Weight a Minute

As part of my new-me campaign, I decided to do more exercising, but didn't want to spend winter hours in the basement on the treadmill and exercising alone, so I joined the local Y. Good deal I think, reasonable monthly fee, no contract, and lots of group exercises.

One is a bodybuilding class, with free weights. I know little about them, and thought it would be good to get some guidance. So I went today. I was a bit taken aback by the fact that not only was the instructor a woman, but so was everyone else in the class, including some literal little old ladies. Makes sense in a way, since it was midday, though there are lots of old male geezers running around in the building. Just not in that class. I began to wonder if it was for me, or if it was more for body-shaping stuff. Too girly.

The instructor assured me otherwise, and helped me pick out my free weights. She looked at me and at the chart, and gave me the beginner male weights. I was tempted to play macho and say, nah, give me the bigger ones but common decency (and common sense) prevailed.

And I am glad I listened. It's a lot of work for someone not accustomed to it, and my impression was that this must be what I avoided when I lucked out of the army draft back in the late '60s. I realized that I have rarely pushed myself out of my physical comfort zone, and this was getting close. The instructor began to take on the mien of a demanding DI, and I considered quitting as my body began to complain, but that stupid macho self -- the part that remained -- forbade that. Fool that I am, I had placed myself in the middle of the class instead of at some back edge, so quitting would mean packing it up in front of all those women, who I presumed were laughing at me anyway. So I toughed it out till the bitter end.

I hurt a bit and am more than a bit physically tired, but I will go back on Friday. I need that, and maybe that will make it easier to do the intellectual side of things, like get back to my books.