Gyms

I'm not going to say the gym I attend, but I go every once in a while. It's a nice place. It's a franchise so you have the old mixed with the young. The attendants are dismissive but I don't need them to dote on me. People complain about gym's all the time in review sites. Mostly the complaints have to do with the facilities being dirty, machines are janky or whatever. Some complain about bathroom facilities, others complain about other patrons. The ones that really get to me...the ones who complain about the lack of equipment.

Really?

A gym initially was a few weights, a jump rope and maybe a duct taped heavy bag. It didn't have a shower. And it sure as Hell didn't have a massage bench. I think the ones who complain were the ones who turned gyms into a spa. When I go to the gym, I expect to blast weights and get down and dirty. A LOT of members go to chat with friends. Read on a treadmill or even watch t.v. It is no longer conducive to taxing muscle. I really chuckle when I see dead eyed people mindless watching soccer and attempting to jog. Oh, man...I'm not going to get into that, only to say...if your mind isn't in the game of burning fat and gaining muscle, it 'aint gonna work. Focus. And get that intensity.

Nowawdays, gyms seems to cater to masses. Can't blame them though. Operational costs are out of control. Equipment is EXPENSIVE people. People take it for granted.

One of the things that got me into physical fitness as a kid was that I wanted to play baseball. I was very undersized but I was a go-getter. In little league I played shortstop (ironically) and won a few "golden gloves". I was super competitive and got sick whenever we lost. If we lost a game, I wouldn't eat the pizza or drink soda. When I started high school, I REALLY wanted to play football. When I went to get a physical and be cleared to play, my doctor said "What?...you going to BE the football?"

I became a 4th string wingback (doesn't exist anymore since running backs can catch in the flat now). I never thought to get stronger. I thought my 100 pushups and 100 situps a day was enough. I didn't do weights. Didn't belong to a gym. I used what I could. I felt like a high anxiety kid. I ate very little. I weighed roughly 112 lbs. I got pummeled on the field. So I decided to do track instead.

Track in high school is funny. A lot of people get their growth spurts here. I think I had grown as tall as I was going to be. I ran the mile. Against guys who had already sprouted to 6 footers. And, I don't care what anyone says, you aren't going to catch someone in stride when you take five steps for every one.

Sports were things I loved, yet...was just a bit out of reach. And that was crushing.

In college, I had full privileges to the football weight room. The place was beautiful. State of the art and brand new. And during the summer when the players weren't using it, I was able to workout all I wanted. NO ONE...and I mean NO ONE in northeast Ohio seemed to care about the gym. So, I essentially had the gym to myself from late May to September. It was an amazing time.

I know a lot of people will never understand going without in a gym. They think it all magically appears and that since they pay money, it all just shows up. Yeah, some of that is true, but I think these are the same people who expect to have the gym do the work they're suppose to. Like if I buy a membership to a gym, I'll magically be fit.

To me....I don't care if there is a cinder block and some rope, I'll make it work.