Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
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The Weight Room
The importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is something that just about everyone has heard many times! When talking about people’s fitness goals people are all over the board in their progress. Some just want to stay in shape, cut, bulk, keep their parents/ partner off their back, and many more. Working out is one of my top priorities in college and I have had the opportunity to see many people in the weight room in my 2.5 years at Cal Poly. Also, I forgot to mention that Cal Poly SLO maintains one of the nicest rec centers in the country, and with that being said depending on what time of day it is, it can get quite crowded with many different workout routines. Equipment can be a dogfight to get, and those stress levels can potentially rise as people are on a limited time clock. However, I am writing these to inform all of you about seven types of people I see in the weight room most often and some products and clothes to rock if you want to look like everyone else. Now I understand that many people may have different opinions, some may agree or disagree and that is what drives an authentic conversation. To anyone that is on the fence about getting in the gym at Cal Poly, I encourage you to try out the awesome gym equipment and the various weight rooms in the rec center and share your experience with me! Just as iron sharpens iron, we sharpen each other and we need to look out for our fellow Mustangs and inform the rest of the country about the vibe at the Cal Poly recreational center.
1. Muscle Tank brothers- Based on my calculations this group makes up approximately 8.3% of people who attend the gym regularly. This group makes up the “T” in the SWOT analysis to any fitness company that makes tanks. This talented group will take their shirts down to the last thread (literally). Wearing a tank top to the gym is child’s play for this group instead, they will custom make that tank where less is more, meaning show less of the shirt and more of the body. These bros will cut their shirts to where the width of the back of their shirt is about one inch. This group follows the philosophy that people are there to see their “shredded backs”, “Swoll Shoulders” or “ripped arms”. You can find these gentlemen sprinkled throughout the gym, with pre-workout shakes nearby.
2. Mirrors- Great song by Justin Timberlake, but unfortunately some people have a special spot for these at the gym. When doing exercises with dumbbells or a cable cross machine, the equipment required for these exercises is simple. However, there is a vast group of people that require a mirror to carry out the exercise. Now you may think I need this to make sure my form is correct, but the mirror squad does not utilize that philosophy. Instead, they believe that the mirror is just as important as the weights they use to make sure they can check themselves out while getting a pump in, and after they finish their set, their eye muscles can get a 30-second stare at the flexed muscles they just worked, and the best part is you can find this group in front of any mirror, most common in front of other people who use mirrors to check to make sure their form is right. If you are lucky the Mirrors squad might be roll up their sleeves or stick their butt out as a way to let others and themselves know how much work they are putting in.
3. The Sheriffs in town- Cal Poly has students who work at the rec center and they can easily be identified by the Black Polo shirts they wear. Lucky for us if we forget that they are the only ones in the gym that wear polos, the back of their shirts says their position on it. I tend to believe that their job is to make sure everything runs smoothly and to make sure the rules are being followed at the gym. People do not think they workout when they are on duty, but actually, they are constantly on the grind, which is to make sure their posture is on point. This is done so they can let everyone know who the sheriffs are, and they will stop you mid pump if you are doing something that is not correct in their eyes. The Sheriffs can be found sprinkled throughout the weight room, but any Gatorade, gum, even food that is going right in your backpack once you check-in is not allowed, and you have a date with a sheriff so can sass you about why it is not allowed and will not listen to what you have to say! Lastly, when trying new exercises and new machines one may not know how to work the machine properly and that is perfectly okay, as it might be good that they are trying something outside of their comfort zone, but in the Sheriff’s eyes if they see someone who is struggling how to use a machine they will simply pinch their shoulder blades, maybe shrug and keep on moving.
4. Phone magnet- Listening to music actually can have a positive impact on your pump, however, checking social media and texting friends about the upcoming party and all the emojis that go with it are yet to be discovered. People at the gym waste so much time texting and checking their phone in between sets is ridiculous. Some people spend well over 15% of their workout time checking their phones and therefore can hurt their overall pump and workout. Also, if you are a phone magnet it is okay, I do not judge, however, I do recommend trying airplane mode so that Spotify still works and you are not tempted to check it all the time. More importantly, lots of people are waiting to use the bench or those 35-pound dumbbells especially when people are waiting, tell Sally to wait 5 minutes until you are done with the exercise and that way the gym flow for everyone keeps moving.
