Tuesday, December 18, 2007

I Eat Green Berets For Breakfast.

Recently, Zoidberg's partner in muscular crime, John Matrix, seems depressed at the gymnasium.


Maybe the logs are getting too heavy.

This is difficult for Zoids to imagine, because Matrix rules the squat rack with an iron fist and suitably embarrasses the myriad 1/4 squat weirdos that lilt grunting into our zone. Matrix has confessed that he doesn't feel as excited at the gym lately, instead of the rush of endorphins and other wondrous chemicals he feels ennui and a general lackadaisical malaise.

After careful consideration of the facts I have come to the conclusion that this is directly related to the fact that we exercise at 6pm at an awful gym, chock-full of man-turbos.

Matrix may try and attribute this indifference to the fact that our workouts seem boring lately, and a change may solve the problem but that would ignore the fact that the past few months have seen a tremendous increase the masses he lifts. The answer to this problem of indifference does not necessarily preclude the complete re-arrangement of an exercise regime, such a change would be deleterious to progress, hacking away gains made over the past few months. It would also not attack the problem at its source: bad gym.

Environment plays a crucial role in the enjoyment of exercise. If you are in a room that is not conducive to feats of strength, you will find your concentration, motivation, and purpose wane. I always find that my rowing performance suffers greatly when I erg at the gym on base, a tiny claustrophobic room where I face a plaster wall for 8x500M. It is not because I am lazy, or my workout is boring and needs a change, it is due to the fact that I want to row someplace where it is enjoyable.

"Ho HO there!" you say, "Surely your objective philosophy does not leave room for nurture vs. nature!"

To you I reply, "Go take a flying fuck at a rolling donut."

Yes, some people are blessed to have the unquestioning, unflagging impetus. These Hank Reardens are truly wondrous. However, some of us greatly benefit from being in an environment that allows the testosterone to flow more willingly. As much as I love deadlifts, when Ashlee Simpson floats over the sickly sweet breeze of a thousand turbodouche's Drakar Noire, I get crabby and indifferent.

Does this make me less of a committed lifter? Of course. It would be wrong for me to claim the same drive as someone who obviously needs no environmental influence. But we should work with the problem rather than continuing to drudge in and out of that awful gym, hoping that a squat rack won't be occupied by someone doing barbell calf-raises.

So what is the solution? Well, unfortunately we don't have the capital to create our own gym yet, but that will be forthcoming. Also, we can't exercise during the day as we pretend to have jobs. Perhaps a change of environment might be enough of a change of pace. My old stomping grounds, Bailey's Xroads, is not nearly as crowded and is populated by a more serious weightlifting crowd...at least it used to be...which might be enough of a difference to remind J-tox that he should not lower himself to feel influenced by the wastes of life.

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