The gym has its perks for many people and it has helped those get in shape for what they want to accomplish. Some of us however, don't have that drive or passion to be in one. For nearly 3 months, it had some good moments but I finalized the canceling of my membership. Learned a couple things but ultimately, this gym didn't have what I already was working with and parted ways.
Talking to the manager after blowing up his phone, emailing and DMing, got things squared away and was asking the usual questions of why I was leaving and tried to pitch services on Personal Training and Classes in order to get me to reconsider. Wasn't having it and have enough knowledge that I know what I want in my training and the place couldn't provide it.
The guy did ask me something that I thought was a cool compliment. He had asked if I was a wrestler because he had seen some of the things I do in there and was impressed with the lifts and my explosiveness. Even complimenting my form on certain lifts including the sandbag they had and it was nice of him to say all that. I told him, no about being one. I admire the sport (especially Catch Style) and train in some form like one without being a competitor. That was pretty awesome that he assumed I was and I didn't think I had that kind of aura that would someone like that think that way. He was the second guy to assume I was a wrestler so maybe I give off some kind of vibe or something.
I was already focused on my conditioning with the bands and working on Isometrics for keeping up my strength. Going to the gym to do a few lifts was fun don't get me wrong. Still able to bench close to 300 lbs and play around with heavy dumbbells and that 455 rack pull was unbelievable to pull off (pun intended). It just didn't give me anything to move forward with those things and I feel grateful that my training outside of the gym gave me the ability to still do those things and even be a little stronger with very little specialization.
Being able to train anywhere I want is a gift I will always carry and I encourage anyone to learn how to do it. Hell, my first start was in the gym back when I was 13 year old kid in the 90's. It doesn't matter if you go to a gym or not, do what makes you happy, driven and benefits your goals and desires for a better body, better health and getting stronger in whatever it is you want to go after. If all your training goals rely on the gym, it's not a bad thing but don't dismiss what can be learned when you don't always have access to one. It's a process to understand what Physical Culture is, not Gym Culture because they are two different mindsets. One is a study of what came before, learning the ins and outs of what men did within or far out of the norm of a gym that it almost seems foreign to some. Gym Culture relies heavily on the building itself along with ego driven men and women that focus on three things; barbells, dumbbells and machines. Very few gyms have things that give off real world application and Gym Culture has a lot of issues when it comes to this day and age that I don't want to partake in anymore. That's my take on it, you don't have to take my word for it.
Training is my life, my purpose and to keep learning it for as long as I'm alive. As you know by now, I take bits and pieces of a little of everything that interests me in this world of fitness and making it something for me. After many, many years of study, there isn't one method that is a favorite but more on the lines of what can be useful to me in this point in time. I love doing things that carry over to other areas of my life but I also love doing things that give me peace and calmness getting that excess energy out or blowing off steam, I love that I can use whatever around me and make it easy or as hard as I want. It's second nature to me and I get a lifetime pass of going to school everyday to find something bad ass to learn. That's the true power of Fitness.
The gym is a learning curve, what you can do outside of it is a much bigger challenge with its own rewards and possibilities. It's a fulfilling practice that is a continuous journey of your own battles, wins and accomplishments. When you can work with both, that's a lethal amount of knowledge. Some are better off doing gym stuff, others outside of it like me & others and some are best with doing both so they can find their own way of getting the most out of themselves.
Be amazingly awesome and keep killing it with your goals. To get in touch with me go to my LINKTREE.
