Alright, let me tell you about this whole “130 8” thing that’s been on my mind. It wasn’t some fancy project or anything, just a personal grind I put myself through down at the gym.
Setting the Bar
So, picture this: I was looking at the squat rack. For ages, I’d been stuck, really stuck. Seeing guys push serious weight made me think, “I gotta get stronger.” I wasn’t aiming for the moon, just something solid. That’s where 130 kilograms came in. But not just lifting it once. Nah, the real challenge, the one I set myself, was hitting it for 8 reps. 130 kg, 8 times. That became my target.
The Long Road
Starting out, 130 felt like a mountain. My early days were rough. I remember loading up maybe 100kg and struggling for just a couple of reps. Felt pretty weak, honestly. So, I knew I had to buckle down.
Here’s what I did, step-by-step:
- Consistency: First thing, I just showed up. Three times a week, minimum, focusing on legs. No skipping. Even on days I felt totally drained, I dragged myself there.
- Eating More: Can’t build muscle from thin air, right? I started consciously eating more protein. Chicken, eggs, beans – whatever I could get my hands on. Wasn’t super strict, just made sure I was fueling the work.
- Incremental Increases: Every week or two, I tried adding just a tiny bit more weight. Sometimes just 2.5kg. Or I’d try to squeeze out one more rep than last time with the same weight. Slow progress, but it was progress.
- Form Check: Watched a ton of videos, even asked a guy at the gym who looked like he knew his stuff to check my form. Didn’t want to snap myself in half trying to be a hero. Had to drop the weight a bit initially to get the movement right. That stung the ego, but it was necessary.
Hitting Walls (Literally and Figuratively)
It wasn’t smooth sailing. Oh man, the plateaus. There were weeks I couldn’t add any weight or reps. Felt like hitting a brick wall. Got frustrated plenty of times. Thought about just giving up on the 8 reps part and settling for a single lift. Or just lowering the target weight. It messes with your head.
One session, I remember getting pinned under 125kg trying for 6 reps. Had to do the roll of shame. Embarrassing? A little. But it also fired me up more. Made me realize I wasn’t there yet, needed more work.
The Day It Clicked
Then came the day I felt… good. Warmed up properly, felt strong. Loaded the bar to 130kg. Took a deep breath. First rep went up okay. Second, too. My legs were starting to burn by the third. Doubts crept in around rep five. “Can I really do three more?” My back felt tight. Just gotta push. Sixth rep was slow. Seventh was a real grinder. Paused at the bottom, thought I was done for. But I pushed with everything I had. Stood up shaky. Took another deep breath. And then, the eighth rep. It wasn’t pretty, probably slower than a snail, but I got it up. Racked the weight. Just stood there breathing heavy for a minute.
So yeah, 130 8. It wasn’t about the numbers themselves, really. It was about setting a tough goal and chipping away at it, day after day. Dealing with setbacks, staying consistent. That’s the real takeaway from that whole process. Just putting in the work. Simple as that.
