Maximum Stimulation Required

Right before starting a workout the other day, a friend teased me and asked if we were going to put music on. I’ve written before about how I love running with no music, and I’ll sometimes train in the gym with nothing on the speakers. Everyone assumes I hate music, or that I don’t realize listening to music while lifting can have performance-enhancing benefits.

In 2012, I was working at a gym and commuting an hour to school to finish my final college credits. I would head to school early in the morning, hustle back to the gym to coach for a few hours, and then try to squeeze in my own workout.

Back then, I took a scoop of pre-workout powder before every session. Even with the caffeine, these workouts often went poorly. Eventually, I had a realization: why did I need to get so amped up just to train? What was the point? Why couldn’t I just lift without extra caffeine and loud music that I was constantly fiddling with?

The same thing happened when I started running. AirPods didn’t exist yet. I had wired earbuds, shorts with a very specific pocket and zipper, and the cord was always getting tangled. I spent most of the run wanting to change the song or skip tracks altogether. The entire run became preoccupied with finding the “perfect” song.

I had created barriers to entry. I needed maximum stimulation. I needed loud music and a heroic dose of caffeine just to get through a few sets of bench press. Instead of simply starting, I relied on external hype.

Over time, training in a highly stimulated environment did produce results, and that became the norm. But prolonged exposure dulled the effect. Before I knew it, one scoop of Jack3d wasn’t enough, and neither was a decent playlist. I needed more of everything.

I’ve stayed away from pre-workout powders since that realization, and I stopped listening to music while running long ago. My goal is not to train without these things just to be stubborn. My goal is to train a lot. To train for a long time.

Relying on cranked-up music and caffeine just to get moving had become a crutch rather than a training aid. I wanted to reach a place where the environment didn’t matter, where I was in control.

You won’t always get to choose the music or have your ideal pre-workout routine. Sometimes you just need to get the workout done and move on with your day. That becomes very difficult when maximum stimulation is required.

—Justin Miner