By: Larissa Johnston
The gym can be an intimidating place. Even the best of us look around and see someone buffer, skinnier, more fit or more toned than us. But the good news is that behind those superficial surfaces, everyone has had an embarrassing moment while working out.
Yes, I mean everyone. Even those inspiring, influential, dreamy, motivational Cascadia coaches that you lovingly admire and look up to…. (ok, maybe not).
Of course there’s the classic toot. The gas. Cutting the cheese in class. Lettin’r rip during downward dog. Or as one coach refers to it, “squat farts.” We can only assume they do it so often that they had to coin the term.
“Ok, some of you must have had the squat farts before, especially when going for the last set,” they said.
Then there are those moments where our head is so in the game that we lose focus.
“Once while playing basketball, I shot in the wrong hoop because it was half-time and I didn’t realize we switched directions,” one of our coaches said. Well, I say a shot is a shot, so that’s still impressive! (Can you tell I don’t play competitive sports?)
Another coach gets “too in the rhythm of a kickboxing combo,” as he puts it, “and totally miss and almost punch my partner in the face.”
Well, that’s why we also teach blocks and slips!
And embarrassment doesn’t just happen in the kickboxing studio or on the court. It can even follow you into the bathroom…
“One time, a guy dares to walk in to the public washroom when I was shirtless and flexing in the mirror. I made eye contact with him and knew I had to make a decision: I could either act embarrassed or I could act as if this was normal. And for me, it was normal.”
“So I looked away from him and doubled-down on my crab-flexing position and made HIM feel embarrassed.”
Oh ya, I bet you sure did….
See, even our coaches get embarrassed! So keep their stories in mind next time you accidentally punch your partner in the face, get caught flexing to your reflection, or pass gas. Just brush it off and play it cool. (But we still don’t recommend eating too many beans beans the magic fruit before class.)
