Extinction of the "Iron Pit"

Every city had one, buried in the bowels of an old hotel or in a rented piece of warehouse space along the docks.

This place was sanctuary for all that entered; yet feared or questioned by those who would not take that first step within it’s walls.

I am talking about the now fabled “Iron Pit”. A damp musty room, with the scent of linament and sweat filling the air.

No mirrors, and only low light that made the wall posters of Arnold, Lou and Boyer even more majestic.

There would be heavy metal music playing in an old 8-track player that is covered in years of chalk dust. Nestled beside it would be the 40 cup coffee perker that managed to make up the most hideous brew known to man; yet you wouldn’t dare begin any workout without a cup or two of this magic ellixer.

The room is full of home made eqipment,mixed matched plates and dumbells .With buckets full of rusty chains near every bench press.A few kettlebells and medicine balls will be found in a corner,never used but somehow they got there.

Strangely what you did “not” find were bosu balls, fit sits, swiss balls, treadmills,stairmasters or an elyptical trainer.No Starbucks coffee or protein shake juice bars.

Then how can it be that argueably the best bodies of the last century could be created in these dungeons?

The Babyboomers or in this case the active ones better known as the Zoomers with all their marketing savy re-shaped the very existence of the gym.

Their ploy worked by creating large commercial gyms with lifetime memberships. Remember those????

Full of chrome plated machines, with well placed lighting that makes you look amazing in the wall to wall mirrors.Thousands of square feet of pulley style equipment, to make lifting easier for you.

I hope you realize this is an oxymoron.Please re-read if you missed it the first time.

In order for the body to change it must be placed under a load or tension that it can not adapt to. Not by trying to make the weight easier to move.

Calgary gyms have faired no better, the large corporate chrome “spas”, with their country club feel have all but enhillated the essence of what it means to work out.

Its about the feeling of accomplishment you get when it’s you against a weight and you overcome it; not wether you scored the last shower coat in the spa gym after kicking that bosu balls ass!

2 Responses to “ Extinction of the "Iron Pit" ”

1. ArianaPRUT says:

   May 13, 2009 at 5:50 am

   I really liked this post. Can I copy it to my site? Thank you in advance.
2. PamelaZoth says:

   May 23, 2009 at 9:24 am

   Great point and very interesting food for thought. I’m not sure I have any clients I can replicate this with, but will bear in mind for the future. Regards