Me asking gym strongman: What workout program do you follow?
Strongman: Gives five minutes on how to cycle off and on steroids.
Me: Why do I ask anyone anything?
I’ve been going to the same place for years, to the point of shunning exercise in any other gym. I bench on one bench, pull plates on one cable machine, in a gym with tons of options.
My excuse is I like finding new things to do in familiar surroundings, of staking a claim and staying busy instead of finding a new place to rest. My deal is ‘active rest’ between hard lifts.
One of my goals is building better pecs, and I think I found the trick. I checked in with a proven lifter, asking what he thought of my pec-dec routine. His response was a thoroughly guided tour of his chest and every exercise for every muscle.
It was too weird to be too thankful for his answer. I complained to a regular who knows how to do a huge workout in the shortest time.
Me: I don’t know why I even talk to anyone.
Her: Maybe you shouldn’t.
One of my favorite guys moved away, not ‘away’ away, just too far for an everyday lift. He’s an inspiration and a devoted gym rat I miss, but luckily he still comes in to push iron and shoot baskets.
Me: It’s not the same without you here, man.
Him: I was in last week and went out with a group.
Me: Last week? A group?
Him: Yeah, they said I was the least weird guy in the gym.
Me: You’re the least weird? You’re weirded than me.
Him: But I don’t interrupt conversations and make it all about me.
Me: Who does that?
Him:
Me: You’re the weird one.
Him: That’s not the consensus.
Me: I miss having a weirdo around.
Him: (points to mirror.)
About David Gillaspie
