BREAKING TRADITION, I RETURNED TO LIFTING FROM A 10 YR. LAYOFF AS A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION HOPING TO RETURN AT LEAST SOME WHAT TO HIGH SCHOOL SHAPE. POP AND PARENTING HAD GOTTEN THE BETTER OF ME AND SINCE I HATE RUNNING, WEIGHT TRAINING WON THE DAY AND YEARS TO FOLLOW.
AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF SPINNING MY WHEELS, MY FAMILY HAD A MAJOR LIFE CHANGE MOVING FROM FROM RURAL NEW ENGLAND TO THE SUBURBS OF KANSAS CITY. AFTER SETTLING IN I HIT THE JACKPOT AND FOUND A GREAT GYM WITH EVEN BETTER PEOPLE. AND WITH THE HELP OF THE MANY NEW FRIENDS I MADE I DIPPED MY TOES IN COMPETITIVE BODYBUILDING, BUT SOON DISCOVERED THAT POWERLIFTING WAS A FAR BETTER MATCH AND A LOVE AFFAIR WAS BORN.
SADLY, DUE TO THE BARRAGE OF BOX FITNESS CENTERS, THE GYMS I HAD COME TO LOVE DISAPPEARED AND OUR FRIENDS SCATTERED. I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE DO WITH THESE GLOBO GYMS, BUT FOUND THE PASSION AND RESPECT THAT I WAS ACCUSTOM TO HAD ALSO FALLEN VICTIM TO THIS PLAGUE. SO, AFTER SOME TIME SPINNING MY WHEELS AND MY LOVE FOR TRAINING BEING REPLACED BY FRUSTRATION, I HAD AN EPIPHANY! IF I COULDN’T FIND A GYM THAT I ENJOYED AND HAD ALL THE ELEMENTS I DESIRED, WHY NOT START ONE I DID. THE FORGE WAS BORN.
A GYM BUILT AROUND INTEGRITY AND COMMUNITY. A GYM WHERE EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR NAME AND TREATS YOU LIKE A FRIEND. FROM THERE WE ADDED THE DETAILS, EQUIPMENT AND POLICIES THAT LINED UP WITH OUR VISION. WE WANTED THE FORGE TO BE UNIQUE NOT ONLY IN MISSION BUT ATMOSPHERE. NO FLASH, GLITTER OR DOUBLE TALK. JUST MEAT AND POTATOES. FOR DESSERT WE ADDED REGULAR EVENTS AND SEMINARS THAT WOULD ASSIST AND TEST THE PROGRESS OF OUR MEMBERS. WE ALWAYS SAY, WE ARE A GYM BUILT BY LIFTERS FOR LIFTERS.
THESE DAYS, I CAN’T WAIT TO GO TO THE GYM. NOT BECAUSE IT’S MINE, RATHER BECAUSE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND PEOPLE THAT WILL BE THERE AND HOW THAT PROVIDES THE EXPERIENCE THAT WAS LACKING FOR SO LONG. I STILL LOVE TO TRAIN AND COMPETE, BUT MY REAL TROPHIES ARE MY WIFE TAMMY AND MY THREE BOYS. NOT TO MENTION MY FORGE FAMILY.
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