“The Glue of Iron”

By Jiale (Harley) Zhu 9/14/15

 

Heavy weights banging against the concrete floor. Fans and air conditioners on full blast on a hot Las Vegas summer afternoon in a smelly gym. Surrounded by large sweaty grown men wearing absurdly small tank tops that give off the perception that they are bigger than they actually are. This was what a majority of my summer break consisted of. Well, this and ice cream.

 

You may be wondering why I would put myself through this torture when I could be spending my time doing something more fun like marathoning cartoon shows on Netflix. To be fair, I wasn’t ecstatic about going to the gym and lifting weights. If it wasn’t for my group of gym rat friends, I wouldn’t have been able to experience this lifestyle nor would I have formed the relationships that I have today.

 

This whole gym phase started as a harmless hobby which we would take part in once a month or so. However, over the summer, this harmless hobby turned into a consuming addiction. My friends who I gym with (let’s just call them “The Gains Boys”) eventually turned into brothers who I would look to for advice and guidance.

 

The beauty of the gym and lifting with your friends lies in the survival mentality and supportive nature of the gym. When you’re on a bench press with 150 pounds of iron hovering above your heart, you start to build a trust and bond with your friend who is spitting in your face to lift more.

 

The friendship that is strengthened in the gym doesn’t stay in the gym, it spreads to everything else that your gym group does. Whether it be eating a post workout meal with a high school budget at the dirty McDonald’s next door or giving advice to one another about how to gain more muscle, the bond you form in the gym is evident everywhere.

 

Looking back on it now, going to the gym to lift weights for 2-3 hours with my friends was one of the best experiences I have ever had. This isn’t just some cliche saying to make you feel some type of way; it’s the honest truth that I’ve grown closer to my friends and have formed a foundation with them that we can always return to even if we begin to grow apart.