I am striving at the gym to be less judgmental and more open minded. When I see somebody doing something absurd, I ask myself: Is this ridiculous, or is it a different kind of mastery?
For example, I am always impressed by the guys talking to their Bluetooth earbud while doing a set of pullups. I certainly don’t have the lung capacity to grind away in good form and keep up a conversation.
Recently, I came across a guy sitting on a machine who was scrolling through his phone with one hand and doing a shoulder press with the other. I admired the processing power of his brain to give attention to both the exercise and the news of the day.
Finally, I think often about the guy I saw, and especially heard, shouting into his AirPods while he was sitting in a cold plunge.
First, I credit the guy for plunging in sub-40F degree temperatures, similar to me (the tub’s large LED temperature display reveals your situation to everyone). Because of the expensive electronics in his ears, he couldn’t submerge his head and do breath holds like I do, but combining plunging and breathwork is just a bonus.
Second — for me anyway — shivering makes talking difficult. Psychologically, wellness practitioners recommend using cold temperatures to practice composure under stress. You can work on math problems in your head or drill breathing techniques like box breathing. Remarkably, the AirPods guy was all business — conducting a work meeting perhaps — and he never paused for a moment to collect himself physically or mentally. In fact, he never stopped hollering at all: during the plunge, walking to the dressing room, even while changing behind closed doors.
I can’t accuse any of these folks of defying gym etiquette — we’re in a new age. In fact, they have demonstrated a remarkable level of physical and mental dexterity. I must acknowledge that in today’s gym, strength is found in many forms.