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For those of you who don't remember, I was insanely thin growing up. I was so skinny that even Urgie used to make fun of me. Seriously, Urgie of all people.
When I graduated high school, I was roughly the same height I am now (6'2"-6'3"), but I only weighed about 130 pounds. I could actually touch my thumb and middle finger around my upper arm where my shoulder and bicep meet.
It wasn't until six days after I turned 19 that I realized there wasn't going to come a day when I woke up and was bigger or stronger. If I wanted to improve my body, I was going to have to start working out.
This was a concept that terrified me since I was so far below the average when it came to physical strength, that I didn't want to look stupid or pathetic. But I told my brother I wanted to start going to the gym with him and he happily welcomed me. You see, my brother had been lifting weights since he was 19 and had competed in several bench press competitions, so I was lucky enough to have someone to help guide me toward my goals.
My first day (April 20, 1998), I went to Ultimate Physique in Lockport behind St. John's church. It was a Monday, so obviously it was chest day. Now Ultimate Physique in those days was a power lifting gym. There was chalk strewn everywhere, steroids ran rampant, and the floor in the dumbbell area was made up of shattered concrete due to the patrons dropping their weights after each set. Needless to say, I was intimidated by the place (I'll get to the intimidation later).
In an attempt to try to minimize the perception of my weakness, I decided to try and bench 95lbs. That's the bar with a 25lb. weight on each side. I only was able to get five reps. Reality set in that I was going to have to do less weight if I wanted to be able to do three sets of 10. So for the next few weeks I would bench 85lbs. to start my workout.
I remember one day GHD (His real name was Joel, and he was a guy who my brother and I would later go on to become friends with) standing over me as I was on the flat bench. He said: "C'mon Peter, let's go", "Get after it", and "C'mon, you got at least two more". I was only benching 85lbs., that's two 10lb. weights on each side. My brother was benching 405lbs for 10, and rather than having people scoff at the disparity between me and my workout partner, I was actually being encouraged.
That's when I realized, in a gym that was dedicated to power lifting, I hadn't encountered one person who was looking down on me or laughing at my expense. I had only received positive feedback and support from strangers who were all stronger than I was.
At the risk of bragging, today I've become one of the strongest people at whichever gym I attend. And I can honestly say that whenever I see a skinny or fat person trying to improve their life, I don't thumb my nose at them. Rather, I am willing to give them all the encouragement in the world. I want to shake their hand and tell them not to give up, because when I started I was in worse shape than them.
In fact, I can finally understand why so many people at Ultimate Physique were being supportive towards me when I started. It's because once you've made the gym an integral part of your life, you want to share that with as many people as possible.
Lifting weights has been the single best therapeutic decision of my life. What started as an attempt to improve my physical strength has evolved into a lifestyle that has given me more focus, energy, and an enhancement to the overall quality of my life. It's gotten me through the most difficult things the world has thrown at me.
Unless you've adopted the gym lifestyle, I'd probably have a better chance explaining the color red to a blind person than making you understand. That being said, do you really think I would want to discourage anyone from becoming involved with something I love and enjoy more than anything else in the world?
That's why I am constantly encouraging people to come to the gym with me, so they can improve themselves in a way they never imagined possible. I'm willing to be to other people what my brother was for me when I began.
That's also why I am so disgusted with Planet Fitness. Seriously, FUCK PLANET FITNESS! It claims to be a judgement free zone, but judges body builders and singles them out with a siren, calling them "lunks".
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Their commercials talk about gymtimidation. What the fuck is that? If you're so intimidated by people dropping weights or making noise when they push their bodies to their physiological limits, then you don't have the right mentality for fitness. Just drink your pop, eat your pizza, wear your crocs, and read your paper.
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I realized when I started lifting that any form of intimidation I faced was a product of my own making. Seriously, if I'm being intimidated by anything, it's a sign of weakness (physical or mental) on my part. You're pathetic if you blame external factors for making you feel bad.
It's just one of the many things that lifting weights has taught me over the years, and I can say without a doubt that bodybuilding has made me a better person; physically, mentally, & emotionally.
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