Suffer to Rule: Train Like a Masochist, Dominate Like a Sadist

Some days I eat a lot. Six, seven thousand calories. High protein, high fat. No real hunger driving it—it’s just fuel. I train hard, I move all day. The food gets used.

Then I fast.

Not for a challenge. Not to impress anyone. I just don’t feel the need to eat. I’ve already eaten. My body has what it needs. The hunger isn’t there. So I don’t eat.

I walk. I train. I think.

Training is never about feeling good. I don’t chase motivation. I train like a masochist—not because I hate myself, but because I’m not afraid to suffer. I go into the pain and stay there until something gives way. Usually it’s my thoughts. Sometimes it’s my body. Either way, I keep going.

The goal isn’t to punish. It’s to gain control.

To dominate—not people, not situations—but reactions. Instinct. Emotion. That’s what I mean by “sadist.” Not cruelty. Just precision. Calm power. The ability to command yourself in uncomfortable situations and never flinch.

It’s not about ego. If it was, I’d quit when no one’s watching.

It’s about doing the work in silence. Walking until your feet ache. Training until your limbs shake. Fasting until the hunger disappears and the clarity comes in. That’s where the identity is—under the layers of comfort and softness.

This is how I function. Not as a strategy. Not for content.

Just how I live.

—Jon Stone
Iron Resilience