Matt Brundage

Pumping irony

I joined a gym with Annie a few weeks ago with the hopes of losing a bit of weight. But I’ve seen my weight creep up lately and I can’t explain why. 193 · 196 · 200 · 202… What’s going on? Could it possibly be that I’m gaining muscle mass without losing fat? I heard that Brad Pitt actually gained 20lbs while preparing for his role in Troy, and Hilary Swank gained 19lbs while training for her role in Million Dollar Baby — so even if I do make it to 210lbs, I can still rationalize it.

The gym is a sad place — at least the one I frequent. My county has a series of rec centers with weight lifting and other gym equipment. The gyms aren’t well known, and aren’t used by many. I’m in virtual seclusion half the time, and thus I’m missing one element of working out — competition. I’m one to believe that collective participation definitely raises intensity levels. When I go home, I pass a well-lit Bally Total Fitness and can see scores of people running like hamsters on their treadmills. They’re probably trying a bit harder than I am, if only because they’re concerned that they’re not going as fast as the people beside them.

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