Champions in your gym

[Kyle Aaron]

Some like to talk about idiots in the gym. That's good for a laugh, but I would rather talk about champions in the gym, people whose exercise performance and progress impress and inspire you.

So?

[Kyle Aaron]

I am impressed and inspired by a young woman who had a stroke some time in her 20s, and as part of her rehab did a lot of weight training, now she competes in shotput. She is one of only four women in the gym training for serious strength, though of course her training is specialised for athletics.

I am impressed and inspired by a former client Stacey, who went from being able to do 3 knee pushups very roughly at 75kg and 30% bodyfat to 69kg and 20%, powercleaning (roughly) and then front squatting for some reps 75kg, and able to put 40kg overhead.

Anyone else?

[dmaipa]

Good thread..

Every so often when I'm working out in the morning, there is a young man in a wheel chair in the gym. He's probably around my age. He was in a car accident and is paralyzed from the waist down. He has no use of his left hand, and has also suffered some brain injury. Still he's in the gym doing weights. One of the people that helps him with his rehab mentioned to me he loves the gym.

It's inspires me when I'm lifting and see him strapping a handle to his left wrist and grabbing the other handle with his right hand to do an exercise. Him being so close to my age makes me feel blessed that I can do what I do. I remember one time he told me that I'm a strong guy, and I told him I'm trying to catch up to him..he just laughed and we shook hands. But whenever he's in there, I have great workouts.

[Jaskarn]

even better thread then mines can't say anything cause i workout at home

[Abaddon]

Sadly I'm a home trainer, and it's been a long while since I was in a gym. But I used to train alongside a couple in their late 50s, both of whom had physiques better than most people in their 20s!

They'd been together since their late teens, had both battled cancer of one type or another, along with being generally unhealthy for many years.

It took a doctor's stern advice, but the pair of them made a radical change to their lifestyle about a decade before I met them.

As far as I know, they're both still owning the squat rack and turning heads. And it was people like them that had me charged up and returning to the gym night after night, even at times when I was feeling at my lowest.

That's the kind of righteous power training has, and what I like to read and share.

Great thread Kyle!

[BendtheBar]

I don't go to commercial gyms often, but when I do my heroes are the ones mucking it out in the corners, dressed in crappy clothes, not caring how they look or are perceived, there to put in work.

There are plenty of these folks at every gym. They are big and strong, yet have never set foot on a forum, never digested the over-complication that constantly surrounds us, and have (for their own benefit) followed a system of training that they have believed in for years, never looking back.

Sure, I am oversimplifying things to a degree. But it still fires me up to see people mucking it out, moving forward one workout at a time. It reminds me that hard work with any system usually pays off.

[Spartigus]

I see this elderly guy at my gym, he must be over 50, he is built and strong!! He was repping out deadlifts with over 150kg raw like it was light weights! I love seeing stuff like that!

Its great when you see the same people at the gym every week, they are dedicated to working hard, they may not be the biggest or strongest people, but they have a lot of heart, and thats what counts.

[big_swede]

Theres a guy in his 50's were i lift, one of the few guys that dont annoys me actuallty. He only works the barbell, dumbbell and kettlebells, doing the squat, deadlift, powerclean, snatch and variations of those. He use to help me to spot errors in my form wich is much appriciated, hes a champion.

[BendtheBar]

My black cat Piggy Piggs is a champion. She is fascinated by watching me lift and grunt, and comes down to the basement with me every time I workout.

[bigtim27]

My wife inspires me. She is all about lifting weights and not your typical girlie girl. She is getting serious about competing now as well and has a meeting tomorrow with Dave Pulcinella to coach her.