(repost from /r/fitness. not getting karma for this, felt it was relevant to this subreddit)

I've been going to the same gym for 6 months now. I've seen the same guy there pretty much every time I work out (6am), he's usually happy/talking to the local gym goers. However, I haven't seen him in two weeks.

Today was different though. I saw him today, I said hello like usual in the lockers, he threw a half hearted hello, completely blank face.

We were out of the lockers and started warming up for deadlifts. Now, he's a pretty big dude, gym goer for 4 years now (he says). He's deadlifting 600 lbs for 3x5. We're doing our final set, and he loads two 25's on each side, 50lbs is huge to add to such an intense workout. He busts out 15 reps with such unreal intensity, by the 10th rep he had an insane pump going, and thats when the tears started breaking out and streaming down his face.

He's grunting/yelling/making sounds (not too loud to disrupt the maybe...3 people in the gym at the time?) by the 10th rep. After the 15th he could barely get the bar up. When he was done he was a complete wreck. Very close to fainting, tears fully on streaming down his face. Red as a tomato, total rage, huffing and puffing. I asked him what was up, he replied in such a shaky/sobby voice: "She took my kids, my money, my life." And then proceeded to the lockers to wash up and leave.

Just a story I thought I'd share.

His name is Robert. No his last name is not Paulson god damnit.