Ah,
the unfeeling computer! The fabled chess match between the victorious Deep
Blue (a computer) and loser Garry Kasparov comes to mind. Computers are
relentlessly logical, lacking any of the frailties of human emotion such
as anxiety, pride, fatigue or fear. Neither instinct nor emotion plays a
part in the decision-making process. In stark contrast, emotions well up
in man -- along with their characteristic hormonal ebb -- creating havoc
of an ilk that is devoid of logic or intellect.
Yet, we humans
like to think we’re intelligent. We can think, reason, wonder, imagine,
and conceptualize. This, we say, is what separates us humans from all
other forms of animal life. Unlike other species of animals, most of which
are capable only of “reacting” to their environment, our willful “actions”
are usually promulgated by something we blithely refer to as intellect.
Screaming in fright while fleeing from the bear are reflexive actions; the
direction of flight, however, had better be instantaneously plotted with
utterly flawless logic. We then, upon reaching safe haven -- and this is
the intellect which separates us from other animals -- plot to kill the
bear for his indiscretion.
So, we have computers,
animals and man. Action, reaction and proaction. Three unique thought
processes resulting in three unique outcomes. Of the three, only man is
utterly fallible. And it is his own fault. That our actions are often
controlled by such primitive emotions as jealousy and greed, or to quirky
intuitions that leads one to follow a hunch or a gut feeling strains the
imagination. Yet it is so. Humans, after all, are cursed with BOTH an
intellect AND a psychology.
This article
explores some of the strange ways in which our “feelings” get us into hot
water in the gym. These feelings, and the subsequent course of action we
choose to follow, are manifested by our so-called “intellect.” You see,
emotions and intuitions are, at best, unreliable sources for clues on how
best to behave. Daniel Dennett, director of the Center for Cognitive
Studies at Tufts University, once said, “Intuition is a rug for us to
sweep our ignorance under. We call the brain’s tricks ‘intuition’ until we
learn how they [intuitions] are done.
The “I feel it”
syndrome is one of the major sources of myth in bodybuilding circles. It
stems from a lack of education. Period. All that the victims have is their
“instinct” or “feeling” to guide them, rather than disciplining themselves
to learn the SCIENCE! There are some wild and hilarious stories here!
Though, many are oddly understandable if all you have to go by is your
uneducated opinion. Let’s -- uhhh -- “attack” from different angles a few
of the problems our “feelings” cause. You will see that many of the
“feelings” one has as a result of training are prompted by proprioceptive
and psychological stimuli that aren’t always
“reliable.”
Attacking Your
Muscles From Several Angles “Feels” Good:
Attila the Hun
attacked his quarry from several different angles. It worked for him, and
I can only surmise how good he must’ve felt. But when you go attacking
your muscles (which span joints) from several different angles, all you’re
gonna get for your effort is a good case of bursitis or tendonitis! Line
up the origin and insertion of your targeted muscle, and lift the damned
bar! Don’t get cute! Sheesh!
Go For The Pump
Because That “Feeling” Says You’re Exercising Correctly:
The pumped sensation
you sometimes feel from doing several sets of an exercise comes from blood
engorgement and lactic acid accumulation. Surely, it is not a precondition
of growth! As a powerlifter, I spent several years of my life NEVER
experiencing a pump. And, I grew from 165 pounds to 265 pounds without
increasing my body fat percentage one bit!
The “Feeling” From Post Exercise Muscle Soreness Is A
Signal Of Growth:
Several theories have
been forwarded regarding post exercise muscle soreness. Two come to mind.
Hydroxyproline, a simple amino acid that is common in connective tissue,
is caustic to nerve endings. This amino is released upon trauma to the
muscle cells and connective tissues as a result of training stress.
Another is that trauma and inflammation initiated by the stress of intense
training lead to hyper excitability and spontaneous activation of pain
sensations.
Whatever the cause
of PEMS, the fact remains that it is NOT a signal of growth, but rather
one of destruction! Some is unavoidable. But don’t get the idea that you
have to feel excruciating pain to know growth is taking
place!
No Pain No Gain Is The
Oldest One…It “Feels” Like “Coming” Said Arnold:
Well, that’s
quintessential “Arnold.” ‘Course, he was speaking rhetorically, but his
meaning is clear: “If you don’t feel pain, it ain’t working.” Nonsense.
