Another great morning at the gym!

"Yo, Lil Dude," Chris said when we got to the weight room. "You ought to be feeling pretty sore today, right?"

I looked at him.

"Sore?"

He frowned.

"Y'know," he said, "like your muscles hurt?"

I shook my head.

"I don't feel sore," I told him. "I feel *grrrreeeeat*!"

He scratched his head.

"Well, let's give it a try and see what happens."

Again we started with bench press and 95 lbs.

"How many, uh, 'reps' you called them? How many should I do?" I asked.

"Just see how many you can pump out," Chris replied.

He stopped me at 30.

"Maybe we should do the weight I ended with?"

He took off the 25 lb. weights and put two 45 lb. weights on each end. I knocked out 12, then paused.

"One more?" he asked.

The weight came down -- and there it stopped. I couldn't budge it.

"Whoosh!" Chris set the bar back on the rack. "I was beginning to think you were Superman, Lil Dude!"

Which made me turn beet red, of course.

"Let's try something else."

He added a 10 lb. weight to each end of the bar.

"Give this a try."

Same story as the 13th rep. The weight came down, it wouldn't go back up.

"I dunno, Lil Dude."

"Don't know what, Chris?"

He just shook his head.

"Later, Lil Dude. Let's finish up."

Again I was too shy to join him in the locker room. Am I an idiot or what? I just *know* I wouldn't be able to control my weenie and that would be TOO embarrassing.

Before I left Chris told me to eat a lot.

"Remember what I said, Lil Dude? Lift big, EAT big!"

Man, did I eat BIG today! Thank goodness for those cafeteria coupons. I ate a full breakfast at 10, a big lunch at 12, another big lunch at 2:30, dinner at 6, and a big ol' snack at 8:30.

And I'll be damend if I'm not hungry again. I wonder what I can get at Cox at 11 p.m.?

SEPT. 10TH

I just don't know what to think about all of this.

This morning I met Chris at the gy at 7 a.m., just like always, but instead of heading to the weight area he pointed me to the locker room.

"Uh..." I started.

"Jeez, Lil Dude, I'm not gonna rape you in the shower! We just need to get your stats, man. Y'know, height, weight, and that stuff..."

He grinned.

"Besides, I haven't gotten a good look at you since you started wearing those baggy sweats all the time."

I blushed.

I started wearing the sweats on my 3rd day at the gym -- that damned weight room is cold! And I was forgetting just how comfortable they are, even when the weather is a little bit warm Why would I want to wear anything else?

"Let's start with the scale first. You're 5'11 right?" Chris asked, pulling out the measuring stick.

I rolled my eyes.

"Practicing to be a PE teacher?" I asked, more than a little sarcastically -- the s.o.b. whacked me on the butt!

"Now let's get your weight," he said, once he was satisfied that I really was 5'11.

He tapped the weights into place, then kept tappping. I looked at the ceiling.

"151 lbs.," he announced. "Lil Dude, you've been holdin' out on me. I thought you told me you weighed 140!"

I gaped.

"It must be off," I said finally. "I've never weighed more than 140 lbs. in my life!"

"Strip," he ordered. "It's time for your measurements. And close your mouth, Lil Dude. You look like a goldfish when you do that."

Reluctantly, I pulled off my shirt and pants. Chris let out a whistle.

"Good job, Lil Dude!"

I looked over my body -- muscles!

Not very big ones, no, but they were there! A little bulge to my arms, a little bit of curve to my pecs, a little extra width in my shoulders. And my waist was tighter and leaner looking.

I looked up at Chris who was giving me a big ol' grin!

"Woo hoo!" I exclaimed.

Chris carefully recorded my measurements: 14 3/4 inch biceps, 40 inch chest, 28 inch waist, 23 inch quads, 15 inch calves, 15 1/2 inch neck. All of which gave me a stiffy, of course.

"And, no," he continued, "we're not measuring THAT!"

I thought I was going to sink through the floor.

"Y'know, Lil Dude, mebbe..."

"Mebbe what, Crhis?"

He chuckled.

"Mebbe never mind. Let's go lift!"

And that ws the other interesting thing. All this past week I did exactly the same weight, every day, always crapping out after the 10th or 12th rep, always blowing it when I tried to go up in weight.

Today, though...

Maybe I was inspired by having Chris take my measurements.

We started with bench, like we always do. When I got to the 12th rep, I realized I could keep going. Chris wasn't really paying attention -- at first! *Then* he noticed.

"Woah, Lil Dude," he said when I racked the bar -- something he'd always helped me do before. "How many was that...?"

I grinned.

"I counted 20," I told him.

He whistled.

"Let's see if we can go up some."

He added a 5 lb. weight to each end. I did 12 reps, no sweat.

He added a 10 lb. weight to each end. Ditto.

Next he reached for the 5s again. I shook my head.

"Let's try two 10s on each side," I suggested.

He frowned.

"Are you sure?"

I shrugged my shoulders -- man, they felt nice!

He loaded the bar as I suggested.

I couldn't see him, of course, because I was looking at the bar, but I heard him suck in his breath when I did the first eight reps without pause. By the 10th rep I was puffing.

"C'mon, Lil Dude, you can do it, babe."

He called me "babe"?

I cranked out 2 more reps before I let the bar crash back down on the rack.

"Jeez, Lil Dude."

I nodded.

I can do the math.

265 lbs.

"Not bad for a 'Lil Dude,' huh?"

"Not bad at ALL, Lil Dude!"

I wonder what I'll be doing next week? •