Imus
4.2.2k7

So I join the gym in Venice Beach USA and it turns out this is the place that bodybuilding became a ... ahem ... "sport." In no way am I there to build body ... I'm there to run some on the treadmill, run some on the elliptical machine, ride a bike for a five-mile sprint uphill or for 10 miles without stopping and to do enough weight work and stretching so that I'm not a total noodle man. I have to tell you that I've had several false-starts at gyms over the past few years, but for some known and some unknown reasons, this time seems to have stuck. I can address the known reasons, as the unknown are ... you guessed it ... unknown.
The birthplace of bodybuilding is a funny place to go. They're still doing it there - bodybuilding that is. You got the funny carnival strongman one-piece being sported by a huge bald guy with a handlebar moustache. The poster-boy strongman, yes indeed. There's one over there, another over there and four more throughout the place. I think it's hilarious. There's normal joes, like me. Not so funny, but kinda comforting, because in numbers, the skinny semi-in-shape folks aren't overrun by the guys that flex in the mirror, pausing only to talk to their biceps and sometimes kiss them. NO SHIT.
I'd say a lot of the big huge muscle-bound people are in some sort of trance to get big and stay big. Some might be pro or semi-pro athletes. Some that stretch themselves like pretzels are just showing off. Some might not be. More than half of the people draw attention to themselves by grunting, groaning, dancing around with barbells, shouting at the jerk they're spotting or some such related behavior.
I go anonymous by plugging into the iPod and whether it's on or off act like its on and don't respond to people that try to talk to me no matter what. I'm mostly not hassled by the cartoon characters or wannabe LA Clipper cheerleaders, but when they do open and move their mouths, I ignore. I don't even hear the front desk people say hello or goodbye. It's a strange hour of the day.

Hulk Hogan was there the other day. That was pretty cool.

Tonight - The Attic.

Here's tonight's: Find the Reference!


bye-ee!

whrr ... clik!