“Why so serious?”
Well with the New Year brings the resolutionist to the gym and at first I look forward to the added company and comic relief of it all. People from every walk of life in the “unhealthy” world walking in to the gym like they have been working-out/training for years; running around the gym doing every machine (some how at one time) and walking at 3.0mph on the treadmills, but acting like they have been doing sprints for 3 hours at 10.0mph. Every year it’s the same old routine with these gym clowns.
Now don’t get me wrong, I was once one of them and I am not hating on them 100%, I am just a realist and see them for what they are and maybe about 5% will stay through March and its those people I truly respect, because maybe this year “I tell myself” there will be one of them who has what it takes to change their lives around! Like I did three years ago! But sadly every year it all the same old same…
These people look at me like I am the freak, they walk around with there arms spread wide as a house acting like they have steroid swole lats; walking in my way during my cables sets and stealing machines from me between sets without even nicely asking.
When I am in the gym I always 100% focus on sets and heart rate and rarely have time to talk to anyone , but if some ones asks me something I am always the first one to off the best advice I can give, but during this time of year its ridiculous.
There are the 1 million random questions I get asked every year…
How can I get my arms to grow?
How do I loose my love handles?
Why can’t I loose the weight? I have been working out for a whole week now!
ETC…
And so I tell them the truth; I know its hard for them to hear things like yes you have to come to the gym 5+ days a week, and NO your not pushing yourself hard enough, and NOo you can’t eat those junk foods and/or deserts anymore, but it’s the truth. Unfortunately, I know I am wasting my breath and 99% of them will not even care to try what I tell them.
And this is where I break!
Then comes the looks they give me; “WHY SO SERIOUS” it says on their face’s as they stare at me sweating while lifting and after my workouts during my sprints.
Look people fitness/body-building to me is not the same as it is for your average person; I didn’t wake up one day and say hey I really want to tone up today. I didn’t do it to get attention from girls or try to impress anyone. Body-building/Fitness to me is “LIFE”!
In fact my fitness lifestyle saved my once pathetic obese life, and without choosing to come down this hard road I probably would not be alive today to write this blog! Maybe its me but the most irritating part about the newbie’s and the general public is there ability to fear what that do not know and hate what they can themselves accomplish! Look “fitness is a lifestyle no a weekend retreat”; you have to 180 degree your whole life in a new direction and focus your life now around your health/fitness not the other way around. Perhaps in the end I will have the last laugh, but for now I will just keep training and enjoying the lifestyle I have; even though 99% of the world doesn’t understand me!
January 15, 2008 at 7:03 am
OMG…SO well said!! I’m a trainer and have worked at a gym now for going on 8 years…i LOVE my job!! I feel incredibly blessed to be able to do what i love as a career and to help those who really really want to make fitness and health a lifestyle! BUT…as someone who trains super hard year round…I HATE THIS TIME OF YEAR!! And even as a trainer i get a bit burned out every year by the middle of February! So i hear you loud and clear!!! I keep thinking gyms need V.I.P. rooms for the hardcores!! lol