>Be Rumble >Today was finally going to be the day! >After all of those months of your big brother and your dad poking fun at your LITTLE belly you had finally decided to get a gym membership! >You were sick of the teasing >You were sick of getting hit on by the... odder mares in your class >But most of all you were sick and tired of not being able to fit in your favorite vest! >So it was time to buckle down >No more sweets for you! >No more laying around doing nothing! >Summer was coming and you wanted to look good for the beach! >No! >You wanted to look GREAT! >Super great! >...That being said you were thirteen years old >Though you could argue about the cutest filly in your favorite girlband with the best of them and you had an eye for fashion that was far and away better than most colts on your class (especially that WHORE Button Mash) you didn't know all that much about the gym >You didn't know even a little bit about the gym to be honest >And you didn't want to spend all this time in the gym and not get the body that you wanted because you didn't know what to do >So you had decided to ask somepony that went to the gym a lot if they could help you get your summer bod >Since you didn't know a lot of other stallions that went to the gym that actually knew what they were talking about (your fat flanked brother included) you were forced to ask the local apelien Anonymous >The big, weird, green giant that always seemed to be on the wrong side of intense >But even if he was a little... weird you knew that he was a real sweetheart, so it was of little surprise that he had been more than happy to help you out when you had asked him >So there you were >Standing in front of Ironball's Gym >A duffle bag slung over your shoulder and the hope that you'd get rid of your little gut in your heart >Alright Rumble >You might have been going into a place where a bunch of smelly, loud, muscle-y mares were banging weights but this was for the beach bod >THE. BEACH. BOD >And you were sure that Anon would keep any weirdos from gawking at you while you were getting your work out in >So here we go! >Taking a deep breath you opened the door and stepped inside >The lobby was... plain >You could see a couple of gaudy shirts in the corner that they were probably trying to sell and there was a counter where a cute mare was sitting behind >And leaning over the counter and talking to the mare, with a muscle shirt on and a headband wrapped around his head and a pair of long gym pants, was Anonymous >The anxiety that you had been feeling dissipated just a little when you saw him >Your teacher was right there waiting for you >Which meant that he was taking your drive to get fitter seriously >Good >A small smile came to your face as you walked over to him >"I'm telling you, if Star Dust keeps diddylifting like that she's gonna fuck herself up." >"Hey, I already told her that her form was bucked up. If she hurts herself it's going to be her own stupid fault." >"Yeah, but you know that if she fucks herself up she's going to come here everyday and just sit on a bench and bit--" >When you got a few feet away from him, Anonymous's head snapped toward you >"Oh, there you are, Rumble," he said, looking you over. "I was wondering when you were going to get here." "Sorry about being a little late," you said, smiling sheepishly. "I was--omph!" >You reeled back a bit as your teacher threw a bundle of clothing in your face >"Go and put that on," he commanded, shooing you away with hand. "If you're going to be my brotege then there's no way in hell you're walking into the church like that." >Church? >Brotege? >What the hay was he talking about? >You looked down at the clothes, concern once again welling up inside you >... >Alright... >Anon knew what he was talking about... >So if he wanted you to put these clothes on it was probably for a good reason >...Right?... >Picking up the clothes, you made your way toward the restroom >A quick change later you found yourself a VERY unhappy stallion >Almost as unhappy as when Scootaloo spilled chocolate milk on your new designer saddle bag that you got for your birthday >You were wearing a muscle shirt that was two sizes too small >You had a pair of black gym pants that were WAY too big >And you had a headband on your head >A headband that said "Brotege" >... >You looked awful >Like REALLY awful >But despite ALLLLL of that you still walked back out into the lobby where Anon was waiting >And that cute mare >Who was going to see you dressed like... this >... >...Anon better make you look GREAT or so help you... "There," you muttered, a blush on your face. "I'm all dressed up..." >"There, that's much better!" Anon said, slapping you a little too hard on the back. "Now that you're dressed up we can get to work." >Sighing, you reached into your duffel bag and pulled out your gym membership key card >You were about to hoof it to the mare when Anon stopped you >"And what do you think you're going, little