Head...imploding...

As a guy, I naturally fear and loathe change. Its in my DNA. So this past Wednesday as we were watching a giant semi pull up at the gym with new equipment there wasn't quite the excitement from the members I was observing with. We began ticking off lists of equipment we hoped would stay, and then began to reassure ourselves by pointing out equipment we thought definitely needed to be replaced, and as such would be replaced, instead of stuff we used regularly.

Me, personally, I love Hammer Strength equipment. I always have, even back in the day before the surgeries and thyroid issues. One of the reasons I enjoy working out at this particular gym is because of the impressive array of Hammer machines they have. Make that had, as in past tense.

Even the pulley apparatus was swapped out. Everything that got replaced was done so with a brand of equipment from Life Fitness. And just about every piece of their equipment I've tried sucks. Its small, like it was designed for women. Thats cool if this were Curves, but its not. Yesterday I did chest and triceps, for example. My chest workout is mostly dumbbells except for decline presses. I use(d) the Hammer machine for declines. I'd rather use dumbbells but until I lose a bit more weight its hard for me to balance on the decline bench with dumbbells in my hand. Anyway...I used the LF version of the decline press and I barely fit in there. The range of motion was pretty fucked because it was set up kind of shallow and every rep I did I felt in my shoulders. That is not good.

Today was the bad one though. I missed Thursday cause I needed a rest so I just bumped Thursday's workout to yesterday and did yesterday's workout this morning. Today was back and biceps. Every machine, including the pulley apparatus, is now jacked. The grips are odd, the angles are bad, and the weight increments go by 15 and 20 instead of 5 and 10. Even the attachements for the apparatus are tiny, like toys. I was inspecting the one bit looking for a Fisher Price logo, my hands barely fit in there to do rows and its set up on an angle so when you're actually doing the movement your hand is pressed against the side of it. And the worst part is everything I did today for back hurt my shoulders. I have to find a way to completely rework my back routine or I'm going to have to find a new gym. This sucks. I had to cut my cardio off after 20 minutes because I seem to have pulled my left trap while lifting this morning and it hurt too badly to continue.

Aside from the previously nice equipment they sell supplements pretty cheap. Thats one reason I would hate to switch gyms.  You can get a 5lb jar of Syntha-6 or Myofusion protein for $50...they normally go for $70 at GNC.

I chatted with a few of the guys I know and most of them aren't overly fond of the new equipment either, and for the same reasons I'm having issues with it. The guy who works the desk overnight told me that all night long people were complaining to him about the new gear, that it was too small. He recommended I go to the gym's website (its a chain) and submit feedback there. I think its a good idea, I'm going to do that after I post this blog. The thing is while the guy who works there thinks they'd change stuff back, I'm not so sure. They had been advertising a half million dollar makeover to the place and if they spent that kind of money I don''t think they're going to pull the stuff out.