Tom Venuto: I love ya, but sometimes you are full of crap...

Azdak

Tom Venuto is a bodybuilder and fitness writer. He has some academic credentials to go with his competitive experience and writes a lot of good stuff. He has some attitudes towards training that I actively disagree with and a recent article on his site gets into one of those areas.

The article is called: "No Pain No Gain: Fitness Myth or Ultimate Fitness Truth? " and can be found at http://www.tomvenuto.com/articles/no_pain_no_gain_myth_or_truth.shtml.

In the article, Venuto asks the rhetorical question is "no pain, no gain" just a myth and bad advice? Venuto disagrees. He says that, in order to achieve "success with your body", you must "step outside your comfort zone" and "embrace pain". The rest of the article elaborates on that theme, unfortunately (IMO) conflating the positive idea of "stepping outside of your comfort zone" with "thinking like champions do" and pushing to the point of pain and acute discomfort.

It's an unfortunate trap that too many competitive athletes fall into--an inability to consider real life outside of their narrow perspective. It also reflects a mistake that many people make when giving advice: assuming what works for them is the best thing for everyone to do.

Venuto's whole tone in this case communicates a general attitude of condescension towards anyone who unwilling to "embrace pain". He quotes the following maxim: “Most people are running around their whole lives with their umbilical cords in their hands and they’re looking for some place to plug it back in.”

Well, I've got news for you Tom: you're running around with something in your hands, but it ain't your umbilical cord. And your need to wave it in everyone's face is a personal issue, not a training philosophy.

Which is too bad, because there is nothing wrong with encouraging people to push beyond their comfort levels, to challenge themselves--both physically and in their lives. Pushing to new levels is an important part of training. However, there is a wide continuum of choices where you can challenge yourself before getting to the "embrace your pain" stage. Most people are not competitive athletes--they don't have the physical ability to push the way Venuto recommends. It doesn't mean they are weak or afraid. I have to deal every day with the consequences of neanderthal attitudes like Venuto's: the injuries, the burnout, etc.

Venuto writes a lot of good stuff. He has written on this topic before and expressed the same ideas--and I have disagreed with those articles as well. It just goes to show you have to critically evaluate everything you read--even from people you like and respect.

mzenzer

I don't know. Not saying I agree with Venuto or anything, but when I read an article like that, I feel that the writer assumes that I'm capable enough to understand just how far I can take my body. I believe in a little "pain". Pain to me doesn't mean injury or nor does it have to lead to injury. It's just that "damn" feeling after a workout. That holy crap I am spent feeling. And yes the next day you might hurt a little and when your wife touches your chest you scream "owy owy owy!" like a little girl.

I've been injured many times over the years but it was always due to an accident while performing a sport or exercise, not specifically a result of the intensity of the workout. I've held a steady, normal day job since I was 17 and at points in my life I've pushed myself to the level of a professional athlete. It's doable, and I'm also of the camp that we are indeed basically all the same. What I mean more specifically is that the things that make us different are far fewer than the things that makes us the same. Physiologically speaking anyway. Therefore I think we can all be that athlete that seemingly has no physical limits with the proper conditioning. That is all they did, condition themselves to get to that level. I also think we have a problem in this country where medical professionals are telling us to walk 20 minutes 3 times a week for cardiovascular health. Well, that's not going to cut it. 100 years ago almost all of us would be doing some physical labor, and 20 minutes a day 3 times a week is NOT going to mimic that. People need to understand that they have to push themselves a lot more.

That being said these writers can and often do display a certain arrogance with their opinions, but I try not to infer too much intent or emotion from a few lines on a page, because I find that in person they are often way more flexible and understanding of others opinions. Good review though.

ItsCasey

Some people ARE capable of distinguishing between "normal" pain from a workout and the kind of pain that should send you to a doctor. Some people, however, are not, especially beginners. I have a friend who started working out pretty strenuously for the first time since high school after being diagnosed with hypertension. He started having pain in his left foot that he just assumed was a consequence of working out all the time. I knew it was plantar fasciitis and told him to see a doctor or at least go to a running specialty store and get fitted with the proper shoes, but he thought he could "tough it out" and that it would go away. Six months later, he was having foot surgery.

Some people just don't get it, and these writers should be fleshing out the concept of "pain" better than they do. Men, especially, tend to have this idea that if they don't feel pain, they aren't trying hard enough, like pain is not only normal but desirable, and that just isn't true.

fitgirl4life

I have read the article you refer to, and your post is misleading. The tone of the article is not condescending, and he CLEARLY explains there is a difference between professional athletes and your average person trying to get fit.

Yes, Venuto says you must step outside your "comfort zone". He also says that whilst professional athletes push themselves to their limits and endure pain whilst training, "for most people who simply want to go from unfit to fit, from overweight to ideal weight, it’s not so much about physical “pain”; it’s more like stretching yourself."

I don't think anyone would argue that professional athletes and Olympians shouldn't endure pain, that is what they are paid for! But he clearly states in the article that the average person should try and get out of their comfort zone, but not to the point of injury. He says, "It’s not about injury. That is bad pain. Pushing yourself through that is stupidity. But do stretch yourself. You can’t improve unless you stretch yourself."

He does not say to "embrace pain", you have misquoted. He says "Embrace the “good pain” of growth like the champions do." Good pain meaning pushing outside of your comfort zone, but not to the point of injury!