Two Years Later

[Marinewithego]

I was filling out my online workout logs yesterday and started think back to when I first started to lift weights. It was about two years ago when I quit smoking and decided that I needed a something to fill in my time from after work till dinner. That was my weak point when it came to smoking a cigarette. I decided I would join a gym and start lifting weights everyday instead.

I can remember walking in the weight room and feeling so out of place. I felt like everyone in there was looking at me wondering why I was in there. Now I know that it’s probably because I was spending an hour doing different variations of curls in the squat rack. [img]smile.gif[/img] I remember in particular walking up to the bench to do some BB bench presses. I saw that all the guys around me had at least 185 pounds on their bench, so I figured I would start out light with a 45 on each side. I thought that I would pump out ten, and go from there.

Little did I know that I would have to drop the weight down to two scrawny little tens on each side. I felt so out of place and never thought that I would feel like I belong in a gym. It was obvious that the serious lifters in the gym felt the same way and didn’t take my drive or determination seriously.

They were very unwelcoming when it came to a beginner trying to achieve the same goals that they had once hoped for earlier in their life. Their understanding and support for a new guy that they could probably once identify with seemed to be lost in their distant memories. I worked out for 1 ½ hours a day, 6 days a week, for the next six months with good progress the first 4, but then it halted. Then I stumbled across the Men’s Health Forum and stumbled over to JP’s. I lurked for about a year and a half learning all I could about training and eating and following the advice the best I could.

Two years later those same guys that I thought were stronger than life are still next to me on the bench press. They have gotten a lot fatter than when I first met them, which I presume is from the McDonalds they eat in their car before they work out. We spend a lot of time around each other in the gym. Usually when I am doing dead lifts, they are in the rack next to me curling. They have worked their bench press up to about 200 now, and remind me of their achievement every rep with a loud overdone grunt. They did turn out to be pretty nice guys, and now put a lot of effort into discussing training with me. But I suppose that’s because I am now lifting 240, (with no grunt).

One thing that they did teach me is that you should always be nice to the new guy. No matter how strong you think you are, his determination might be stronger!

Thanks eveyone for all the info you have taught me.

[Irishdazza]

Excellent story....and the point is so true!

[gobbla]

congrats on the improvements! the guys that work up from the ground floor always have my respect.

[Terry Monk]

Excellent!!!! Great progress. I'm proud of ya!

[wtflestoppoules]

nice job marine, nothing else to say

[Lost Dog]

I remember a lot of those same things in my gym, just about two years ago, too.

Good reminder of the kind of gym-goers we should all be.

It's also good to look back at the progress you've made over the long haul, especially if you've seen a stall in your progress. It's long term that really counts.

Thanks for the reminders!

[MarkMero]

Nice job Marine. How have your stats altered in the last couple of years since you started?

[RacerBill]

Great post! I've had some very similar experiences, especially feeling self-conscious in the gym. I haven't worked my bench press up to 240, though! What a great accomplishment.

Thanks for sharing your story. It's great motivation!

[Alextown]

excellent my man. always good to hear the stories about people growing, and not just the muscles either.

[Deserve]

That's a good story and I suspect that it is similar to most people here. I know it is to mine.

[ichbinba]

awesome achievments, your story reminds eveyone to be nice and welcoming to newcomers, we were all there once!


BA

[Mahler]

Great story, MWE.
Everybody has to start somewhere and it's unfortunate that guys who have made progress forget their own beginnings.

Regardless of how much you lift;
how long you have been lifting it;
it's the man doing the lifting that makes the difference.

Thanks.

In Fitness & Friendship,
Mahler

[Chris Correia]

Wow, great progress, MWE. Your post is inspiring to me, since I feel I've spent a lot of spinning wheels (or stepping forward/sliding back)for the past 1 1/2 yrs since I started lifting. Congratulations on the progress. Reading that today pushes me to keep recommitting myself. Thanks!

[Q.]

Thanks for the great story!!! I'd bet we've all been down a similar path at some time and your point about being nice to the new person is an excellent one! Keep up the good work!