Michael: The Gym

Black pearl waters
Shallow and still; where green eyes
Touch the earth to cry.

Monday, December 13, 2015

Gyms are fishbowls and people’s big eyes scare me, so I’ve never been a gym member. But all my equipment is in storage, Kimme wants to go to the gym and I can’t find a kettle bell heavier than 30 lbs. here, so we’ve started to go to the gym twice a week.

It actually hasn’t been so bad. We tried the gym months ago but it was small and cramped and we weren’t getting a good vibe from the well muscled owner/trainer. But he recently moved to a much larger space and an ex-pat put in a good word for him, so we thought we’d give it another try.

The gym now occupies about 500 sq. ft. of the second floor of a very nice building on the outskirts of Volcan. It’s very light with two walls of windows that provide plenty of light. The owner hasn’t brought in any new equipment, so it’s still very old fashioned with a row of 5 stationary bikes to warm up on, a few Universal machines, free weights, kettle bells, and resistance bands and straps. There is no equipment that requires electricity but there is a boom box in the back pumping out English and Spanish music with a heavy beat.

In the few weeks we’ve been going, there’s never been more than 5 people in there, and with more space to operate and an all around better environment, the trainer and we are both more comfortable together this go round. In fact,  he’s been very happy to suggest exercises and demonstrate proper technique to Kimme. Right now I’m just happy to be swinging a 35 lb. kettle bell. Once I can get a heavier one for home use, I may then ask him to help me develop a free weight routine and do my kettle bell work at home.

But as soon as I have all of my equipment from the states and the space to work out, I’ll probably still leap out of the new and improved fish bowl and head to my own little private corner where I can grunt or squeal without worrying about anyone looking at me funny.