man?" he asked >You looked at him, then at the key card "...I was signing in?" you slowly said >Anon made a face, snatching the key card out of your hoof and putting it back into your duffel bag >"No you aren't," he said, sounding more serious than you had ever heard him. "That's how the peasants walk into the gym." >Squatting down, Anon placed his hands on your shoulders >"Luckily for you I'm here to show you how to do it the RIGHT way." >Give you a wink and a shoulder squeeze Anon stood up, turning to face the smiling mare behind the counter >"Alright, Cream Puff, go ahead and ask me for my card." >"You know that Clean and Jerk doesn't like it when you--" >"Just ask me for my card." >Sighing as she rolled her eyes, the mare extended a hoof >"Sir, may I please have your card?" she asked, rolling her eyes again >Anon snapped his fing-- Boom! >WHATTHEBUCKWASTHAT?! >Where did that bang sound come from?! >Was something happ-- >"Don't tell me what to do," Anon cheerfully replied as you frantically looked for what made that banging sound. "Alright, your turn, Rumble." >How the buck did he do that?! >Did that even come from Anon? >He's not holding any-- >"Rumble!" >You jumped, your eyes darting back toward Anon, who was looking at you impatiently >"Get your furry butt over here and do what I just did." "Anon, did you do that banging sound? Or was it--" >"Rumble, get your butt over here. We got lifting to do." "But!--" >Anon just lifted an eyebrow and nudged his head toward the mare standing behind the counter >Just like him she was staring at you expectantly, like hearing random explosion noises was an everyday thing for her >"Come on over here, cutie, I won't bite," she said, all smiles >... >An older mare called you cute?! >An older mare that was a looker herself >Hah! >The fellas were going to be SO jealous when you told them about this at Pip Squeak's sleepover this weekend! >Though you were still a little freaked out you eagerly made your way over toward the mare... >Only to realize that you had no idea what you had to say to her... >Anon had just snapped his fingers and then there was that bang and you started to freak out... >Did he even say anything after that? >...And how were you going to snap your hooves? >You had nothing on them that could be snapped... >Anon loudly cleared his throat, signaling that it probably would be a good idea to hurry this along >...Buck it >This wouldn't be the first time you've had to fake it until you make it! "Um... I want to get in the gym without giving you my key card?" you said hesitantly, looking up at Anon as you did so >Your teachers nose scrunched up and he shook his head >"Nononono, you gotta be AGGRESSIVE, Rumble. This is your first step into the jungle; you gotta come in with a roar to tell the other animals that the big cat's here." >...What? >Shaking your head you puffed your chest out and stared at the mare behind the counter "I'm GOING inside of that gym without giving you my key card." >You deflate slightly "...If that's alright." >"...We'll work on it," Anon said, giving you a pat on the back. "Now come on, we got a long day ahead of us." >As Anon disappeared into the gym proper you stayed behind for a moment >Looking back at the mare behind the counter you could still see her smiling >"I'm rooting for you, bucko," she said with a wink. "Go in there and give them Tartarus." >You giggled shyly, wondering how your parents would feel if you brought home and older mare, before practically skipping into the gym >Oh you were SO going to tell the fellas about this! >And you were going to enjoy every SECOND of rubbing it in Button's smug face! >The gym looked pretty much like you thought it would >At one end were a bunch of machines, treadmills, and places where you could put down mats and ab balls >That's where a bunch of stallions were, many of them chatting and looking like they were having a pretty good time >At the other end of the gym was where all of the mare's gym equipment was >Those rack thingy's >Bench pressing places >Those weird cage things with the bar that you could do wing ups in >All of that stuff was on that side of the gym >This was where most of the mares, many of them grunting and sweating and being kind of gross, were >In the middle were the free weights, where all of the barbells and stuff like that was >This was where both mare and stallion converged >...Ew >Why was that stallion over there dressed like that? >He looked like a real slut with his tail tied up like that! >He really-- >"Alright, Rumble," Anon said, snapping you out of your silent judging. "Now that we're here I want you to look around and tell me what you see." >You frowned "There's a bunch of equipment and ponies walking around," you automatically say >Anonymous looked down at you for a long while, this... odd glint in his eyes >If you didn't know any better you'd say that he was looking at you in pity >"No, little man, that's not all there is in this room." >Crouching