I candidly admit to willingly telling stories based on my admiration of two individuals’ training routines in the gym I use. Although one is a personal trainer, I do not think there is anything about their physical appearances that would draw your attention if they passed you on the street. They are, in street clothes and if you are not paying attention, average guys that would easily fit in with any group of friends.
As normal as they are externally, when they are in their comfort zones in the gym, everything changes. I have never seen either train when the gym is crowded. In off peak hours, alone and in the solitude of their workouts, they push their boundaries in ways that continue to stun and amaze. I have come to appreciate that each is doing it for reasons held deeply within their hearts. There is no other explanation that explains the intensity and edge to their routines.
The initial move that caught my eye was a perfectly executed push up unlike any I had ever seen. The starting point was not a traditional plank position with a straight back and hands and toes position as table legs. In this case, the individual vertical plank, with his chest at right angles to the ground. The only touch points were the edge of his foot and one hand planted. To stretch every limb, the other hand was reaching towards the sky. As I watched in awe, he proceeded to do a one arm sideways pushup not once but ten times. When the set finished, as if he was following his own music in silence, without missing a beat he turned on the opposite edge and replicated the ten repetitions.
Each exampled that followed inspired. I found myself motivated in ways I never imagined. As I reflect and think of how far this extends, I find myself hearing David’s words, “Father of orphans, champion of widows, is God in his holy house.” (Psalm 68.5) Love in action fills me with Hope. It is also motivational siren call.
