The Nerd at the Gym

I love family gatherings because my cousin, a personal trainer, always brings the funniest stories to share with us.  Recently, he told us about this really scrawny guy who had started coming to the gym on a regular basis.  At first, he followed my cousin’s advice and increased his weight-lifting gradually.  But one day, a beautiful girl walked into the gym and the nerd wanted to impress her.  He ran to his locker and came out with his tiny muscles all oiled up. He then grabbed a hundred-pound barbell and attempted to lift it over his head. The barbell slipped and crashed into the window – shattering it to pieces. Luckily, no one was hurt and even the nerd eventually though it was funny, but the gym had to cordon off the area and call an emergency glass replacement service.

The nerd made several mistakes that day. First of all, he tried to lift something that was way too heavy for him without a spotter.  Secondly, his hands were oily.  He should have washed them and then used powder or chalk to make sure he could get a good grip.   He literally paid for his error by footing the bill for the emergency glass replacement.  The repair company came quickly to board up the area and clean up the shards.  They returned after hours to replace the window, and the next day the gym looked good as new.  

It took a few days for the nerd to work up the courage to return to the gym.  The trainers teased him about the whole incident and he earned a new nickname: the Incredible Hulk. With my cousin’s help, he learned how to train safely and properly. Within a year, he had built up a lot of muscle and loved his new look, but he could never enter the gym without thinking about the glass replacement incident.