sound of fitness

The Sound of Fitness

            I can hear my feet hitting the rapid moving belt as it hits my feet with a rhythm.  I can hear my heart beating in my chest. It feels like it is going to explode.  As I listen to “ESPN” give me all the latest sporting news updates, I canter off and move on to my favorite piece of equipment: the bicycle.  My legs start to move faster and faster trying to beat my best time.  The sweat is now dripping off me as it free falls to the ground.

            Bam, the sound of the weights hitting the floor is heard. The disappointment and anger of missing a rep is sensed.  The loud grunt of the large man as he tries to push the weight off his chest shows extreme effort.  The roar of the man lifting the weight and the exciting encouragement from his spotter fills the air.  The feel of the muscle in the body growing bigger and bigger keeps him going.

            Thud, thud, thud is the sound the basketball makes as it is dribbled down the court.  Boys loop down the court as they pass the ball back and forth.  The first boy shoots and you hear a swish. The other team scurries back the other way. On their way back squeak, squeak, squeak is the sound their shoes makes as they move around on the court.  Clank as the basketball hits the rim and the other team snatches it up.  One boy dribbles down and dunks as all the players roar in excitement. 

            The sight of girls and boys plunging across the court as they try to get a little white ball over the net is heard.  The look of pain as the skin falls on ones knees from diving.  Slap as the ball sores over the net and thuds as it hits the ground on the other side.  The look of pain as the ball hits one girl in the face.  The sight of tears running down her face is saddening.  The sharp pain of spiking the ball over the net is brutal. 

            There are the muscle bound meat heads who just want to get massive.  There are the ripped that are in there for hours every day just to get perfect to walk across the stage.  There are the gifted that are running and lifting trying to get bigger, faster and stronger for their sport.  There are the gossip girls who talk more then they work.  Lastly there are the Creepers. These are the guys well, sometimes girls who just go there to maybe look like there lifting but really just to stare at all the body’s.  They know they are seen, but they just keep looking and looking. 

            The awful odor coming from those who need to shower or should have showered before they came.  The smell of the gossip girl who is there just to look pretty and talk and maybe do some work as they spray on their perfume.  The foul smell of the equipment that needs to be cleaned and the wood smell from the basketball court that burns the nose.  The lingering smell of throw up in the trash can from the kid who isn’t in shape yet is truly disgusting.

            Boom, boom, boom goes the sound of the base of the loud hip hop music.  The screaming of the loud rocker, the sweet melody of the pop songs and the twang from the country music fills the air.  The sounds they try to compete with, the feet from the treadmill, the weights hitting the ground, the roars from the court.