Groundwork 10/2

My first thought upon entering the gym was, wow, it’s been awhile. I hadn’t set foot inside a gym in years and being there amidst these muscular men was a bit intimidating. Every one of the men in there were ripped, a term that apparently means, very muscular and defined. My questions still focus on trying to figure out if there is a deeper reason why these men are here so often. Do they want to look better? Do they want to be healthier? Or, is this an unhealthy obsession.

The setup is that there are two different rooms. The larger room that is in plain view from the outside of the gym is where the weight machines are…the heavy lifting. The smaller room to the left has treadmills, an exercise ball, and some ellipticals; the type of things you would expect a woman to use, yet they seemed untouched. The atmosphere feels much more like a man’s world. Mirrors are on every wall in the large room, except the side that faces the street outside, in which case a large window replaces the mirrors. Driving by, one can see into the gym very easily.

I am definitely an outsider at this gym. I know nothing about how to operate the weight machines. I don’t look like I belong. My 5’8” 110 pound frame simply looks out of place. Words are thrown around that made no sense to me until I got up the nerve to talk to some of the men there. Also, I’m certain that I appeared nervous and out of place to those observing me.