Health and Fitness: Power

[sabrinamari]

Last night I went to the gym with shaminin. I have my own home gym complete with a bench, a weight stack with upper and lower pulleys, a folding elliptical trainer and a full complement of Olympic and Standard plates and bars. My hyperextension machine lives in the backyard under a grill cover, but it's easy to use, especially in summer. My one regret is that there is no room for the squat rack. We've adapted a bench press rack to serve as a makeshift squat rack instead.

I use my home gym on most days, but every once in awhile I love to hit a real gym with shaminin. She goes to L.A. Fitness, and its endless floor of shining machines---the Nathan Petrelli machine, the Hammer Strength lat pulldown---are fun alternatives to my everyday routine.

But the best, the very best, is the giant free weights floor.

The free weights floor is packed with muscle men. They cram in together amongst the benches, plates and racks, competing for space and watching themselves in the mirror. Most are very young: 19, 25, maybe 27. When I walk in amongst them they look at me with amusement, with quirky, condescending looks. It's especially fun when shaminin or I are wearing pink tops or fluffy, perky hairbands. Then they look at us like we're crazy.


I love that.

There were quite a few people laughing at us last night.

I love it because I am luring them, luring them into discounting me, into dismissing me. I am smiling my sweet sweet smile and hopping along as if I'm a nutjob who's lost her way among the powerful and is just a bit too dim to notice. Yeah.

And then I stretch, and relax, and laugh out my joy, and together shaminin and I begin to play on the equipment: the hack squat that yields its deliciousness only to those who know the secrets of foot placement and ankle tilt---the alternate dumbbell curl that makes the biceps pop with only a tiny, millimeter-long twist of the wrist---the secrets of 20 years of weightlifting in a place that always feels like home.


And the condescending smiles become puzzled looks. And the puzzled looks become still faces. And the still faces become filled with respect.

I love feeling my power.

Comments

[warning-dca.livejournal.com]

You Rock Girl!

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

That's awesome. :)

I used to love in gym class when we would spend our sessions in the weight room, and I could leg press more than some of the football players in my class. Of course, that was the only area where I outshone anyone in gym class, but it was still fun. :)

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

Own that area of power, woman! Don't play it down. It's sweet like honey, and the satisfying feel of it can pull you through times when you don't feel particularly strong.

[catpaw67.livejournal.com]

Go girl! I love walking with people who've never walked with me before, esp guys. Cracks me up when they're like, hey, you have a LOT of endurance! You betcha, mister!

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

Hey, YOU pulled this trick on me when we first did the up-and-down fast walk by your house. I was thinking, OK, I should have brought my vest so it will be a real challenge, but NO!

It was hard, it was long and it was tough. I loved it, and I was filled with respect that you were doing it almost every day. I love walking with you, and I'm looking forward to days spent together where we push each other to claim even more power.

It's a big rush!

[tigira.livejournal.com]

Back before my arthritis days, I used to really enjoy doing similar things. The years of martial arts competitions helped, I'm sure.

The upshot of all that was that when I started the physical therapy for my hip, I already had the forms down, and it ended up that the therapist gave me the exercises, watched me do them once, and told me I had it. There was no, "Don't do this or that." It was also funny when she kept giving me heavier weights to do the exercises, saying that she doesn't even usually give them to recovering athletes.

Yeah, well, they're not me.

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

How cool...what a good feeling, to know that your years of training stay with you, in mind, in body memory and in self-discipline.

Hee hee: I feel vicarious pleasure in imagining it.

[radiant-one.livejournal.com]

Woman... YOU ROCK!

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

As do YOU.

[radiant-one.livejournal.com]

Thank you. But considering I looked up at my dust covered elliptical machine and turned away in embarrassment... need to start moving. Amazed at your level of work!

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

Radiant, I have assembled a set of tools and resources to help me get past moments exactly like this one---because I have them. I really do.

But I also have a fitness. self-improvement coaching program that fits my needs, a core of friends to work with me when I need them and a vast array of tools at my disposal. After 45 years, I've had more time to assemble my arsenal than have you.

That's 90% of the difference.

If you want this, you can have it.

You just have to want it badly enough.

[deboranter.livejournal.com]

what is this bicep thing you do?

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

I will show you. It's a classic standing alternate curl, except that when you reach the top of the repetition, you twist each wrist in slightly, leading with the pinky, to fully engage the muscle. It's an old-style body building trick.

[sligoe.livejournal.com]

Yes---that sounds awesome! I'll have to break out my son's old dumbbells---just the thing to get started.

[sligoe.livejournal.com]

I used to run down my sister's ex-husband, who ran track in school. He was always amazed that I could run so fast---and he used to provoke me just so he could see if I would catch him. I always did. (grin) Not bad for a woman who has never been thin in her entire life!

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

Good job, woman! You know what you are capable of!

[sligoe.livejournal.com]

Thank you, love---the best part is that I am still discovering that I am capable of many new things!

[justusgirlz.livejournal.com]

Can't wait to join you in the workouts - I know I'll get pummeled at first - but then, someday I'll be *strong*!

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

You'll be living with a home gym. By the way, would you consider taking on a roommate to live in one of the extra rooms when you arrive? shaminin would like to talk with you about the possibilty. The apartment can accomodate two and still have a "closet room" to spare.

[justusgirlz.livejournal.com]

:D Yeppers!

Give her my contact info - email, phone, all that - and we'll get this worked out!

Hugs!

[puckmls.livejournal.com]

It's sad that men still don't take women seriously in certain venues. It's great that you showed those men that you were *real*, and wonderful that you earned their respect.

In the last months, I've gotten off track with my personal fitness, and I feel bad about that -- but having you and C and others for support is a big help.

And I just love being able to lift the 40-pound water bottles for our water dispenser at work, and put them in place with precise control. :-D

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

Yay---woman of strength and power!

I love that effect!

[doverider.livejournal.com]

People just don't expect that I have all this power. Like when I can lifted a 200lb+ elliptial machine out of a basement and into my car. Especially when the guy with me couldn't do it.

Or the time when I carried a huge wardrobe into the house with a neighbor who said "your stronger than my room-mate!!"

Someday, maybe we'll get to 'show off' together!!

I recently

Re: I love that effect!

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

I'd love that.

Go you!

[flamespirit.livejournal.com]

I love this post....was giggling just picturing their faces :-)

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

Yeah. :)

Most of them are good guys. They're just young and focus too much on the packaging, rather than its contents.

[shakti-lemaris.livejournal.com]

Heh. Excellent.

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

Come with me sometime.

You're on

[shakti-lemaris.livejournal.com]

Next time I'm in your neck of the woods it is a date.