Pet Peeve

By Paul Leonard

For www.EliteFTS.com

I have a pet peeve that I need to get off my chest. I can’t stand how every hardcore lifter pisses and moans when they’re forced to train in a commercial gym. Now, hear me out before you say, “Paul Leonard isn’t ‘hardcore.’” My answer to you is for years my garage gym in California was filled with seven members, all of whom were squatting 700 in USPF meets with 700 plus official deadlifts to match. I was a founding member of the Freak Factory Strongman gym and more recently have been a member of both Stroud’s gym and Metroflex in Texas.

Not that you care, but my best official lifts done at the APF or USPF Seniors are a 810 squat, a 534 bench, and a 750 deadlift in a singlet. I hate to bore you with my lifting, but I wanted to provide you with some background so you could understand my point of view. I don’t mind when I have to travel and train in a fitness center, a “ghey gym,” or even a decent gym that doesn’t have that “perfect powerlifting set up” like my home gym does. Why not? Because what is the alternative—not training? I don’t think so.

Now, I have two rules when it comes to getting some strange gym time. 1) Do not get hurt. 2) If they ask for more than $10.00 at the door and you can’t bamboozle your way in “Fletch style” then save the money and go and buy two rotisserie chickens and do Ryan Kennelly-style mini band push-ups in your hotel room after you’ve cleaned the grease off your fingers. My second point is self-explanatory and a point of pride. However, my first point needs some elaboration because it ties into the best thing about getting some strange.

The whole “newness” of the strange can lead to a productive workout. When I’m forced to train on the road, I will do things that I don’t normally do at my home base. The leg press sucks? Tell that to Andy Bolton, Steve Goggins, and Ed Coan. Three lifters who all have used one and seem to be far better off for it. My gym doesn’t have one so if I go into a gym with a leg press that’s something I’ll hit.

There isn’t any real good way to squat where you’re getting your strange? Do Zerchers. My best Zercher is 545, and I have seen YouTube videos of others doing more. A max effort Zercher works both your squat and deadlift muscles. Plus, it just may freak out some civilians who have never seen anything like it before. Just remember my first point—don’t hurt yourself trying out new equipment or trying to put on a show for a bunch of people who really don't know how strong you are and are probably wondering if they’ve seen you on ESPN.
 
For me, getting some strange gym ties in perfectly with the conjugate method. I have a binder with all of Louie Simmons’ articles in it. If you can’t find exercises listed in these articles that you haven’t done before or don’t have the equipment for, then you must live in the most perfectly equipped gym of all time. If you know you’re going to be traveling, pick out some exercises that Louie has talked about before and get after it.

I remember a few years ago I lifted at the APF Seniors and went over 2000 lbs in the 308-lb class. My twins were born a few weeks after the meet so I started to train in 24-hour fitness gyms all over southern California to get my fix in when I could. At first, I dreaded it and longed for my days at Manny’s Orange County Strength Club or the Freak Factory, but one day, I had an eye opening experience. I had a young guy in his early 20s, who was built like a high school fullback, ask me to spot him in the bench. I followed him to the benches and watched as he cranked off 13 reps with 405 in a wife beater. This guy asked me if his effort was any good, and he was sincere. I told him it was, and I referred him to Elite Fitness Systems and told him to find out more about powerlifting.

So guys, when you’re on the road and have to make do with whatever gym you can find, just don’t make everything a self-fulfilling prophecy of negativity by saying, “Oh, it’s a commercial gym. It’s going to suck.” Take the attitude that you’re going to walk out of that gym stronger than when you walked in to it.

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