In the Good People Song by Jack Johnson, he sings “Where did all the good people go “. He got me thinking on the drive home from my Corona Fit workout – I found them! Most were at the gym I just left.
This isn’t your typical average gym or workout place like you might remember; the fifty minute workout here more resembles a boot camp workout possibly originally modeled on old-school military PT training.
They’re usually all women in attendance and possibly one other good guy that originally signed up with his wife; attends a few sessions, then slowly vaporizes himself out of the sweat farm.
We do hedge runs and burpee’s, yesterday I was amazed that one exercise was referred to as a man builder. It’s basically an eight count push up exercise and a squat thrust combined while holding onto weights.
Me holding onto ten pound weights I briefly look across the room of maybe fifteen women; almost everyone was holding onto 15 and twenty pound weights while doing this ten count exercise within one minute. That’s almost always the case. These women are strong. “Never judge a book by the way it’s covered is my new mantra; for inside those, at times, tattered pages, there’s a lot going on”.
Honestly, every workout I have experienced I can honestly say is additional quality time back to my life. For me, I make it a point to attend daily sessions for a solid week or two before any major week long motorcycle ride. It’s part of my planning process, just like packing and getting my bike ready is.
And then I don’t attend for a while. When I subsequently return for more workouts I’m greeted back just like Norm Peterson, the most loyal of bar customers, who sits on a barstool in the television show Cheers.
And always, my return once again raises the median age in the group by well over 20 years. For those that don’t know me I’m now trapped in a sixty something year old decomposing body; one day it will experience parts that have worn out from overuse or they completely quit working. In the quote by Hunter S. Thompson he writes;
“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming,
“Wow what a ride!” And that’s just how I’m hoping to live out the rest of those unknown years. Sure you can come with me. Just try to keep up!
A person’s appearance doesn’t define their character, their behavior does. And the fact that these women and men are here of their own free will; trying to overcome the American diet of eating too many processed or sugary foods, or a former sedentary lifestyle on account of office work, childcare and/or poor sleep are huge contributing factors to our lack of getting enough exercise.
Sure I’ve referred to the place as a fat farm before but, in a good way and for good reason. On the wall is a strong message declaring; strong is the new skinny! And rarely does a skinny person walk through those doors to sign up to workout. The regular attendee’s can lift, pull , move and out perform most, if not all of my younger adventure riding buddies.
These two instructors single-handedly make this place work and shine. Gayla and Donovan you are our hero and heroine. (Marcella and Dane, you too!) Some people might roll their eyes and think that anyone could fit the role of a workout instructor after minimal training, but the truth is that an instructor is more than just a person that tells you what you need to do. These people truly do care and listen to the problems of their clientele.
They’re what we call the buddy, the confidante, the conspirator, and in some cases they’re also the boss and the owner.
Boot camp workouts vary, depending on the focus. They generally include some loud music, an intense mix of aerobic and strength training. The key that I see is to come in possessing some persistence and determination in your character. And the rest, well, that just falls into place after a while.
“Bad news, misused
Got too much to lose
Gimme some truth
Now whose side are we on
So lead me astray, and by the way now”
Trawlercat 5/19/2022
Trawlercat Personal Blog Chronicles 