Gym for You
Good Day Readers:
Yesterday I ran into a
friend who used to workout with me at the now defunct, “Fitness Place.” Well he
had one hell of a story to tell me about suffering a severe injury and his process
of healing and recovery since I last saw him. His name is Tim and he is a
police officer. He was responding to an “officer-needs-assistance”
call last year and was t-boned by another vehicle. The police cruiser was
crushed and he suffered multiple injuries including severe head and back
injuries. He described himself as being broken.
Our conversation soon turned
to the old gym we attended and how much we both miss it. Whenever I run into former members of my old gym they
all speak about how much they miss the atmosphere and support they received while
working out there. The atmosphere was encouraging and most members were
supportive of each other. The motto was, “Go Hard or Go Home.” If caught
slacking you’d catch some grief and if you needed a spot while lifting heavy,
you could trust almost anyone there to do it correctly. There was a level of
expertise that I have not experienced at any other facility and I have been
lifting since 1987.
I remember the first time I went there after finally
finding the place I’d heard so much about. I was doing chest exercises that day
and coming from another gym where I was one of the “big dogs,” I figured it
would not be much different here. I was working out with someone else and after
I finishing my lift; I turned to my partner for the day and asked if he wanted
me to take some weight off. Well he added weight and did more repetitions than
I did on my lift.
Humbled and a little
surprised, I knew this was home for me. I knew it because these people were
going to make me better. I was going to compete and if I did, I could only get
better and I did. I started there with a maximum flat bench of 315 and by the
time they closed a few years later my maximum bench press was around 420. The
atmosphere was the correct one for me and many others who chose to lift very
heavy and/or work very hard at whatever their niche was.
However not everything is
for everyone. This was conducive for me but the
question is what is conducive for you? It is important
to pick a place that is comfortable for you and supports you in becoming the best
you can be. Before you sign up and commit to a gym do your homework and that
starts with knowing what type of atmosphere will support your goals.
This includes the type of
people who attend. What is the best time to come? Do you like crowds? Is it loud
and too macho driven? Are people really working out or are they sitting,
texting, calling and trying to get a date. All of these things may matter and
impact how often you attend and what you do when you get there. Even at the gym
and maybe especially there, remember: association brings assimilation.
Presently I attend a popular commercial, mass produced gym. I usually attend
during the gym’s down time so that I am there when people are serious and it
isn’t too crowded so I am not waiting for someone to finish a text or
conversation.
It is also important to note
that comfortable does not mean “Comfort Zone.” In this context it means
supportive to your needs and consistent with your personality. I can remember
one gym recommended to me after FP closed and I did not like it. It was macho
driven with a real edge to it and although I was able to compete I did not like
the idea of having to watch my back or secure my belongings. It was distracting
to the point of diminishing my workout so I did not join.
Do your homework first and
make sure it is a place you want to be. Not wanting to be there because of the
atmosphere is definitely a deterrent to progress. Where else (besides work) do
you go that you do not want to be? Do
not sabotage yourself by picking the wrong gym for you. It is unlikely you
will make the gains you desire even if you do attend regularly if you do not like the environment.
So let’s Get Up Get Moving
and burn the fat away, and remember,
“CHIT
CHAT WON’T BURN FAT”
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