8 Weeks of Pain: Pink Gloves

Not all the folks that come to work out at the Chris Frye gym have nicknames like “El Dingo Loco” or the “Leprechaun.” Testosterone is ever-present at the gym, but mixed in with the 140-pound Prowler sled and the ultimate fighters grunting in the multi-sided cage in the corner are pink boxing gloves. Pink boxing gloves that are used by 10-year old girls who come to the gym to work out, learn to shadowbox and, it is hoped, beat the crud out of any 10-year old boy who messes with them. Watching them makes me smile, and it makes me smile now just thinking about it.

As the father of 3-year-old and 7-month-old girls, I have become very aware of girls, especially ones just older than my own. What they wear, how they carry themselves, and what they talk about. I can’t help but try to imagine what my two will look like when they are 10, and wonder whether they would work out in a gym like Chris Frye’s. I would hope so.
The girls I saw were shadowboxing furiously, coached by Daniel, one of Chris’ instructors, in the art of the punch. They were amazingly focused in their workout of pounding air. Because I have yet to lose my inner 10-year old, I had to test their determination. Between my own sets on the Prowler, I mimicked their patterns of cross, jab and uppercut. And surprisingly my goofiness was met with no reaction. No giggles, smiles or even a smirk, for these girls this was a serious time to learn, get in shape and gain confidence in their athletic abilities.

That, or these girls had already learned to ignore 10-year old boys.

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

~ Todd Trimakas