Running With The Big Dogs At The Gym

by Randy on September 2, 2008 · Comments

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Sometimes I worry that I am the character Brad Pitt will be playing in the upcoming film Burn After Reading. Granted I need to lose a lot of weight and overhaul my face to look like him but … that goofy temperament altered by an iPod? ::: sucking air through my teeth ::: yeah … that could be little bit of me.

Now, thankfully I lost that hair style a few years ago. ::: whew :::

I really like my iPod and will admit to catching myself jammin’ out to Mary J. Blige’s hit Just Fine a little too vigorously while on the elliptical machine.

It’s just simply the best song *ever* for cardio. Getting swept up in music is the only way I can get through cardio.

Yesterday, I went to work out and was doing upper back and biceps. I went over to the free weight area, because ::: swaggering ::: that’s where all the big dog’s in the gym go to work out their guns. This is what it looked like (please allow for a *tad* bit of embellishment):

To my left there was a nine foot black man in a BRIGHT ORANGE tank top and short dreads. He was shoulder pressing dumb bells that were bigger than most people’s first home. Next to him was Ken, a.k.a. Mr. Ken Doll, who looked like a Norwegian god doing bicep curls with two small cars. Ken was wearing BRIGHT GREEN t-shirt. The contrast between his and Mr. Dreads ORANGE shirt was starting to cause a migraine. So I looked to my right and saw Bionic Barbie chest pressing dumb bells I am not even sure I could lift off of the rack. Was she wearing pink? You betchya’. However, it wasn’t fluorescent like Dreads and Ken.

Now, I am only making part of the following up. I stood there in all black, sweating profusely, looking a little pasty because I was near the end of my weight training for the day. I didn’t even notice everything around me until I saw that I was mouthing all the words to Fergilicious out loud, “…my body stay vicious. I be up in da’ gym jus’ workin’ on my fitness…” Which also brought an awareness that my bicep curls of 25 lbs was causing the exact same anguished look on my face as I noticed on all the other Wonder Kids around me. It was in that moment I knew I was running with the Big Dog’s.

::: happy :::

Ok… I wasn’t making up the pasty skinned, wet with sweat, dressed in all black thing. I was lifting a little more weight than 25 lbs and I wasn’t really mouthing all the words to Fergilicious. I think I was actually lip synching all the words to a One Republic song or something. But the point is I am not Mr. Olympian and it doesn’t matter. After a lifetime of being overweight, I have yo-yo’d in weight-wise in the past few years. There are different reasons for that (read: lotsastress + Ireallyreallylovefood = Fat Randy).

Regardless, I am content today and very happy to be back into an exercise routine. I am not Mr. Olympian but … in Christ (truly, not just saying it) I feel like a Wonder Kid regardless of outward appearances. It’s this inner understanding that brings the strength of personal security and overall contentment.

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Viewing 12 Comments

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    That's so true!

    I find the same to be true for me.
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    As far as personal security while trying to live a healthy well balanced life.
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    Im laughing sooo out loud!

    We are so much alike. Its amazing. I love to eat. Mary J is my favorite. Just Fine is cool - but "Stay Down"..... wow! That song! Actually - that whole album. (I bought it for "Just Fine") My iPod is glued to my body. It amazes me that you can listen to Mary J, watch Micheal's Billie Jean music video, listen to Dave Ramsey talk about money advise, and look at your entire photo collection all on the same device.

    Ive learned that it really does work if you add working out to eating right. Carbs are really bad for guys like us- sweets - sugar - donuts - lots of bread - lots of ice cream - all that fun stuff! Best are eggs, oatmeal, Cheerios, chicken breasts, TUNA, (yes I know) ...... and salad. Do that 5-6 times a day in small portions with regular work outs and .... POOF! It does get better. Oh - I just bought a brand new cross trainer bike that is soooo cool! It set me back over 400 which is alot for a bike!!! But sooo worth it. Cardio on the go that doesnt make u feel like a hamster is way more fun!

    I look forward to the day when Chirst returns and our new bodies arrive and POW - my six pack is finally fun to FLEX! :)

    Until then......

    I need to get to the gym .....and be workng on my fitness. :)

    Jay
    2 Cor. 5:17
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    I know, iPods are definitely revolutionary in their impact on modern entertainment.

