It was a humbling moment, indeed.
At the time, I felt like I was higher than a mountain. I wasrunning five miles every morning, laboring through a hard day ofstrenuous work every day, then hitting the gym every night. Icould rip out pushups in three-digit sets, grind through a setof 60 dips without cracking a single sweat gland.
Meanwhile, my strength remained in tact. I was benching,curling, pressing, pulling, and squatting more than ever before.The higher my gains had soared, the lower my body fat percentagewould drop. Yes, I was in the best shape of my life.
I bounced off my 15-minute warm-up session on the stepper andwas ready to take over this new gym by storm. I had never workedout at this particular facility before but it didn't matter. Atthe time, I felt invincible.
On my way over to the Smith machine, I noticed a small gatheringin the far corner of the gym. All eyes were focused on the wallwhere something new, something intriguing had to be whirling upthis fuss.
I strutted over to check this out for myself just as amiddle-aged man came crashing to the floor, his face purple withexhaustion, his breath caught deep in his gut. He looked like asoldier returning from battle, as he was instantly consoled byhis awaiting love.
I peered up at the enemy. Hovering above was the most bizarrepiece of fitness equipment I'd ever seen. It was big, it wasstrange, it was awkward, it was ugly.
It was awesome.
One look at it and I knew exactly what it was. It was arock-climbing machine. It rested on the floor and nearlyextended to the height of the ceiling, a large conveyor beltthat rotated on a metal frame. Along the belt was a series ofsynthetic rocks and grooves, designed to simulate an actualcliff. Along the side was a lever that regulated the speed inwhich the belt would rotate.
It was aptly named "The Rock."
Nobody else made a move to tackle this endeavor. Nobody dared.Nobody except me.
The movie "Cliffhanger", the Sylvester Stallone flick thatbrought the action genre to new heights, was buzzing acrosseveryone's lips at the time and no doubt had inspired the gym topurchase such a workout device.
I was feeling a little bit like "Rocky" myself so I emerged fromthe crowd like the heavyweight champ and bolstered myself atopthis machine.
What happened next, I'd rather not divulge.
Let's just say that three minutes later, the ego, the selfesteem, the soaring confidence, it all came crashing down offthe wall with me. I sat on the gym in a heap of defeat, my armsand legs completely shot, my heart racing like a Nissan. "TheRock" had knocked me out.
The morale of the story (besides keeping your ego in check) isthat rock climbing is one of the most physically challengingexercises you could possible take on. After all, there has to bea reason why professional rock climbers are so lean and healthy.
Rock climbing is an exercise that not only strengthens your legsand upper torso, but it may also be the best method forimproving range of motion.
As imposing as my three-minute bout with "The Rock" may sound,the apparatus is actually the ideal way to begin this activity.The resistance of the machine can be set at a very low level forbeginners to accustom themselves to the form and motion neededin rock climbing.
You can eventually work your way up to a faster pace, whichprovides for a sensational workout. I remember feeling aresounding pump throughout my entire body after just a fewfast-paced minutes on the machine.
Your battles don't necessarily end after you've conquered the"Rock." Hundreds of rock climbing gyms have been cropping upacross the country and offer the most challenging of programs.
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