Working out with women

I've never worked out like a woman before...

On Wednesday after my normal workout at the YMCA I picked up a sheet with times and descriptions of the classes they offer. There is a class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings called powercut. The description said it involved weights and was good for a total body workout. My friend, Danielle Peters, assured me that the classes were guy friendly. She's a girl.


I was nervous to go to the class. I typically don't like trying new things. I also don't like to feel embarrassed, but I am not seeing the same results from my weekly workouts. I needed to try something new.


When I got there I noticed right away that there were no guys anywhere near this class. The women that were there were very nice. I think they felt sorry for me. They made sure I had a mat, a step, and some weights. Normally I would have bailed on this class but I thought what the heck...at least I'll have something to blog about.

Midway through the class the instructor told everyone to get an exercise ball. She described what we were going to do as being similar to ridding a horse. She straddles the exercise ball and then says "you should really feel it in your pubic area." Now I don't know if she forgot that out of the 9 people in the class only one of us was a guy, but when she said that I said "wow this is awkward." I don't know if she heard me or saw my discomfort but she then says "this probably is not a good exercise for gentlemen. Why don't you do some lunges." First off I don't know what a lunge is. Second thank you for giving me the invitation to never take your class again. I ended up standing next to my exercise ball until this exercise was done.

The class did involve a lot of weight lifting. Today my muscles are still sore. Even though that class was awkward and embarrassing it was a really good workout. I think too many times in life I'm afraid to try something new. I'm afraid that I'll fail or look foolish. The truth is that in order to stretch and grow and break out of the same old same old you've got to be willing to take a risk. If you want a great life you've got to be willing to break out of the monotony of your everyday life. Try something new. Allow new experiences to stretch you. Yeah it may be awkward but it will produce results. Who knows how God will use that new experience to sculpt your life.

I think I will go back to the class on Tuesday.