down to placed a hand on your shoulder >"This isn't a place where people come to work out. All of this stuff isn't "equipment" and these just aren't "ponies"." >He quickly stood back up and flexed it-- Bang! >Thereitwasagain! >This time you KNEW you weren't just hearing things! >Wherethebuckdidthatcomefrom?! >"This is a battlefield, little man," Anon said, flexing in a different-- Bang! >OhsweetCelestia!!! >"And you're the tank." >Your eyes twitched as he flexed again and-- Bang >...Another bang/explosion sound filled the air >"Your main job while you're on this battlefield is to assert your dominance! You're here to be the biggest, loudest tank you can be!" Bang! >"And you want make sure you leave here bigger than you were before! Bang! >"YOU WANT TO BE A FUCKING MEAT TANK!!!" Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang!Bang! >You could feel half of the ponies in the gym turn to watch this... spectacle >Your mouth opened so that you could say something, you didn't know what, but Anon reached down, slapped a hand on either of your cheeks and picked you up >...It didn't feel too good >It stung... >"SO WE'RE GOING TO LIFT HEAVY ASS WEIGHT!" >There was a fire in Anon's eyes as he looked back at you >An excitement that he was about to bring you into this world of his >...Something which you didn't really want >You didn't come here to get "big" >You didn't come here to "lift heavy ass weight" >You were here to lose a couple of pounds >And that was it >You wanted to tell Anon this but the look that he was giving you... >"ARE YOU READY, RUMBLE?!" Anon asked/screamed >You blinked, your ears ringing and your cheeks stinging "...Ish ready!" you found yourself saying >Grinning hugely, Anon put you down >"Alright then! Lets--" >He looked past you >"Hang on a minute. Hey Flutter! That ass is looking fat today!" >You flinched, a blush coming to your face as the group of stallions near the treadmills muttered amongest themselves >Whoo boy... >You had a feeling that this-- Bang! >... >The next half an hour or so you followed Anonymous all around the gym as he showed you every machine and what it did >Though he was huge and loud and prone to hit on mares across the room with absolutely NO SHAME Anon seemed to know what he was talking about >He showed you how the machines, from the treadmills to the pull-up bars, worked, what they did and what you could do with them with a simplistic kind of language that even somepony like you could understand >After he had finished up his little walk-through of the gym you had been ready to hit the machines >...Only for Anon to cheerfully tell you that the two of you weren't going to be using the machines >And not only were you not going to use the machines you weren't going to use them for a long, long while >You were a green horn, Anon had explained, and being such that meant that you needed to be taught the basics >Basics being the squat, the bench press, and the dead-lift, three exercises that Anon had insisted were difficult to do correctly >Though you were skeptical as you said before you knew not a thing about the gym >For all you knew if a pony wanted muscles they just did push-ups and ran a lot >So you were going to take Anon's word for it >...Even if you just wanted to go trot on the treadmill >Today, since it was the day that Anon usually did this exercise, you were learning how to dead-lift >Or as he called it, "diddylift" >To you it just looked like you had to pick something up before setting it back down >It felt like that too, even though Anon was there ever five seconds adjusting your stance or making you tighten your back or whatever else he was talking about >But then you got to watch Anon do it >For about an hour you were standing there, doing some exercises that Anon told you to do but pretty much just standing there, watching Anon dead-lift >One hundred and thirty, two hundred and twenty five, three hundred and fifteen, Anon just kept upping the weight and upping the weight and upping the weight >All the while making it look easy! >As you watched him, slowly starting to ignore the glares and looks of envy cast in your direction, you started to see a pattern >There was a certain way that he had his feet, his grip was in a certain spot, he had his body tensed a certain way before he started his lift >For some reason you found it oddly... lovely in a certain way >Not lovely like a new vest or lovely like a new mane cut... >But... lovely >Masterful even >More and more and more weight was piled on, and you could see Anon having to actually strain each time to picked up the weight >His body, from his toes to his face, grew bright red and you could see veins bulging on his arms and his forehead >"ARE YOU SEEING THIS SHIT, RUMBLE?" Anon had asked you in the middle of a set, chalk dust covering his pants and arms. "JESUS CHRIST! HOW CAN I STILL FIT IN THIS BUILDING?!" >Four hundred and five, five hundred, five hundred and ninety, up and up and up >Many stallions were now muttering angrily near the dumbbells, not too far from where you and Anon were >You didn't need to think hard about what they where talking about >"Hey, Big Mac, hey Big Mac. Hey Maccy!" >Big Macintosh tried to ignore Anon, focusing on the five pound weights he had in either hoof >"Big Mac, Big Mac, Big Mac! Big red, Macineno, Macattack." >With an angry snort, Big Mac turned toward Anon just as the human was loudly setting the bar, which was nearly filled on both sides, down with a thunderous clang >"What?! What an' the hay do ya want, Anon?!" Mac demanded >With a grunt, Anon slowly lifted the bar up again >You could visibly see the bar bending as he reached the apex of the lift >"Big Mac," Anon said, his face red and his voice straining. "Call your mom. Tell her I'm doing it. Tell her I'm doing it all." >You could see anger in Big Mac's eyes as he narrowed them >"My ma's dead, Anon," he growled >Setting the bar down Anon quickly ripped the bar back up >"Well then call me a meatium, 'cause this pump's bringing back the fucking dead. HAAAAAAAAP! HAAAAAAAAP! HAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPP!" >You couldn't help but giggle as you picked up your weights and started on another set of curls >That was awful... >"That's it. I'm getting the manager," one of the stallions said, turning away and making his way toward the lobby >Anon paid the threat no mind, giving you a wink as he started to stack more weight onto the bar until no more weight could be put on it >You had to stop your set just so that you could count them >There were nine forty-five plates on each side >If you counted the bar that Anon was about to pull eight hundred and fifty-five >More weight than you had ever seen a stallion pick up >It was more weight than you have ever seen ANYPONY pick up; mare, stallion, you name it >The entire gym was silent as Anon got ready for his set >He slowly, methodically put more chalk on his hands >He walked around the bar, eyeing the weight like somepony would their next meal >You could just hear him muttering nonsense to himself as he stepped up to the bar >He started taking deep breaths as he wrapped his hands around the bar >Setting his feet he puffed his chest up and straightened his back, his knuckles white against the bar >With a grunt he wildly pulled against the weights, making the bar shake >He did it again, his breathing getting faster and faster >"Come on, come on, comeoncomeoncomeonCOMEONCOMEONCOMEONNNNNN!" >With a roar that made you take a step back Anon slowly started to lift >Almost instantly his whole body turned a deep shade of red and the form that had been so perfect until now diminished slightly >But, slowly, inch by miraculous inch, he brought that mountain of weight past his ankles and up toward his knees >You could see his body started to shake as the bar slid up his thighs but even still he didn't stop >You heart was racing >You wanted Anon to pick up that impossible weight >You wanted to scream, to shout out encouragement to him, but you knew not to >This was the first time that you had entered a gym >But you could feel a certain... something as you watched this green giant stallion struggle with the weight and gravity >It was a primal feeling, an honest feeling, and, oddly enough, it felt welcomed >In front of you wasn't a stallion that cared whether he got hit on by cute, older mares or even got hit on at all >He didn't care what other ponies thought of him >He didn't even care how other ponies treated him >All he wanted to do was pick up heavy weight for the sake of picking up heavy weight >To become stronger than he had been the day before >And he brought you here so that you could feel just the same as he felt every single day... >With another shout, Anon locked his lift out, standing tall for all to see >Holding the bending bar in the air for a few moments, looking around the room with a mad grin, he dropped the weight before flexing BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!! >Out of the corner of your eye you could see a middle-aged, overweight mare making her way toward the two of you with a frown on her face >"AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" >For seemingly no reason Anon grabbed the collar of his shirt and tore the thing off before tossing it to the ground and throwing his arms up into the air >Seeing a giant, vein-y, screaming stallion the mare stopped, blinking owlishly, before she moon-walked back into her office >"DID YOU SEE THAT SHIT, RUMBLE?! WHOO! DADDY'S GETTING HUGE TODAY!" >Turning away from Anon you looked in the mirror in front of you >Though your muscles were nothing to speak of you could see them standing out on your frame slightly >It was your first pump >A look a what you could be... >... >... >... >You lifted your arms over your head and struck-- Bang! >... >... >... >Oh sweet Celestia... >You were getting into this weren't you? >... >Oh holy horse apples... >You were...