March 19, 2020 was the last day I went into my gym to train. As I write this, that would be 3 whole months without me stepping back into it. Over the course of these past few months, I’ve been lucky enough to have a small home gym, so my training actually wasn’t disrupted too badly. I was even able to make pretty decent progress comparable to what I would have done if I was going to my gym normally. Yeah it sucked not having all the fancy gym equipment and machines, my gym even recently got remodeled with all brand new equipment. And even though I missed using all the fun new machines, I found it was something else that I missed even more…
The Community
The gym itself is one of my favorite places to be. Yeah a lot of times I have time constraints on how long I can be there or some days I try to just get in and out, but I’ve also been known to be there for a few hours at a time. I love being at a place where everyone is there for one common goal when you break it down to the most simplistic version. To be better than they were yesterday. It doesn’t matter if it was pro bodybuilder getting ready for a show, a teenager trying to put on some muscle for the first time, or a soccer mom coming in to try and shed a few pounds so she can feel confident out by her pool, each person is trying to be a little better than they were the day before. And you can really feel that camaraderie when you're there. Like I’ve said before in another article, You’re More Likely to Make a Friend, I don't know what kind of individuals these people are outside of the gym, but while they are there, they are brothers and sisters in iron. Everyone carries themselves in a way that shows respect for one another and most even provide a helping hand when they can.
I’m the first to admit, sometimes I would be at the gym way too long because I would talk to so many people while I’m there. But it isn’t the conversations I miss either. There was also the mutual respect of the late night crowd when I used to go train after class during graduate school or just had a hectic day and couldn’t make it there until late. We may not have said much to each other other than “hello” and had our headphones in the rest of the time, but there was something about training hard late at night. When most people are already in bed, we were able to look around and have that nod of respect that others were burning the candle at both ends as well.
So even though I’m super stoked to come back and use a normal barbell, smooth cables, and fixed dumbbell set, I’m also excited to be in the atmosphere again. Seeing people’s posts on social media are one thing, but it’s another to see someone in person smash a new PR on deadlifts, overhear a conversation how someone is down 10lbs, and just physically witness people changing their lives every day. Not that I ever really took the gym for granted before, but I feel like this extended time away is going to ingrain my love for it even more. Even though I go there to improve myself, being there makes me feel like I’m part of something bigger… A Community dedicated to being the best versions of themselves that they can be day in and day out.