A Vision Quest: The Blog of a Big Loser to Win

Health Club in Auburn WA Challenges Hartzell's Nine Whine List

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Confession time.  Here is the nine whine list of Big Loser Mike:

1. Don't like exercise.  Boring.
2. Don't like exercise machines.  intimidating.
3. Don't like health clubs.  Have to get healthy.
4. Don't like sweating.  Gets smelly.
5. Don't like muscle pain.  Or any pain for that matter.
6. Definitely don't like counting calories.  How much?  When?
7. Don't like being the person with the lightest weights.
8. Don't like being publicly unable to lift, push, pull.
9. Don't like pushy trainers who want to pump...me up.

This must be why people don't refer to me as jock.  It might also be why I am better with people things.  Marketing, Math, Management.  People, Purpose, Profit.  Computers, Collaboration, Connection.  These are all good words I can relate with. 

Here I am, almost at the end of two weeks, and I am beginning to note some issues with my dislike list.  Not sure why. 

Looking around the health club it appears my workout area is filled with regular folks.   

I do not feel but the slightest muscle pain each morning.  That makes me smile.

The sweating seems to be temporary.  Who knew? 

There are about eight televisions to watch while doing what they call cardio and a little gadget to connect microphones at each cardio machine.  It's time to bring a few audio books on an mp3 player into the health club.

Jim (class leader) seems to always be there having a class of some sort.  I am astounded at his ability to keep going and do the chants.  His ability to keep moving is a show in and of itself as he leads people in a rhythm of movement while keeping beat to the music.  How does he breathe, exercise and count / talk out loud all at the same time?  Amazing!

No one seems to care that the weights I am lifting are less than an eight year old could pump.  Guess they have their own weights to bear.  (pun intended)

Thus far I am puzzled.  Since I have spent so many years avoiding this health club environment because of what I call the nine whine list, what did I miss?  Seems like my nine whine list is more like a lame game?  Maybe.

Regardless of the weigh in on Thursday night I have doubled the amount of time before I am out of breath on the LifeCycle machine. (Too embarrassed to share what that is.)  I have increased the resistance and number of "reps" on the weight machines.  All that and still only the very slightest of muscle soreness.  (Again, too embarrassed to share the light weight.)

What could be in those supplements, I wonder?  

Time to start a new nine whine list.  Vision Quest seems to have broken my view of health and fitness clubs and I can no longer use the old list as a defense.  

I started on the first day wondering why I was pooped out after 6 minutes and dragging butt.  Only two weeks in and while I am no superman, it is good to feel like there is something good happening.

Take-Aways.

• Burn the Nine Whine List.
• Things are not always as they appear.
• Just 'cause people are crying on TV when working out doesn't mean that is real life.  (Oh yeah... TV is always like that.)
• Keep going.  Don't waste it.  Every day matters.
• The next two weeks I think I can do better.