8 Weeks of Pain: Culture Shock

I have a confession to make. I’ve missed a couple sessions with Chris Frye. I know, it’s bad.

The missed workouts were for good reasons, or at least, good enough. One was because we were going to the Clemson football game in Death Valley, and the other because I had this magazine to get out the door. Two valid reasons, I hope.

I did try to make it up by re-creating a Chris Frye workout, outside of Chris’ gym at my “normal” gym that I went to before I started working out with Frye. Going in I knew it’d only be so good without the bald one encouraging me loudly. But I could try.

I drive over to my gym on Morehead, swipe my card and immediately notice a difference. There is very little noise. The music isn’t thumping with an encouraging beat, and no one seems to be racking weights or grunting from exertion. Of course there are no massive tractor tires to flip or the Prowler to push; instead, there are people talking on their cell phones and reading magazines while using a stair climber. What are they doing? This isn’t exercise; it’s more of a lounge with plenty of TVs and a tanning bed in the corner. Wow, I’ve only been gone for a handful of weeks but it seems so very tame now. I really had no idea.

I start working out. I push myself as hard as I can. Bench, to pull-up, to windshield wiper and then back to bench. Then the dreaded dead lift to bent-over row to clean to overhead press to squat to good morning. Sweating profusely I start to groan with effort, and at the same time start to get looks from the folks lounging. Maybe curiosity, maybe just checking out the odd bald dude sweating in the corner, but I definitely feel a bit out of place. I finish up my workout and get out of there. As I’m walking to the car I wonder whether I’m going to be able to come back here for what used to be my “normal” workout. Maybe I’ll be able to if I can roll in my own 5-foot-tall tractor tire.

See more at Chris’s Gym www.chris-frye.com

~ Todd Trimakas