I'm just not some gym-bro like you see in various media and online. I hate that culture so bad that I've not set foot in a proper gym in something like 20 years. The cringe at seeing people pouting and posing in the mirror and into their phones was a thing even then.
Used to train with my Brother, and another time there we wanted a particular set of dumbells (15kg each I think they were). This one lad had the curls seat, and an arch with pretty much every set of dumbells there. He'd been going for something like 15 minutes, so my Brother goes and asks "can I use the 15s while you're not using them".
"I am using them!!" he barks. OK, we thought, we'll wait. But as we said this and walked away he insults my Brother "not like you can lift those anyway, with those tiny arms!"
C*nt.
After doing some other sets on other equipment, and some 40-bloody-minutes-later, dumbells are free. Everyone else was cool enough to let us have first dibs. My Brother stares at cnty who'd hogged the weights, picked up a set of 25s. Cnty looks back and smirks then his jaw drops as my Brother and me curl those weights for 10 reps.
You dont need insults. You dont need to shout and posture. Just lift. Thats the reality.
Helping others made us feel good too. I remember this young girl in there, maybe 21, university rower iirc. The guys hit on her all the fucking time. I think she thought we were a gay couple or something as we didnt try and chat her up. So we ended up spotting for her on the bench press. Holy fuck could she lift. She was small, but she was STRONG!
These days I do weights at home. I just use dumbells. I dont use as much these days either. 10kg in each hand for shoulder presses, upright rowing. 5kg for more aerobic styles and warm ups. I walk all day at work so dont feel I need to do too much more. I'm not and have never been physically big. I learned that strength doesnt go hand in hand with size.
Weight work gives you this kind of adrenaline feeling, not like flight or fight as such, but you feel a kind of buzz. The gentle burning sensation feels good. I can do this shit when watching the telly or a movie.
What do you guys do to stay active or feel good?
Lifting is fantastic and definitely gives me that “runners high” effect. Particularly kettlebells, there’s just something very cool about doing all these athletic movements with 62 lbs of iron wrapped around your forearm. The sort of “move your arm around the bell rather than the bell around your arm” thing of stuff like cleans and snatches just feels cool once you master it.
Circus lifts are fun too. I really enjoy figure eight based movements, slinging the bell between your legs from one hand to another and then back again in front of you is great fun. Flip swings are great too, but I need to do those over grass, still not good enough to not drop regularly.
But I will say there’s something very cool about powerlifting too. Loading down my shoulders with like 400+ lbs and squatting feels raw and primal. Also like instant ego death, you don’t think about anything but moving the weight.
Also, there’s a fitness com that’s not used often. You should definitely post more stories there.