training is more like a job than a
passion project. Talking about big numbers and fantasizing about
future lifts is just that – talk. Actions speak louder than words.
The habits and tasks needed to achieve a new personal record often
resemble mundane busywork, something that feels more like clocking in
and out of a routine job.

For me,
it’s about showing up, putting my head down, and if I’m lucky
maybe I’ll see some progress happen after 9 to 12 weeks of hard
work. Strength training is my second job. That’s essentially my
motto at this point.

When you
start thinking of training this way, everything begins to click.
Adopting a job-like mindset makes progress feel almost inevitable.
Good “employees” in the strength world show up on time,
follow the program, do grocery shopping regularly, home cook their
food, prioritize sleep, and stay vigilant about technique and form.
They respect the gym space and the people around them. That’s how
you succeed – by showing up, day after day, ready to work, like
it’s your day job.

Treating training
like a job also makes the emotional ups and downs easier. Sure,
missing a lift stings, but if you have a show-up-rain-or-shine
mentality, you begin to reframe progress and accept that not every
session will see a new PR, like when you first started the SSLP. Some
days you’ll feel strong, others you won’t. Missing a set of 5
doesn’t feel as catastrophic as it once did, like in the early
days. You still show up and do your best. That’s all anyone can
ask.

If you’re
only excited about training when you’re hitting personal records, you
won’t last long. Training is a game within a game. Of course, PRs and
progress do matter, but the true key to training is having the
discipline to keep going even when the gains slow down and road ahead
looks bleak. It’s not just your deadlift PR that gets stronger; it’s
your mind as well. Eventually, those PRs will become less frequent.
You can’t add weight to the bar every session forever – welcome
to being a true intermediate. Let that sink in. Remember: Rip told
you you don’t want to be an intermediate, so try and stay a novice
for as long as possible. Guess what, Rip was right again. Getting
strong is a lifestyle, not a New Year’s resolution.

Life will
throw the kitchen sink of challenges at you: stress, bad days, lack
of sleep … fill in your worst day here. Even on those days, you
still need to show up and train. That’s what leads to real
progress. Being the lifter who doesn’t skip training or makes
excuses is what sustains long term progress, every time. The
compliance is the science. Even a shitty program can work if you come
in and keep showing up. Consistent commitment to the process, despite
life’s demands, is what separates those who succeed from those who
fall short.

There’s a
great quote from Jim Wendler that I think sums it up best: “Your
rep is your reputation.” Every time you take a deep breath for a
lift, it’s an opportunity. Every rep is a reflection of who you are
as a lifter. This idea is one of the main reasons I named my brand
Beautiful Strength. Lifting heavy barbells with solid technique is
the gold standard – it’s the principle I live by and lift by.

There’s
something powerful about embracing long-term challenges that don’t
offer instant gratification. The rewards are deeply personal, often
holding meaning only for you. Conquering your demons and lifting
numbers that surpass your wildest dreams aren’t going to be handed
to you; every kilo is earned. That struggle is what eventually gets
you to your destination. It is a process that teaches you more than
just how to lift 5 additional pounds – it’s something far deeper.
It teaches you that the world will not stop and clap for you if you
get back up when you’re in your darkest hour. That you don’t get
a public parade every day like you’re the King for just showing up
to work.

Training three times a
week shouldn’t feel like a sacrifice or a big deal. It’s simply
part of what we do as lifters. The difference between training and a
job is that training brings immense fulfillment, and not everyone can
say that about their day job. The weight room is your arena. Put your
life into a chokehold: do not go quietly into the night. It’s your
chance to be somebody.

Recently,
my fiancée found a better way to send me off to the gym. Instead of
saying “Have fun,” she says, “Ganbatte” – a Japanese
word (pronounced “gahn-baht-teh”) that means “Do your
best.” And that’s what I wish for all of you in the weight
room: Ganbatte. Do your best.