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EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK:
VINCE'S GYM
Juan
Seemed Educated
Juan often
brought with him a few books to read. In fact there was many
times that he just stretched and then he would grab a seat at
the desk and read some of the most obscure and sometimes
esoteric works of literature. He often had books that were
written in other languages. I have seen him read Japanese,
Chinese, Latin, Russian, French, German, Dutch, Spanish,
Italian, Korean, and some Arabic.
I have seen
Juan read books on medical technology, poetry, variety of
religious texts, Anthropology, psychology, philosophy,
Sociology, Physics, Calculus, Theoretical mathematics, history,
military science, environmental studies, Nutrition, Hydroponics,
EMT stuff, Sports medicine, Anatomy and physiology, Exercise
physiology, Surgical manuals, et cetera. Actually there seemed
to be no subject that was not of interest to him or to the limit
of his knowledge. Once he told me that he liked to study
subjects in the language they were first written in.
For instances
he felt that the Germans, Russians, and Bulgarians had the
latest cutting edge type of training, so he taught himself how
to read those languages. A lot of people at the gym use to call
Juan “Professor.”
Personally I
could never understand why he spent a lot of energy learning
about subjects that he never pushed himself in, such as weight
training, i.e. he never lifted anything real heavy.
I figured if I
could read German, I would be study everything I could to learn
how to keep pushing up my strength.
The reason why
I would get so frustrated with Juan and his light workouts is I
figured that a guy with his frame could perform workloads at a
high levels. I just assumed that all men wanted to be as strong
as possible just like I thought that all people wanted to be the
best that they could be in every way. It never occurred to me
that some people only wanted to maintain. Back then I figured
that when a person said that they just wanted to maintain they
making excuses because they lacked the confidence that they
could do better or they were afraid that by really pushing the
weight they could hurt themselves, or because they were lazy.
I would watch
Juan workout and because the weights that he used were so light
and because he only did one set of a handful of exercises, I
assumed from the first several times that those were his light
days. I knew all about light days because I trained with light
days also. Most people who had light days, (Not everyone had
them) would drop back by 20% to 30% and cut back a few sets. I
used to drop the weight down by 50%. After awhile I tossed out
the idea that he had been training light, because his light days
were with 50% of what I saw him do at his heaviest, and he would
do one set of 25 to 100 different exercises per body part with
almost no rest.
Juan seemed to
break down his workouts to different body parts per workout, and
yet despite his light and ultra light workouts, he seemed to
have a lot of rest days, and on these days he simply came in and
stretched, did yoga and other weird calisthenics. A lot of the
people in the gym use to mock him, about how wimpy he was,
(Usually behind his back).
I didn’t like
to hear it so I approached Juan and gave him my usual
cheerleader combination drill instructor pep talk.
I said, “Juan,
you seem to have a really sturdy frame, I think that if you
pushed yourself a bit you could be really strong, -- probably
stronger than anyone in the gym.
Juan smiled his
big grin, and said, “Ya mean I may not be the Shelia that
everyone thinks I am?” He laughed after saying that.
I said, “Hey
don’t let those other guys bother you, then I said, trying to
imitate him, “No worries mate, most people talk bullcrap.”
That got a good
laugh out of him, and he said, “Righto mate!”
I said, “No,
I’m serious, you could really lift a lot of weight.”
Juan looked at
me with a peculiar look and said, “Well hell, I’d be able to
hold my head high round those blokes, as he his thumbing at
Harry and the rest of the lifters.
He said, “I
guess I could learn a lot from you, hell their nothing I could
teach you I suppose.” The way he said it wasn’t really mocking
me, but it felt like he was poking fun at me a bit and so I
somehow felt stung by his offhand comment.
I hurriedly
said, “Hey, I wasn’t implying that I know it all, or that I
couldn’t learn from you.”
I continued
feeling like I needed to keep things straight with him, so I
said, “Hell I learn from everyone around me, I am sure I could
learn a lot from you.”
I still felt on
the defensive so I said, “Anytime you have any constructive
criticism I am always open to hear it.” I added, “Also, I was
not suggesting that you aren’t worthy just because you don’t
like to lift heavy, I just thought that you knew only one way of
working out.”
Juan laughed,
“He pinned me with his eyes as if to say, “I know where you are
coming from.”
Juan looked
amused by me thinking I needed to teach him lifting. “No
worries, yer heart is in the right place.” “Not many people try
to help others to do better than them.” “That’s a very rare
quality mate.” “I can not tell you how much it means to me to
know that you are willing to spend the time and effort to help
me to perform more than you and the other lifters, but I kinda
found the right routine fer me, so I’ll stick with it fer now.”
He said, “Yer a
good egg, I appreciated it.”
MOST PEOPLE TALK BULLSHIT:
One Primate's Search For Intelligent Life
(GENESIS)
MOST PEOPLE TALK BULLSHIT:
One Primate's Search For Intelligent Life
(EXODUS)
MOST PEOPLE TALK BULLSHIT:
One Primate's Search For Intelligent Life
(REVELATIONS)
MOST PEOPLE TALK BULLSHIT:
One Primate's Search For Intelligent Life
(JUDGMENT DAY)
ADVENTURES IN MARINE BIOLOGY
THE MARINES: GOD'S CHOSEN
WARRIORS
CONVERSATIONS WITH NEO
NEO TEACHES ME THE ART OF WAR
& PEACE;
His Version of The Matrix
MEMORIES OF MY FATHERS
ZEN & THE ART OF RESISTANCE
TRAINING:
A Yogic & Scientific Approach To Weight
Lifting
ZEN & THE BIOLOGY OF
TRANSCENDENCE:
The First Matrix of Psychic
Phenomena
ZEN & THE ART OF KINESIOLOGY:
The Yogic & Scientific
Approach To Movement
ZEN & YOUR ENERGY SYSTEMS
ZEN & VARIOUS ASPECTS OF
TRAINING
HOMEPAGE TO VINCE'S GYM
HOMEPAGE |
