Nostalgia

[MTgirl]

Some of you know a bit of my background. Others don't, so I'll be brief.

I was raised by my dad. He was heavy into powerlifting, strongman and did a few highland games comps to wear the kilt . He competed in the world police and fire games and placed nationally. It was unusual for men to be raising their kids back in the 80's and I went everywhere with him. My dad was my lifting coach in high school and I had a seperate coach for swimming. Got a full ride to college for swimming and won my states PL'ing comp when I was 17. So there's the background on me.

Fast forward to now. My dad is in his mid 60's and still lifts, although does not compete. He is opening an open to the public gym in Oct and build out starts soon. We've been looking at equipment and I got all weepy eyed wondering where the good ole days of gym equipment had gone.

I was taught to lift in a gym with no cardio equipment, duct tape holding the pads together and some of the equipment still had the old fashioned chains. Concrete floors, chalk everywhere and no air conditioning. I didn't grow up in MT, but I grew up in the south and it was hot and humid!!!! The owner frowned upon headphones because he believed that you needed to listen to your spotter, not the music in your head. So now i'm looking at cardio equipment with built in tv's, machines with built in computers, and every bell and whistle known to man.

I'm exasperated by everything that makes excersice convenient and froo-froo and wondering what happened to the good ole' days of lifting.

Sorry all if this is long, just feeling old and nostalgic today.

 

[Zeek]

You are hardcore MT!!!! I love those old time gym!! Now half of the gyms or more are treadmills. Oh well not everyone has the same goals so I will just respect it and go with the times.

Wonderful background!!! I love it sis

 

[MTgirl]

Ya know, I do cardio on the eliptical from time to time and enjoy the ability to let my mind wander. I don't understand wanting to be constantly immersed in the media. But then, we don't subscribe to TV and I don't have a computer at home. Guess I'm an odd duck.

 

[LeanHerm]

I know the feeling times have changed but great story mt .

 

[PFM]

We are all going to benefit from you here Mt. You are truly an asset to this board.

 

[Cobra Strike]

cfm quit flirting!!!

Great story mt...But I dont want to give up my ac lol

 

[Georgia]

MT is awesome

 

[cokezero]

I too grew up in what we call a sweat box gym. No ac, front door open and the smell of sweat for miles. We had 1 bike and a black guy got on it everyday but no one else ever touched it. Over half the guys there competed and it was nothing to see Coleman or someone like him to walk in. I catch myself telling stories of the good old days too. I have to work out at anytime fitness now ( what a joke) but I live out in the country and I have no options. I even bought some equiptment to put in the gym cause it was so lame. So I am right there with you mt. I turn off every tv in the gym when I get there. You come to my gym to freaking train or get out of my way. I hate everyone that takes there cell phone to the gym and slides their freaking finger across that screen! if you want to jack around stay at the playground. If you want to workout then start lifting!!!! That felt good to get off my chest.

 

[Whackor]

Great background story MT. Similar backgrounds.. my father raised 4 girls in the mid 60's to current day.

I go to 2 different gyms. One is like you speak of with REAL equipment... which some still have the chains. Pure workout there using muscle and not intended to be an ergonomic lazy way to work out.

The other one is a social gym that makes me aggrivated at the texting, giggleing, standing in clicques gossiping nimrods and horrible explicit music they play. ( I can handle the MF'er words no problem, it's the other rap bullshit I hate hearing) Only benefit to that one is it's 2 blocks from home and I can walk/job there and back.

 

[MTgirl]

I wanted to add that I have no issues with what motivates people to excercise. More power to them if they want to watch CNN while they walk on the treadmill. It's not my thing, but I was amazed at the weight machines wher you insert this plastic card and it tell you what weight and how many reps to do. It's so impersonal. I miss the days of commroderie and having a partner to motivate you. The technological "advances" to machines amaze me. Also how complicated they are to use when it's overkill. I mean people new to working out could really be turned off to that. After all these years of machines it still just comes down to push, pull, squat, stand, extend, retract. You shouldn't need a degree in computer science to excercise.

 

[grizzldsealpoacher]

Great story girl , I also worked out in a sweat box growing up no AC 100 degrees in the summer with one big ass fan that was it. Your hands would be orange from the rust on the plates ! lol good times

 

[oldschool67]

hey mt, im with you girl!! great story and sounds familiar, minus the dad part, but oldschool hears ya, keep the shit simple i say!

 

[oldschool67]

I too grew up in what we call a sweat box gym. No ac, front door open and the smell of sweat for miles. We had 1 bike and a black guy got on it everyday but no one else ever touched it. Over half the guys there competed and it was nothing to see Coleman or someone like him to walk in. I catch myself telling stories of the good old days too. I have to work out at anytime fitness now ( what a joke) but I live out in the country and I have no options. I even bought some equiptment to put in the gym cause it was so lame. So I am right there with you mt. I turn off every tv in the gym when I get there. You come to my gym to freaking train or get out of my way. I hate everyone that takes there cell phone to the gym and slides their freaking finger across that screen! if you want to jack around stay at the playground. If you want to workout then start lifting!!!! That felt good to get off my chest.

amen cokezero!!

 

[Georgia]

Being from a small town our schools weight rooms were shit. I remember in high school when I really worked out for sports. Our weight room was about 15 feet wide by 20 feet long. Very, very cramp. Had 3 bench press stations and a squat rack. No free weights...only other thing in there was a lower back extension, hamstring curl station, and quad extension station.

Very small...very, very old equipment with rust on it. A separate building from the main school that just had a window AC unit that we cut on when we went in there....didn't help cause in Georgia it would be 105 degrees inside that room...took about 30+ minutes to really even feel to A/C to begin working cause it was old as hell too.

I lost more weight in that weight room just by sitting in there than I ever did running or on any treadmill

 

[Pikiki]

MT nice story and we all happy to had you here

 

[CLSMTH700]

must admit im guilty of listening to talk radio or podcasts on my phone while working out.

However, cool story and sounds like you and your dad have a very unique relationship. very nice. maybe you guys can keep a certain edge to the gym. gl

 

[Georgia]

Drives me nuts when I ask a guy for a spot and he is too busy listening in to his ear buds. Have to scream and basically go tap his damn shoulder. There aren't a lot of guys at the gym when I go and I go as heavy as possible...so when I need someone I need someone....don't like losing my voice just to get a spot

 

[CLSMTH700]

i have mine low enough and im pretty alert/aware of my surrounding in general ... im not the type to let a guy next to me choke on his weights lol

Drives me nuts when I ask a guy for a spot and he is too busy listening in to his ear buds. Have to scream and basically go tap his damn shoulder. There aren't a lot of guys at the gym when I go and I go as heavy as possible...so when I need someone I need someone....don't like losing my voice just to get a spot

 

[Georgia]

Yeah...a lot of the young high school boys will be blaring it so loud...bobbing their head...I've asked for a spot one time from a young kid and never again...after spotting me one set he'll go over and blare again and I'd have to flag him down again. BLAHHHH.

 

[CLSMTH700]

Yeah...a lot of the young high school boys will be blaring it so loud...bobbing their head...I've asked for a spot one time from a young kid and never again...after spotting me one set he'll go over and blare again and I'd have to flag him down again. BLAHHHH.

dude you raise a great issue. bad spotters are my pet peeve & suck/are morons. lol there is clearly an obviously right and wrong way to spot and yet so many get it wrong ....