5. Richard Sherman- Got to love Richard Sherman! Stanford Grad, who wants to leave the NFL better than he found it, does a lot for the community, family guy, overall great person. For those who are unaware of his profession, he is a cornerback in the NFL whose job is to cause havoc when opponents are on offense. He is known for playing some of the best man coverage defense in the entire NFL. However, the Cal Poly weight room is not a time to unleash your inner Richard Sherman. What do I mean by this? When someone is working out, in the zone, or setting their PR do not stand right next to them. When someone is using the cable machines, standing right next to them doing curls is not the move when there is ample space in either direction. Sometimes if they want the machine next they will make their presence known and stand right next to you until you are done. This is a crazy one but it very well exists.
6. The party recap team- At Cal Poly I am not in a fraternity, as I have nothing against them at all, honestly some of my closest friends are in them. However, if you ever want to hear about how a formal, dayger, Dye tournament, or any other Fraternity event feel free to come to the weight room before 5 pm Monday- Wednesday, and workout near a small group of dudes who can easily be identified wearing one of their fraternity shirts to hear all about the events that happened over the weekend. If you are in town for only Thursday or Friday do not worry, you can hear about all of the upcoming events that are going down on the weekend! Having full-on conversations while working out is a concept that some fraternity brothers have mastered!
7. StairMaster Row- By far one, if not the most iconic area of the rec center at Cal Poly. The ultimate body toner machine is often filled at capacity during prime hours of operation. These people have immaculate strides, the veterans all move in sync, one foot in front of the other, poised eyes with a calm approach. I think there are about four other machines on StairMaster row but they are inferior and therefore do not get any mention. If you are trying to hit lower body this is the prime location, as all of the machines to improve the glutes are within a few steps of each other. You would be surprised how popular the glutes are to some people at the gym. However, you will not find the party recap team anywhere close, as the StairMaster Row platinum members take pact to go grind mode when working on this machine and the AirPods are in throughout the whole duration of the workout. However, do not worry if you have a desire to talk with one of the members don’t fear as they will eventually make their way over to grab a mat to start their ab workout.
I just want to shout out to five brands who have hit it out of the park at Cal Poly. These products/brands can be found multiple times in one minute. However, due to the vast number of windows Cal Poly has at the rec center I decided to include an item that I see all over campus whenever I look outside while I am working out.
- Apple AirPods/ AirPods pro
- Blender Bottle
- Lululemon
- Hydroflask 32 oz bottle
- Patagonia quarter-zip jackets
Now I hope you found my list to be insightful and I do encourage any of you to include some of the types of people you find at your local gym in the comments!
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The X Factor
Some things you just can not coach. Everyone has unique gifts, but some people just use them in indescribable ways. Sometimes to discover what one is made of, you have to take a chance. So I rolled the dice, and when I looked to see what the result was, I instantly was intrigued. Ladies and gentlemen, I realized that a skill I have developed the most by taking some chances in life is my passion for people. I had no idea where this skill came from so I decided to throw the clock back, and figure out how it all started.
