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Friday, October 27, 2017

The Reality of the Fitness World - By Sutinder Mann


I came across an article in which a drug user outlined their experience of training with and without drugs. It got me thinking about the difference between physical culture and the fitness world and I wanted to communicate that to the widest audience and not just those of us who labour under heavy iron. I wanted my prose to get through to those who have not lifted and appreciate our situation. So below is my humble attempt:

A Tale of Two Neighbours.

Joe and Bob live on the ground floor of a High rise apartment building. Both decide to get into shape and come to the conclusion that the most convenient way would be to use the stairs in the building.

Joe would leave his apartment in the morning before work and start climbing the stairs rather quickly, holding the hand rail and once he had a few flights done, puffing and panting, he would take the lift back down to the bottom floor. Having caught his breath he’d return none the worse for wear to his apartment room to take a shower.

Bob would also leave his apartment before work and hit the stairs, but he did not hold the handrail, instead he worked to keep balanced and moved a lot slower to avoid falling. When Bob got as far as he could (which was fewer flights than Joe) he would turn back puffing and panting, and painfully walk again unsupported down the flights to his apartment, for a shower.

Both enjoyed the exercise and did more steps each session. Joe was able to follow his program of stair climbing almost every day but Bob often had to have a few days off to recover from his stair climbing sessions. In time Bob was climbing to a considerable height, however still far behind Joe.

There was a young woman called Jessica who lived on the mid-level apartment floor who also decided to start climbing stairs a few weeks after her ground floor neighbours. One morning as she started on her climb, she met Bob huffing and panting on the way up and they had an exchange.

Jessica: Nice to meet another stair climber. Hi, I’m Jessica.

Bob: Hello….erh…nice to meet you…..mine’s Bob.

Jessica: You near this floor?

Bob: Phew!....No, ground floor.

Jessica: Arhh just like Joe!

Bob: Yeah.

Jessica: Isn’t Joe incredible? I’ve been seeing him on his way up.

Bob: Yeah….I guess….Well I’ve got to go down now.

Jessica: What already?

Bob: Yeah….Bye.

Bob made his painful steps back downstairs. As he reached the ground floor he hears the ping of the lift doors opening and he sees a smiling Joe strolling out.

Joe: Oh hey, Bob.

Bob: Hello Joe. What’s got you so happy?

Joe: I’ve got a date tonight with Jessica upstairs.

Bob: Cute blonde?

Joe: Yeah, have you met her?

Bob: Yeah briefly.

Joe: Bob you look shattered. You know you can use the lift down, it’s much easier.

Bob: No shortcuts for me. I want to do it under my own steam.

Joe: Have it your way.

As they walked back to their rooms Bob shrugged and thought to himself “My way’s the right way”.

Rather left field I guess but let me explain, as I mentioned earlier my inspiration was based upon an article I came across in which a drug user outlined the main difference between natural training and steroid use. The main gist was he could train an intense squat session and feel fine the next day, as if he had not squatted at all, whereas the same session done without drugs destroyed him totally for a few days. Also the drugs gave him an artificial mental focus and drive in the gym. From reading that I virtually lost all respect for steroid users.

Drug users do not suffer for their growth as we do. When we experience the exhilaration of hard training we know the next day or so we will wake up suffering somewhat, being sore and tired but we know that is the price we are willing to pay for physically bettering ourselves. We do not fool ourselves thinking that you can get something for nothing. We do not fear this suffering but embrace it as part of the physical culture lifestyle. We train and suffer like the Bodybuilders of the pre drug era. Their achievements in muscle and strength astonish and inspire us to this day because we know they truly earned it.

As the Bobs of this world we are climbing to achieve more muscle and strength; unlike the Joes we won’t hold the stair rail or take the easy ride to recovery. We are realising our God given potential naturally, and it is truly “the right way”.




Editor's Note: Great article Stind! My ending of this story would continue with Joe catching an STD and quitting training completely in his thirties. Bob continued to train and improve for the rest of his long healthy and happy life.