Why would I make this 72 year old woman do this?

Why would I make this 72 year old woman do this?

It was a dark; send shivers up my spine 43 degrees on my way to work Monday morning. I was headed to begin my day 5:30am at the gym, the group was warm and ready, the circuit was set, off we went.

Station after station we trained the lower body as is custom every Monday, followed up by 5 different core stations. Gasping for breath, everyone was working from the bottom of their gut to find the strength, balance and endurance to complete the intense, 30 to 45 second  sets and even the gym windows were in sync with us, as they were foggy, holding the sweat of my group.

And then she arrived at the free bar squat station.

Underneath she went, placing the bar on the meaty part of her back with me standing behind her and proceeded to lift the bar off the rack.

Pulling away from the rack and working hard to get her grounding and balance, she fell down. Ugh.

The landing was 80% onto me with (thank God), a softer landing on the floor.

The gym fell into a thundering silence, eyes averted our way and a split second passed in my head filled with an unspoken, “I can’t believe that just happened, I hope she’s alright, whew….she plopped on her good hip, she’s embarrassed, people are looking……..we’re getting up right now and doing it AGAIN, she will not leave today feeling unaccomplished, no friggin way.”

Up we went, spending 30 seconds straightening up her shirt and as I looked into her eyes they were filled with fear and a sparkle and underneath the bar she stepped again. She indeed was shaken, and I wasn’t about to allow any more time to pass. She was physically un-injured, “now plant those feet, lock your shoulders down and into your back pockets, brace your belly, trust your strength and pick up that bar 3…2…1 hit it.”

And she did.

With the rest of my group watching holding their breath and afraid for her, she whipped out 45 seconds of solid, grounded, quality squats, with the free bar, itself weighing 50lbs and longer than what she’s used to, with an additional 25lbs. of plates on each side and again, on the free bar, not the supporting Smith rack.

At the end of that set she walked away triumphant and unafraid.

Why would I make this 72 year old woman do this?

• Because I knew she could
• Because we feed the human spirit
• Because we believe the only limitations are the ones we place on ourselves
• Because she’s strong of physical body and mental body
• Because she wanted to do it. She could have cowered and refused.
•  Because she refuses to live with regret.

If you don’t know who I’m talking about yet, it’s the amazing Joy Rogers.

She is turning 73 years old this year and everyone could take a lesson from her. She’s powerful and is up for everything, and after:

• Meeting her for the first time about 10 years ago as she came to take my cardio kick class at the La Habra LA Fitness
• Then moving into my fitness yoga class
• Watching her improve in balance, coordination and strength
• Taking ballet classes
• Traveling to the Brea Community Center for more classes (when I was still working there)
• AND THEN SHE HAD A HIP REPLACEMENT
• Came to train with me at Brown Chiropractic post her rehab therapy.
• IT WAS THERE she gained a new momentum and then
• She then switched gyms to 24 Hour Fitness coming to my cycle classes
• And taking Body Pump
• Then the La Habra 10K
• Then doing the Camp Pendleton Mud Run
• And the San Diego Marine Boot Camp Challenge

 

and 80 jumps from an airplane, I’d say she’s in love with the human spirit.

The human spirit is what we train here

It’s where desire, belief and action result in the dream.

It’s where dedication and a soul-searching drive is applied and through discipline (doing what you know you need to do, to get the desired result…..whether you want to or not), the human spirit is continually refreshed, and challenged again, until one finds who they “really” are:  worthy and deserving of all things great, once believed unattainable.

Joy knows this, and each time she comes in to train when all she wanted to do was stay in bed, (as she has shared with me and I personally have felt a time or two), she is continually developing her already sparkly, joyful spirit.

We train from the gut.

We train out the anger and disbelief and instill pride, passion and the desire to care for one’s self outside of training.

Come train with us here, and know this option here is also available.

See it like being approached by a walking frog (yes, a walking on-all-fours frog), with a crown and a big red balloon attached around its neck. He’s pulling a small wagon with a covered, silver platter in it. Here he comes waddling up to you and stops at your feet with an adjustment to his gait and now he’s hopping to the back of the wagon. Dropping open the tailgate he hops up and shoves the silver platter onto the ground and still intact, he pushes it to your feet and motions you to open it. Inside you find the Training Punch Cards– -a GREAT option.

 

Annette

 

P.S. I just created the frog, crown, platter & balloon story because it made me laugh.   🙂