Having a passion for people and that heart to constantly build relationships stemmed from my constant involvement with sports. I have been playing basketball well over half my life and by playing hoops, I am forced to be communicating. It’s easy to say that basketball is a team game, but to be truly successful that team must identify what everyone’s strengths are and how to utilize those skills accordingly to most benefit the team. I have always been a firm believer that everyone has a place on a team, that regardless of having a “superstar” of a team, that team still needs the rest of its soldiers to fight. Team chemistry is so important to me, as I typically am a floor general when I play the game, always looking to see how can I get everyone involved. First things first, one must have heart. In basketball, it is playing hard, communicating, and staying poised even when things aren’t going the way you may want them to. In life or the work field, it is about establishing team chemistry and knowing how to use leadership to maintain high morale and to accomplish challenging tasks promptly. I firmly believe that the best results come when everyone is working together and locked into one another. As they say, a punch, where all the fingers are closed together in the same direction is a lot more powerful than a slap, where the fingers are going in different ways. I am that glue that ensures that everyone is going together. Additionally, the core values that I bring to the workforce and can sharpen for others include accountability, communication, hard work, coachable, and a constant learner. High energy and staying positive are vastly underrated. Every day is an opportunity to learn and by maintaining high energy and positivity, it can allow others to fuel off of it, and therefore push people to discover new limits. At the end of the day, I am an X factor with a unique skill set but works hard to make sure the team is going forward even when there is a storm coming. I rolled the dice, now it’s your turn… Let’s go after it!
To the Mamba
“Heros come and go, but legends are forever”. What does it mean to be a legend? Well everyone, this past week just about the entire world witnessed the legacy and mentality one legend left behind. That legend is none other than Kobe Jellybean Bryant. The social media world broke last Monday as people are still putting the pieces back together. The ripple effect touched millions of lives including mine. My ripple effect went on a journey which started in disbelief. This phase lasted for about 24 hours. Sunday I was shook, Kobe was in the news not even a day before that, as he congratulated Lebron James for passing him on the all-time scoring list. Kobe was my superhero, and superheros are not suppose to die. Next, I entered a stage of questioning, as I began to question every little thing about the accident. Whether it was the accident itself, or why God wanted to test my faith this way. After this I went into the state of being lost. From seeing almost every sports organization, talk show host, artist, actor, athlete, the city of Los Angeles, and many more express how much Kobe meant in their lives and how they are who they are because of Kobe. Who knew that four letters put together could lock in people in so deeply.
I then started to reflect how Kobe was influential in my own life, and the effects he has had on my own life. Basketball became a huge part of who I am, and all my fellow hoopers can agree that at one point people were either on Team Lebron or Team Kobe. That was the talk on the playground, people shooting fade away jump shots into hoops or paper balls into garbage cans. Everybody knew that if someone wore number 24, that they had to of had serious game. Next, as I got older I admired Kobe for his tremendous work ethic and how he created and immortalized the Mamba Mentality. This Mamba mentality became a lifestyle as to always win the day, to strive to always improve and most importantly to never settle in all aspects of life. Kobe inspired me not to compare myself to others but rather focus on becoming the best version of myself, and to never say “what if”. He became obsessed with what he did and wanted to always gain an advantage. From shaving millimeters off his shoes to be quicker than others, to practicing at times without a basketball, and always negotiating with his mind to find more strength, he refused to take a day off. Through my basketball career that meant sacrificing sleep, to sharpen my craft, and to never take anything for granted. Kobe of course did not stop there. There is no quit with Kobe. He retired from the game of basketball in 2016 but my love for Kobe only got deeper. As obsessed as Kobe was at basketball, his true passion came off court. Yes he won an Oscar, and started many business ventures, but he was also a father to four daughters and a loving husband. This is where the Mamba Mentality evolved, as he wanted to be the best dad and husband he could be. During his playing days, two of his daughters were in their prime elementary years and he made it a mission to maintain maximum energy despite having hours of practice, and fought to do whatever his daughters wanted to, because his love was so deep for them. Waking up two hours early to get everything done before taking his daughter to school was something he never hesitated to do, because he knew how valuable time was, and that message once again slapped me in the face after he left earth last Sunday. He opened my eyes to the importance of time, and to always strive to better relationships, be a family man, and know where true happiness comes from. The day he died, he was at church at 7am, with his daughter and that brings me joy in knowing that despite not knowing what was in store that day, he praised the Lord with his daughter, and always made God a priority. He is the reason I wear Nike as much as I do. He provided me with 21 years of joy and inspired to keep fighting as his motivational videos are something I always watch as they fire me up before a big event. I simply say thank you Black Mamba for motivating and encouraging me to be the best version of myself, and for showing the world what true love is, in all aspects of life!
Just A Guy Named Eric 