Old School
Workouts

In my youth I belonged to a few “Big Iron” sweat palaces. There was lots of grunting and groaning and weights were often ceremoniously dropped to the floor after a set or lift was completed. It was code for Big Iron machismo.

Ed Yarick’s in Oakland and Walt Texiera’s in Hayward, California, were like that. They were great places if you had muscle-head aspirations. And in those days, I had muscle-head aspirations.

It was the 1950s and early ‘60s and you’d never find women, for example, lifting on men’s days. It just wasn’t done. Women who pumped iron did it either in separate spaces or at different hours.

They were never to invade the men's inner sanctum.

If you’re under 60 you might think I’m making this up, but I’m not. There are some people today who still prefer the separation of the sexes in health clubs. But today they are the exceptions.

Was it better back then, or is it better now?

Personally, I think having women in the gym at the same time as men has a civilizing effect on gym behavior — in most instances. Still, there is an argument to be made that today’s gyms may have lost some of their grit. Walk into a health club nowadays and you find some members halfheartedly pedaling recumbent bikes while reading People or playing with a smartphone.

In days past, such languor would have you ridiculed out the door. Get lost fella! Or lady! If you’re not sweating like a workhorse, or eking out that last do-or-die rep, well, you’re just taking up valuable space.

As an ancient, I now exercise at home. In my last health club membership, there was a mixture of training intensities. A few trained very hard, though there were no Olympic-style lifters or Big Iron bodybuilders. It was a clean, civilized place and boisterous behavior (fun, in my youth) wouldn’t have been tolerated. If someone wanted to lift heavy, well, okay. Fine. If someone else sleepwalked through a routine, no one would care about that, either. It was a live-and-let-live acceptance.

Still, some old school habits really were decidedly better than today. For example, I didn’t see many training partnerships, people who regularly work out together. In the old days, training partners were the rule, not the exception. Your training partner would count your reps, and if you weren’t making a serious effort, you’d be chided for taking it easy.

Three people training together were even better than two. The recovery time always seemed perfect with each of you doing a set in consecutive order. And when squatting or bench pressing there was always a spotter at each end of the bar.

I never worked out at a Cross Fit gym, but I’ve watched some of their videos, and the atmosphere kind of recalled old- school camaraderie. Then, several years ago, I went to one of Pavel Tsatsouline’s kettlebell workshops and got a similar feeling of people urging one another to excel.

So there are pros and cons to old school. But even in home gyms, old school type training partners can boost enthusiasm. It’s something to think about.

Stay healthy. Stay Fit.

Logan

Senior Exercise Central

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Sincerely,

Logan Franklin
The Gray Iron Fitness Newsletter
www.senior-exercise-central.com