Perspective From The Pool
Spent last week in the Florida Keys soaking in the sun. While I was lounging around the pool, I would estimate I saw between three and four hundred different people in their swimsuits. Out of all of those people, the number who exhibited thick, lean muscle was…one. There were a few young guys who were lean (its easier to have a six-pack before you are old enough to drink a six-pack). Curiously, among the over-thirty year olds at the pool, all of the fit and lean people were women. When you spend an hour a day at the gym and look at the photos on this site, its easy to forget that even modest fitness accomplishments will place you among the physical elite of the general population.
July 4, 2009 at 10:00 am
Oh man, vacation destinations sure are a reality check for us fit folks, no?!
I was staying at a resort in St Augustine Beach and found the fitness center to be highly vacant. Great, more for me… some people passed by and stared at me through the windows… one of them even came inside and asked me, "I always see you working out. Do you ever stop?" I told her about my bodybuilding contest prep and she said, "I wish I could do that. That’s so fascinating!" She appeared to be in her 50s. I told her it’s never too late to try, sat down with her, and gave her the contest prep cliffs notes. I hope she took it to heart and would love to see her on stage.
I always looked out the window and observed those lounging at the pool and those walking by… and I noticed that almost all of em were either fat, skinny-fat, or rail thin. No muscle. It sort of surprised me and then reminded me that even IF the average person downplays the accomplishments we’ve made /fails to acknowledge all the HARD WORK that goes into being "buff" (mostly because they have no idea how much we put into it), WE are an elite part of the population.