So I've been aware of the hype-train that is smelling salts and finally got given a chance to jump into the masochistic fun that smells like piss. I don't remember my first experience was with witnessing and recognizing what the hell this stuff that these jacked up monsters were sniffing but I remember a couple years ago thinking that something didn't seem right about this stuff I mean I'm not exactly well educated about drugs so to me it sounded like a drug but upon further reflection or rather googling I found they're pretty much safe enough not to worry considering there's no known injuries rn. I also found it weird that every lifter with a large amount of poundage on the bar was taking a hit before going in for their set and so as it's a part of the culture I accepted it and even looked up to the badassery that it's a part of. I spent the last few years and watched many a Jujimufu videos seeing Jon Call and his guests on his youtube inhale ammonia and it became normal and chill like having an espresso to wake up, shit tastes like death took a shit then ground it up with those coffee beans but it gives one hell of a stimulant effect.
So the story goes I was at the gym yesterday doing my high volume training in prep for my strength phase and this guy I get to talking to is lifting heavy and using "big ben" chalk and ammonia and so he offers me some of each. I was impressed by the dryness and longevity of the chalk but I gotta say as a plumber that shit smells like pipe glue I can smell the chemicals bidning to my hands... can't be good. Anyways I got to my second to last set and he urged me to try it twice when i was planning on only once and I figured why the heck not this way I can gauge how much to inhale for my last set which is a plus set. And so he gave me a whiff and I felt the air rush in, the chemicals which smell like piss and vinegar mixed together and a stabbing pain in my nose and lungs. Adrenaline is a useful thing, on my plus set after doing sets of 10 I was aiming for 15 at an RPE 8-9 and I got 25 at RPE 8ish so yeah shit seemed to work pretty good.
The issue I had and the reason I wanted to write this is because i was feeling violated a bit and I mean I felt like I exposed my body to something detrimental and bad for my lungs, and throat as the stuff was so strong and I felt like I could still feel the effects when i was at work the next day and smelled some woman's perfume leaving me with a sensitive respiratory system. But truth be told i probably was just being paranoid i hope. I guess this experience had me thinking about the morality of smelling salts in relationship to its similarity to cocaine and I couldn't help but feel some type of way since I'm pretty against drug usage for my own usage and I feel like people use them as a crutch especially when they get addicted. I feel like it's a spur of the moment done in order to fully enjoy the here and now and although there's nothing wrong with being present minded and making the most of your time I cant help but look at the usage of drugs as part of the quick fix mentality towards life's problems and a form of instant gratification. If I've learned anything about powerlifting or life in general it's that success in these endeavors are long term investments and just as you don't hit a PR every workout after you progress a little you can't expect instant gratification in life in everything you do. I mean all the best things in life take hard work, think about a PR that you hit as a untrained novice vs one you've spent a whole macrocycle or meet cycle prepping for, it's the goals that are a long time in the making that make the waiting well well worth the struggle.
I did a bit more research today and i found out ammonia and smelling salts have been used all throughout history from the romans to the victorian era to the last hundred years of medical practice. It was primarily used for waking up someone unconscious but in this day and age athletes of all sports use it but primarily strength sports like american football, boxing, hockey, powerlifting and strongman. And so although I don't plan on using the stuff anytime soon again I don't regret trying it, it was good to learn what it's like and fun to pretend to be strong as the guys who I see use it. If anyone asks me if I recommend it I'd probably say use your fire within or something else cheesy that they prob don't want to hear but if you need a good stimulant go for caffeine and save that stuff for the big lifts is what I say.
Thanks for reading,
If you're gonna inhale, inhale deep and lift heavy weight with every ounce of effort you got
But always remember it's the fire in your belly that'll lift your way through to success not the fire in your lungs...
-Mr Wolf
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