I had just finished showering after my P.E swim class and I was wearing nothing but a towel, which was around my waist. Then some of the boys in the changing room had dared me to run out and back without “getting busted’ by one of our teachers.
Not being the sharpest tool in the shed, I accepted that challenge and sprinted out of the changing room at the speed of light. However, little did I realize at the time that one of my class mates was in hot pursuit.
He then caught me and before I could react, he had ripped the towel from around my waist. And there I was, standing outside the changing room, all alone and very exposed.
I quickly grabbed my towel and covered up my private parts while all the other boys were laughing at me about my lack of ‘size.’ That moment I felt a level humiliation that I’d never experienced before.
Several years following this incident, I was hanging out with one of my good buddies after we both finished high school. We were talking a bunch of smack while laughing hysterically and then out of the clear blue sky, he had a request.
“Lift up your shirt.” He said
“Why” I asked.
The look he gave me suggested I do it or else, so I did.
“Mate, you really need to hit the gym.” He said.
The very next day I joined a gym and began my iron journey because a little ridicule and humiliation does go a long way. However, that wasn’t my only reason for lifting weights. Some of my other reasons were
- I was sick of being pushed around
- I wanted some attention from the opposite sex
- I wanted to get bigger
- I was sick of other people fighting my battles because I couldn’t defend myself
And if it wasn’t for those two moments, I probably wouldn’t be a personal trainer and I wouldn’t be helping people to be better versions of themselves in and out of the gym. Furthermore, I wouldn’t be addicted to coffee and tracksuit pants but that’s a story for another time.
Lifting weights has provided me with a suit of armor that I strap on each morning to face the world. When things are spinning out of control, I always have the barbell to look forward to.
Wrapping up
Exercise has provided me with a profession, an outlet for my frustrations and allows me to be a healthy role model to my clients, family and friends. Exercise has given me so much and has asked for so little in return.
Why do you exercise?
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