Monkey Blog

It was two years ago that I signed up for an account here.  I lurked for a little while before that but I finally pulled the trigger on this day.  When I first found this place I assumed it would be just for jocks and people who had been into athletics their whole lives.  I was extremely surprised when I not only found out that wasn’t true, but when I found profiles of guys with similar backgrounds.  There were the guys who were never into sports but discovered that they fell in love with lifting.  There were the guys that didn’t start lifting until their thirties (or later).  There were the guys that had my starting weight and looked like I wanted to look.  I found all of it unbelievably motivating.

I’ve always said that there were two things that were critical to any success that I’ve had.  The first was signing up with a fantastic trainer.  He helped me eliminate the crushing fear I had about working out in a gym.  He taught me how to use all the machines and of course the free weight section.  The best thing he taught me, however, was what hard work really is.  I really learned that you have to push yourself.

As important as my time with him was, it was only for a few months.  When my trainer wasn’t a part of my life anymore BodySpace still was.  I don’t have any friends that lift.  What’s great is that my friends on here not only can relate to what I’m going through, but they can provide knowledge and encouragement from someone who’s been there.

I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback on here and I truly appreciate all of it.  When I first signed up I was extremely hesitant to post any pictures (oh the irony).  I thought that I wasn’t anywhere near the level of some people on here and that I would look silly (but I did it anyway).  When I did I started immediately getting positive feedback.  I definitely found it surprising.

This place has given me a lot of laughs, encouragement, and some great friends.  I’m looking forward to many future BodySpace birthdays!

.

I was thinking about this today when I was annoyed that the dumbbells I wanted were in use. Just for fun I imagined what I would change about my gym if I could.

• I’d rip out all of the treadmills to make room for more weightlifting goodness.
• My gym is really good about squat racks, benching stations, etc. So no changes there.
• I’d at least triple the amount of dumbbells.
• I’d put the poor, unused “butt blaster” in the back corner out of its misery.
• A bod pod or something to measure bodyfat instead of the Sharper Image piece of junk at the front desk.
• I’d love to try pushups on gymnastic rings.

What would you do?