Here’s what science says. Put the muscle under greater resistance than
it’s accustomed to, and it will not only adapt, it will also
supercompensate in the process. Feelings of pain may or may not be
involved.
Supplements That
“Work” – Because You “Feel” Something Happening:
A young boy once asked
me if his boron would “work.” It was laced with ma huang. I told him to
throw it away or give it to his post-menopausal mother. He insisted that
he loved the stuff. “I FEEL it!” he exclaimed to me. Ugh! Touching A
Muscle – Biofeedback – Makes You Concentrate Better To Grow Bigger And
Stronger: Perhaps this is true to a point, but where ya gonna get another
HAND to feel the muscle with if you're lifting? In any event, what'll work
far better is to slap some serious pig iron on the bar! Another
ugh!
Etceteras…
What To
Do?
There are times,
however, when your “feelings” are probably your best source of
information, science notwithstanding! One – and there are others – is the
“feeling” of pain from doing an exercise, regardless of whether it’s being
done “correctly.” This is a good time to stop and take careful stock in
how you’re doing the movement, or how much weight you’re using. But DO
SOMETHING! Aspirin? Ice? Doctor? SOMETHING!
Some Interesting
Definitions Relating To “Feeling” Things:
Thought: Douglas Hofstadter,
Professor of computer science at Indiana State University, recently
observed, “Thinking is about having concepts, and these are formed by the
process of analogy-making over a lifetime.” To me, “tangents", “red
herrings” and “blind alleys” are the most interesting aspect of the
thinking process in humans.
Reasoning: The process of
logically weighing the importance of tangible data, and then mentally
forming a cohesive concept using inductive or deductive processes.
Whatever actions ensue are voluntary.
Psychological Senses:
Human traits such as sense of direction, sense of humor, sense of honor,
sense of meaning, sense of rhythm, coming to one’s senses, etc. all
reflect perceiving what is the “sensible” thing to do. All are based upon
reason and intellect. Innate Reflexes: The brain is not involved. Upon
sensing the stimulus (e.g., a hot stove) the action of pulling your hand
away is automatic, or involuntary. The sensory impulse is conducted by an
afferent neuron to a nerve center, and a motor impulse is conducted by an
efferent neuron to an affector (e.g., the muscle).
Physiological Feelings:
Our five senses (touch, sight, hearing, smell, taste) are controlled by
proprioceptive mechanisms as described in “innate reflexes” above. They
make us aware of certain elements in our environment by sending impulses
to the brain via the nervous system. While reception of the stimuli are
innate, what we do about the sensory input is, in large part, learned. Of
course, the exceptions are simple reflex actions. Responses such as
sweating, shivering, laughing, crying, eyes tearing, and other involuntary
responses to our environment both powerfully affect our ensuing voluntary
behavior and are in fact powerfully initiated by
them.
Proprioceptors: As mentioned
above, various proprioceptors, the sensory organs found in muscles and
tendons, provide information about body movement and position, and protect
muscle and connective tissue.
The Golgi tendon
organ is imbedded in tendon tissue and can be thought of as a safety
valve. Increasing levels of muscular contraction result in feedback to the
nervous system from the Golgi tendon organ. When tension becomes too great
-- greater than your brain can recall -- this signal inhibits the
contraction stimulus, thereby reducing the likelihood of injury. This
protective response is called "the feedback loop."
The muscle spindle
is a proprioceptor found in the belly of a muscle. In contrast to the
Golgi tendon organ, which is in series with the force plane of the muscle,
the muscle spindle is in parallel with the force plane. The action is
similar to that of the Golgi tendon organ in that it protects against
overload and injury in what is known as the "stretch reflex" action
(example: the knee-jerk response used by physicians to test your muscle's
response adequacy).
The stretch
reflex serves as a regulatory mechanism that enables the muscle to adjust
automatically to differences in load and length changes without having to
receive messages from higher order centers (your brain) of the nervous
system.
Other
proprioceptors are located in and around all the joints of the body. These
sensors provide constant information to the nervous system regarding the
special relationship of the stimulus being sensed to the rest of the body:
Examples of this type of sense are feelings of movement, position or
speed. It is clear that the sense of touch is at the heart of many of the
ill-conceived practices in the gym. These include heat, cold, stretch,
pain, pressure, or the “pumped” sensation in the
muscles.
| 
Frederick C. Hatfield, Ph.D.