Train-n-Tri: I Need BLINDERS to go to the Gym!

It's really hard for me to go to the gym and not cringe.

As a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer, I see people at the gym doing the wrong things ALL the time.

I try to ignore them and tune into me and what I am doing.

After all, when I go to the gym it ONLY is to use the pool, or the dreadmill when it is raining, or the elliptical because my knee is bothering me. I would rather be swimming at Lake Perris

run outside along the Gage Canal

or Victoria Avenue

and I would rather ride anywhere outside then in the gym.

But I don't like to ride in the rain.

I lift weights in my garage gym and I despise the machines at the gym.

(don't get me started on the machines)

You will never find me inside the gym unless it is a necessity.

I don't even train my clients in a gym.

I train them in their homes or outside.

Today I wanted to put in some miles on land and in the water, and since I am still babying my right knee (I still curse laundry), I thought I would get some miles on the elliptical and then swim.

I did grab my ipod shuffle, but at the gym I noticed it was out of charge.

DRAT! DRAT! and DOUBLE DRAT!!

With music I could lose myself in the tunes, but without them I needed something to entertain myself while I churned my legs on the elliptical machine.

BORING!

(especially without music)

So, what do I start doing?

I start people watching.

BIG MISTAKE!!!

I notice ALL the things people are doing wrong.

I keep moving on my machine and try to look away.

It's like trying to look away from a train wreck.

So don't look at the next picture

Did you look?

See, that's how I am at the gym. I can't help but look.

Until today I have bit my tongue.

I barely made it through my BORING elliptical workout.

I jumped on the dreadmill for my last mile just to give me something different to do.

I thought the new scenery

a wall

would keep me from seeing idiots on the verge of injury.

I jumped off the dreadmill and kept my eyes on my feet as I made my way to the locker room to change into my swimsuit for my swim.

I was in the pool and breathing a sigh of relief.

After all, I figure no one can really hurt themselves in the pool. People may not have the best swim form, but I have never seen anyone about to injure themselves by swimming. And swimming too slow doing the backstroke does not count as injury. Oh, you know you have seen those people.

Unless someone is actually drowning, there is not much danger of injuring yourself in the pool.

That's what I thought.

I was wrong!

WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG

An idiot can find a way to hurt themselves in a pool.

(scene)

I had a lane to myself for my first 1000 yards.

Then this guy eased himself into my lane.

I tried to ignore him and swam another lap hoping he would get the silent message and move to another lane.

No such luck.

He was still there against the wall.

Mid-20's, body-builder guy.

I noticed he had those weird aqua fit gloves on his hands.

He asked if I would share the lane.

(I wonder what would happen if I said "NO!" I may try that some time.)

I said okay and asked him if he wanted to circle swim or split the lane.

He said we should split the lane because I was TOO FAST for his swimming.

I swear that is exactly what he said. I was TOO FAST!!!!

That made me feel really good and I almost started to float on a cloud...

but I was quickly brought back to the pool when he said he was slow because he was recuperating from a shoulder injury and was just going to be slowly breast stroking.

"You have a shoulder injury?" I asked him, with what I am sure was a face that looked kind of like this.

And I couldn't hold back.

"If you have a shoulder injury, the last thing you should be doing is swimming with those paddles," I told him.

"What? The trainer in there told me to swim with these to build up my shoulders and doing in the pool wouldn't hurt it," he said.

"Look, if you have a shoulder injury the worse thing you could do is put those paddles on your hands and swim. They make MORE resistance," I told him.

"Really?" he looked at me, with one eyebrow raised.

Okay, so he wasn't the rock. He was younger and he didn't have much clothes on. He always didn't have sunglasses...at least, I don't think he did.

"Those paddles make MORE resistance...that means they will put MORE pressure on your shoulders. And if you have a shoulder injury, you are CRAZY to use those, " I said. "Take them off and save your shoulders."

And I couldn't take it anymore.

Sometimes I do need to go to the gym to train myself.

I don't want to have to avoid the gym.