We recently had the opportunity to spend a little quality time in the absolute mecca of bodybuilding Gold’s Gym in Venice, CA.
So we are not bodybuilders. We don’t want to become bodybuilders. But we have spent a lot of time in the last 5 years in a gym that trains bodybuilders. You don’t have to become what you spend a lot of time around, although you do tend to develop some of their habits. In this case, we have learned a whole lot about our own bodies and what they are capable of and have a whole new appreciation for the amount of work that is put into pushing weights up and down, in and out, this way and that.
When Doug and I started going to the gym almost 5 years ago, we chose Dean and Leigh because they walked the walk. We obviously lacked the knowledge to keep ourselves in tip-top shape otherwise we would not have allowed our bodies to become so overweight. We needed to go to someone who knows what it takes to be in good shape and to teach us what we need to do to our bodies to be in better physical shape. Nobody will ever have all of the answers for everyone, so you need to, when you are ready, find the person or people that will fit your needs. Going to the gym and spending time weight training was the farthest thing from what I thought I would end up doing and enjoying. But, as it turns out, this is one of the things that make up the strategy that we use to keep ourselves in shape.
Now, if you are a gourmet cook, and you have the opportunity to spend time with a gourmet kitchen and chef, you do it. If you are a mechanic you would spend time in the garage of choice. You get my point. We have been in Southern California many times, Santa Monica is one of our favorite places to spend a little time. This time was the first time that we took the time go to where bodybuilding really became huge.
The weather is almost 
always nice there. The area lends itself to a whole lot of opportunity to spend time outside and that is typically what we do. Hiking in the hills, running along the beach, bike riding along the ocean, swimming, and walking. This time, we made a point of going to Gold’s Gym. Oh my goodness!
Now at first glance, it is ‘just a gym’. Lots of equipment. It is actually very big. Not a big surprise there. It is divided into a few different sections. Allowing people to do nearly anything a gym would allow them to do. There is even an outdoor area if you choose to be in the sun.
There were a whole lot of people there and yet you didn’t really feel crowded. Because areas were separated by the type of machines, you could totally be in an area do ‘your thing’ and leave and not see the other people. The people were the interesting part for me. I expected to see some really muscly people but OMG some of these guys take ‘huge’ to the next level. It really was fascinating to watch these guys. They were moving weights that I couldn’t even think about moving and yet they did multiple sets. Some of the really big guys came in with quite a crew. They were really well liked and I actually had seen a couple of them on some of the social media follow. There were also a lot of phones in the gym. People were taking selfies and taking pics of their friends everywhere. More than I have ever seen at other gyms. That made me giggle a little, trying to stay out of the way while people are working out and others are taking their pics. Oh well, I guess that is why there are so many mirrors.
The one thing that I hadn’t planned on was the feeling that I actually knew what I was doing. I was quite concerned that I would feel like the old lady from the burbs and look like I had no clue what to do there. Well, a guess after all these years at our gym, listening to my trainers, paying attention to my body, using a little common sense, and relaxing my stress level, I managed to get a good workout in and actually enjoyed the process. Once I got out of my own way, I learned that it wasn’t as intimidating as I thought it was going to be.
Final thought is this, hold your breath, pull up your big girl/boy pants, puff out your chest just a little, and try something new or different. You may find out that you are capable of doing way more than you thought at first.
Just remember, you can't climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets. – Arnold Schwarzenegger
