Gym Reps, Sunburns, and Copious Alcohol Consumption

Ever said, “I can’t drink like I used to!” Me, too. And, it’s likely that you can’t drink like you used to because you don’t. Let me explain. 

Much of how the human body reacts to stimuli is controlled by exposure. When you think back to your college days, you likely found drinking easier because you did more of it. Now, one night of drinking more than normal crushes you. 

Sun burns work this way, too. Isn’t it odd that sun exposure is a nearly universally healthy concept, except when you get too much. If you’re in the sun constantly and building up exposure, you’re much less likely to get burnt like you are when you’re pale all winter and get smoked on a hot vacation day. 

The gym is the same way. Despite what pop culture will tell you, soreness isn’t the badge of honor it’s cracked up to be. Sure, a little soreness is fine, but if your workouts wreck you for three days, you’ll need to think about getting more exposure at lower volumes to build your tolerance. 

The human body is amazing. 

We just need to take on exposure incrementally to see what we’re capable of on the beach, in the bar, and at the gym.