When the Workout Bench Gives Out… and So Do The Excuses
When the Workout Bench Gives Out…and So Do The Excuses
There I was, tying my shoes, perched on my fold-up workout bench — the same bench I had casually judged years ago when I bought it. “Looks a little flimsy,” I remember thinking. “But hey, it folds up nice and hides in the closet. Who’s going to know?”
Fast forward to today. SNAP.
Down I went. The bench gave out. I landed ungracefully on the floor, stunned but thankfully unhurt. A few thoughts zipped through my mind:
- That could’ve been bad.
- At least my teeth are still in place.
- So… about that new bench.
Now, I could have spent the rest of the day in victim mode: “This is awful! I don’t have time for this! Why now?” But instead, I paused. I zoomed out. And I realized something:
That bench was not built for who I am becoming.
It was a perfect metaphor. Sometimes, the tools we chose in the past were never meant to carry the weight of who we are today — let alone who we’re becoming. They served a purpose, sure. But they weren’t made for this version of us.
And the excuse — “I’ll wait till it breaks” — well, that one broke too.
I’m not mad at the bench. I’m actually kind of proud of it. It waited until I was just tying my shoes. It could’ve collapsed under a set of chest presses. But no — it let go at exactly the right moment. And honestly, isn’t that what we do sometimes? Hold on for dear life until we just can’t anymore, and something in us gives out… for the better.
So I ordered a new bench. A stronger one. Not because I’m planning to tie my shoes with more enthusiasm, but because I’m lifting more, expecting more — from myself, and my equipment.
And maybe, just maybe, that old bench and I had a secret agreement.
“You’re ready,” it said. “Time to level up.”