Look, I know I don’t have to sell y’all on the importance of a good gym. You’re here at Elitefts — you know the difference between “training” and “working out,” and you know how important it is to train with quality equipment. If you don’t, just ask my boy Joe Sullivan (sorry man):
But honestly, progress in strength sports isn’t about the equipment you have. It’s about the people you’re with.
I have been blessed with the opportunity to call some amazing gyms home, including Big Tex in Austin, Texas and now The Shop in Manassas, Virginia. In both cases, the owners and members shared one really important thing: a passion for lifting. That shared passion in the environment bleeds over into your performance. It’s flat-out impossible to be around that kind of attitude and not feel hyped TF up to push to your absolute limit.
If you look at the titans of strength sports, they oftentimes went to extremes to find that passion. Think about Arnold moving to California to train at Gold’s in Venice; all the powerlifters who came to train with Louie at Westside; or the Olympic weightlifters who go to the training center in Colorado. Those people probably had access to dozens of other perfectly adequate training facilities, but they chose to make the effort not to train with the right equipment, but with the right people.
For my part, I can never thank Rob and Esther of Big Tex and Jason, Tim, and Skylar of The Shop for welcoming me into their home and supporting me in both powerlifting and bodybuilding. If you’re ever in either area, be sure to stop by and say hi!
