Have you ever thought of joining a gym? I didn't... 'til a short few years ago. I've never been much of an athlete, but rather a bit of a book worm. In high school and college (1971 BS in Electrical Engineering) I was the spitting image of the head geek (Skolnik) in the Revenge of the Nerds movie series. I had a high-A average, of course, throughout. I played Halfbench in High School soccer. Since college I've tried some outdoor activities like hiking, caving and rock climbing, wrapped a hang glider around a tree, done scuba diving, and have done some jogging throughout the years.

I first entered the Cotton Row Run and the Channel 31 Triathlon to get back in shape after a motorcycle wreck in '82. Work, school and home pressures took up all of my time then, and running got less frequent and the overweight got more pronounced, to the point where my back and knees were hurting during jogging. Finally, in 1987 I realized that I had to do something and joined Huntsville Gym for the aerobics classes. Why Huntsville Gym? Because you could pay by the month, without a contract. And I did pay by the month for the 4+ years I was there, too! I guess I thought that it was to be a temporary experience until I got back into shape. I now realize that working out at something or other is a lifelong experience.

At the gym, I took the Tuesday and Thursday aerobics class (only one class after work was available) for a couple of years, until the owner canceled it due to low attendance. Since I had paid my membership for that month, I then proceeded to mimic the big boys and lift some weights. Of course, I had no idea what I was doing, and tore myself up! I had tendenitis everywhere, and badly sprained my lower back. I consoled myself by muttering "no pain, no gain" over and over again. Keep in mind that this was before personal trainers became common. There were no personal trainers at Huntsville Gym. I did buy me a book or two... you know, the ones that are 90% pictures of Arnold flexing. These books have very little substance, and of course, no feedback. What's feedback got to do with lifting weight? Everything! The book can't look at you and take your personal and medical history, nor can it see you losing form, nor lifting too much weight too often for your history.

In any case, I blundered through workouts with the help of Chiropractors and Massage Therapists. I put up with the rage of big bad boys on steroids and other riffraff because there were also some real nice folks, like Buddy Peake and Dallas Terrell, from which I learned a lot.

What motivated me to continue those workouts past the first month for a couple of years at the gym? It was the discovery that I was growing muscles. Muscles! I had never had muscles before, and sure enough, look at them suckers in the mirror! Muscles! On me, even!

In January 1992 I realized I did need those aerobics classes and thus went shopping for another gym. I visited every gym in town and settled on Gold's Gym. It had just expanded and I found that Gold's had it all... the best aerobics program in the city, and enough machines and free weights for everyone there. I have to admit that seeing all those women there was a new experience, too, since Huntsville Gym was 99.9% men.

This time I signed the contract with no qualms, knowing by now that I was going for the long term. And wow, not only was there more than one employee at the gym, but there were these people that actually taught you how to lift, like Dallas Terrell. When I first met Dallas, I remember how unique it was to see a big boy actually smile instead of hearing him snarling at me to get out of his way. Even though you don't need a personal trainer to work out, I believe that personal trainers are very helpful to the beginners, keeping them out of trouble, and teaching them the right form from the very beginning. Dallas is also very helpful to the not-so-beginner by reminding us of things forgotten in the heat of the gym battle, by giving me his feedback, by introducing new ways to confuse the muscle and make it grow, and by keeping me in form during that last rep of the middle sets when I'm pushing with all I've got. He helps make the gym fun. He's been a super-"partner."

I like to go to the gym for motivation. At home, there is no motivation, but at the gym everybody there is lifting, grunting, running or moving in some way.

Being a regular at the gym has made me buy new shirts (from 15 1/2 Mediums to 19 XXLs in 8 years, and holding), and keeping my waist to a 36 (I've got to diet!).

Besides aerobics classes and weightlifting, I also constantly ride with the local bicycle club, ocassionally jog (but I hate it), and irregularly hike around my beautiful mountain area.

My long-term goal is to live a higher quality of life than my parents did.

The beginner gym person has an incredible array of resources at his/her disposal which was not available to me when I first started lifting. These include personal trainers; the better gyms, with more and better machines and more informed people; and seminars and workshops.

Unlike jogging, biking or hiking, I can go to the gym anytime during the year, rain or shine, hot or freezing cold, day or night, and have a great workout. The cost of a gym is about a buck a day... about the same as a cup of coffee and a newspaper in the morning. Personal trainers charge on a per-hour basis. I only wish I had started gym work earlier in life. I guess that I was unduly intimidated by the big boys and the slimmed gals. I shouldn't have been... There's a lot of regular folks, too. If you are thinking about a gym, don't hesitate as long as I did, come on in now!.

And good luck!