    And yes, I know about the eating right too. But I have yo-yo'd because of bad eating AND legalism. For me, eating was (still a struggle) very much like the sin and law dynamic instead of abiding in grace dynamic. So, I am taking what I have learned over the past few years and implementing it in ways that I can truly live with it. The bad/good thing about legalism is, if I do it right, it has immediate impact but it doesn't bring joy or really last. I started hating it when whole lunch conversations would turn into discussions about what the rules of the diet was instead of fellowshipping with friends.

    I have been doing a personal "grace" approach to eating and I have lost about 15 pounds in six weeks. BUT, I am back on the same level of weight training I was on when I dropped off the gym radar last summer. As a matter of fact, I have only weighed myself twice during that time. And I am very cool with that. I know I am losing weight, eating much better and enjoying it.

    Congrats on the new bike! ... now get to da' gym. :)
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    oh and I am very glad to have brought a smile to your face!
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    Yeah, we can't be friends anymore. You listen to Fergie. I'll pray for you though. Really, really pray. Maybe even fast. :)
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    Why do people hate Fergie? That's a somewhat serious question. I am personally tired of pop princesses. And like them all, she isn't a good role model. But she is odd so that is why if she flashes across the tv screen I listen.

    Back to the point. I have heard serious artists (like you) and serious music lovers (like you) really trounce Fergie. So, why is that?
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    I can sum it up in 10 words: my humps/my humps/my humps/my lovely lady lumps.
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    ::: laughing ::: I totally forgot about that song. Ok... fair enough.
    • ^
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    Wondering if my comment had been thought of as being spam!

    Anyways, I had a good laugh at the comments on this blog posting. ...my humps/my humps.......uh .....

    I'm kinda out of touch with secular music these days. I listen to soaking type worship more often. Kinda like Jason Upton. It's kinda not even close to Fergie.
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    I like Jason Upton. He did a great job ministering at our conference a few years ago.
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    He's one of my favorite worship leaders. I've actually never heard him live. With worship leaders like Jason Upton. There is almost always something missing on a CD even if it's recorded live. I especially like some of what he has to say. I think he has a way of ministering the father's heart.

    But I have to say, I'm not one of those who judge people who listen to secular music.

    I went through a period of time where I had to distance myself from secular music and secular TV programming only because of what I was watching and listening to. Not that it was bad or anything, it just didn't help me.

    Just prior to entering the Living Waters program a few years ago I sat watching the L-Word. I actually had never sat through an entire episode of the show but it had been while watching part of one episode where I asked myself the question, how badly do I want to change?

    It was like this.... it had been over 10 years since I had come to believe that healing and freedom from homosexuality was possible. I honestly have to credit the fact that I was exposed to Exodus and Love Won Out very early in life. Prior to making any choices I always knew of an alternative to embracing a lesbian identity. But I walked through some pretty extreme discouragement having experienced no real change in the amount of time where I expected to have had some kind of change.

    But then the thought came to mind that perhaps I hadn't really been as committed as I previously thought.

    And so I applied to become a Participant of Living Waters. And I stopped watching TV and listening to secular music for 1 year. And I grew out of touch with secular music and TV.

    And eventually I came to believe that my journey is less about changing my sexual orientation and more about being a disciple of Jesus Christ whereby change no matter how big or small is a by-product of being in a relationship with Jesus. It's been 15 years since I've been on this particular journey. I don't regret the decision that I've made. I don't know if things would have been different had I been able to get the support that I have today much earlier. But for the most part I've been on my own, reading books by authors I don't know, learning from authors and speakers I don't know.

    The turning point was when I went to an Exodus Conference in Toronto a number of years ago. During a lunch hour I once sat with folks like Sy Rogers, and Pat Lawrence, the Director of Exodus Global Alliance and her family. As well as a few others who shared their testimony during that conference. That was a turning point because I could see very real people who no doubt have experienced a real journey with Jesus with real change in their lives. If I'm going to believe what a person says, if I'm going to place any weight behind what a person teaches then I want to see that person walk out and live what they are teaching. When I had lunch with these folk during an Exodus conference I could tell these people were walking out and living what they were teaching.

    Sometimes we need to make sacrifices to get to where we really want to get to. And for me, I grew out of touch with secular music which that really doesn't bother me. Honestly, I didn't even know that Fergie existed until I read through your blog post.
 

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