No pain, no gain

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For other uses, see No pain, no gain (disambiguation).
Fitness advocate DeBarra Mayo in workout gear, 1987.
Fitness advocate DeBarra Mayo in workout gear, 1987.

No pain, no gain (or "No gain without pain") is an exercise motto that came into prominence after 1982 when actress Jane Fonda began to produce a series of aerobics workout videos. In these videos, Fonda would use "No pain, no gain" and "Feel the burn" as catchphrases for the concept of working out past the point of experiencing muscle aches.[1]

The bodybuilding community adopted the phrase.[when?] It expresses the belief that solid large muscle is the result of training hard and suffering sore muscles repeatedly, implying that those who avoid pain will never reach a professional level as bodybuilders.

In terms of the expression used for development, the discomfort caused may be beneficial in some instances while detrimental in others.

The expression has been adopted in a variety of sports and fitness activities.[when?]

The expression has also been adopted in other areas, notably as a slogan implying that attempts to make progress in some personal goal which avoid discomfort are, in a way, illegitimate or cheating, and probably, in the view of the speaker, will fail or not last, because of the use of a shortcut. For example, weight loss which is achieved through stomach surgery rather than by the long-term self-denial of dieting.

David B. Morris wrote in The Scientist in 2005, "'No pain, no gain' is an American modern mini-narrative: it compresses the story of a protagonist who understands that the road to achievement runs only through hardship."[2]

[edit] Origin

One of the earliest attestations of the phrase comes from the poet Robert Herrick in his Hesperides. In the 1650 edition, a two-line poem was added:

NO PAINS, NO GAINS.
If little labour, little are our gains:
Man's fortunes are according to his pains.

– Hesperides 752.[3]

A version of the phrase was crafted by Benjamin Franklin in 1733 in his persona of Poor Richard, to illustrate the axiom "God helps those who help themselves":

Industry need not wish, as Poor Richard says, and he that lives upon hope will die fasting. There are no gains, without pains...

– as reprinted in his The Way to Wealth (1758)[4]

[edit] References

Look up no pain, no gain in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
  1. ^ No Pain, No Gain. The American College of Foot & Ankle Orthopedics & Medicine (September 22, 2002). Retrieved on 2008-03-24.
  2. ^ David B. Morris (March 28, 2005). "Belief and Narrative". The Scientist 19 (Sup. 1). 
  3. ^ Herrick, Robert; Alfred Pollardi, ed. (1898). The Hesperides & Noble Numbers: Vol. 1 and 2. London: Lawrence & Bullen, Vol. 2, 66 & 320. 
  4. ^ Franklin, Benjamin (1758). The Way To Wealth.