Workout Guy II

I am enjoying the gym. It's rather difficult for me to believe, but it's true. I always thought that joining a gym was a waste of money. I've got 2 feet, a pair of shoes and the street. Why not just go running to get in shape? It's free for crying out loud. At the gym though they have these sophisticated machines that tell you how many calories you're burning and your heart rate among other things. It really motivates you. Running on a treadmill on a nice day seemed like a thing for idiots to do, but it's different than walking in the park.

I've also been hitting the weights more than I thought I would. I have to be careful because I was born with bulky genes. The last thing I want is a thick neck. But I've been able to build muscle in the last 2 weeks. I always thought my legs were one of my best features and couldn't improve much. I've actually toned them up quite a bit.

It's an interesting place too. It's a gym in the city on Hampton and has a more city-looking crowd. Varied races, level of tattoos, age and lifestyle. I swear that if I ever start wearing tank tops to the gym though they should take away my membership. Guys that wear wife beaters are just trying to impress with their muscles and tattoos and those are things that should be left for your home. There are a couple of guys that pose a lot in the gym. Do they know that everyone is laughing at them? I'm glad you work hard and feel confident but maybe you should join Gold's Gym if you want to get in a pose off with a bunch of wankers.

One of the funny things that I've noticed is the large number of bald men. Being a bald man myself I notice these things. Out of 9 guys in the gym the other morning 5 were bald. And that doesn't include the old guy with the Friar Tuck look. That was just the 5 guys that are clean shaven like myself. I guess I'm not the only one trying to compensate for the things out of my control. And, to be clear, by compensate I'm referring to my hairline.

I'm sure before long I'll plateau and then burn out, but in the meantime I'm taking advatage of the motivation. This feels good. Surprisingly good.

Workout Guy

I saw this thing on TV (20/20 maybe?) about game theory and losing weight. They had people on there who agreed to either lose a pre-determined amount of weight or have their picture shown on national television in a speedo/bikini. I'm not about to post a picture of me in a speedo, but I have decided to join a gym and thought that posting my results here may encourage me to work harder.

My reasons for trying to get in better shape vary. Being a dad and husband I want to stay healthy and live a long time for my wife and son. I am also an older new dad (I'll be 38 this year) and want to be able to throw a football around with my son when he's a teenager (whether he wants to throw a football around with me when he's a teenager is an entirely different animal). I generally feel pretty lousy too. I'm sore often. Feel really thick in the middle. My doctor said I should weigh about 170 and I'm closer to 185 on a good day and 188 on a bad one.

2006 would also be the year of my 20th high school reunion. I don't know if we'll actually have one. I haven't heard anything and my class was never really tight the way others were. But if I do get an announcement I want to look my best. I have often said that I don't want to be "fat and bald". Since I can't help being bald I had better take care of the one thing I have more control over.

Tommorow, April 4th, is day 1. Let's see if I can go 30 days and get my money's worth at this gym.