Changing direction a bit with this blog post.
One of the biggest questions that I get from clients, friends, or just people in the industry is, “what made you want to start lifting weights?”
If you asked that question to just about any other meathead out there, a default answer would be Arnold in his Conan movies, but that’s not mine; although, that pose of him with the sword over his head is still pretty damn cool. If you don’t know what I’m talking about Netflix that movie now.
The Warrior
The first inspiration that led me to start doing pushups, pull-ups and other crazy exercises that a 10-year-old boy has no business doing, was The Ultimate Warrior.
Oh yes, a WWF (before it was WWE) wrestler. Any kid that grew up in the 80’s knew of the wrestlers back then: Hulk Hogan (another favorite), Randy Savage, 123 Kid, I mean the list can go on!
Hell, for me it was the Ultimate Warrior.
Whenever I went over to my friends’ houses for sleepovers, I had the Ultimate Warrior sleeping bag… yessir, I was a badass.
I can recall many a sleepover where we would wrestle all night! Jumping from the top bunk to bodyslam some guilty soul laying on a mattress, doing tag teams, pins and if the sleepover was at my place, I know my poor brother was the victim of many suplexes.
How could a kid not look up to these guys?
Larger than life diesel dudes that manhandled anyone that got in their way. These guys were the ones that inspired me to convince my parents to get me my first weight set because I wanted to look like them.
Still remembering our Saturday night sleepover rituals of Wrestlemania and American Gladiators, followed by stacking up couch cushions and pillows for our dramatic horseplay… lawrd our poor parents.
Ha!
These guys were the ones that let me believe that if I worked my tail off I could be as big and strong as they were.
80’s Inspiration
Yes, I was an 80’s kid that was inspired by Wrestlemania and when I saw the Ultimate Warrior several weeks ago, I just started laughing with waves of nostalgia reminiscing over those days and reminding myself that this was the spark that ignited my passion for the iron. 🙂
It was a sad day, to say the least when I heard he had passed away, but as I sat and watched some old YouTube footage of him raging and snarling at the camera, throwing dudes with ease, it reminded me of my childhood Wrestlemanias.
What’s yours? What inspired YOU to pick up your first dumbbell? Leave your answer in the comments below.
Rest peacefully Ultimate Warrior, you will forever be a legend in my mind.
In Health and Awesomeness,
Travis Merritt, BS, CPT, (and other letters behind the name) is the Owner of Rowlett Transformation Center in Rowlett, TX.
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