The Daddy Mack.

Most of you got pretty annoyed by my discussions of Mack Newton and his sadistic ways.  Its probably a great testament to my own sadism that I actually still go to his class at least 3 times a week.  I've graduated from being one of the many people who get yelled at constantly to being one of the many people who get yelled at occasionally.  I just spent a class in the "back room" doing 1500 mountainclimbers because I gained a pound and my body fat when up.  [I had some ice cream and I started drinking coffee again.]

 

All in all, I'm still not too fond of the class but I've grown to love most of the people in class.  [The world isn't perfect so there are a few tools in there but I just ignore them.]  I'm pretty regularly called to the front row where the top people (attitude-wise) are asked to stand and I've vomited only once so far.  (I made it off the floor and to the bathroom so there was no mess.)  I've learned a lot about my ability to keep going when my mind says I'm tired.  In other words, I can keep going a lot longer than I thought.  My stomach doesn't hurt before class although I always feel a little nervous because you never know what type of torture the guy is going to call out.

 

Mack and I get along much better now and I actually joke and make fun of him sometimes.  He still calls me "ST" but has added "DQ" as a nickname, which stands for Dancing Queen -- Not Dairy Queen, because I sometimes break into a dance move in class.  (I can't really help it when something like "Carwash" is playing....I mean when you have talent like I do...its not fair to deny people the opportunity to view my robot or re-run moves.)

 

We had a REALLY REALLY bad breakdown where I just started shrugging my shoulders at him a few months ago.  This made him insanely mad and the whole class was completely frightened at how loud he got.  I just stood there while his spit flew all over my face and shrugged.  He sent me into the back room to do 1000 mountainclimbers and I didn't do A SINGLE MOUNTAINCLIMBER.  I just sat there with a homicidal look on my face.  [I was thinking about walking out the entire time and wondering why at 43 year old woman like me was basically having a "time out."]  Afterwards we had a big powwow where I told him that yelling at me wasn't something I respond to and that I understood his desire to help me but that he was going about it the wrong way.  He and I had a long talk about pushing yourself and committing yourself to working hard, etc.  At the end, I told him that I would stick it out for a little while and see how it felt.  Things have been much better since then.  He still doesn't let me get away with crap but I work harder than ever and he acknowledges and appreciates that.  Was that really too much to ask for in the first place?  Anyway, since I don't have an apartment in Phoenix anymore I go to class after work and drive to Tucson afterwards.  I get home at about 10 pm.

 

There are a few of you who don't know about Mack Newton and his class.  Here is a brief update.  Mack is a 65 year old 7th degree Tae Kwon Do blackbelt and a Vietnam vet (with the bullet holes to prove it) who runs a training/conditioning facility like a prisoner of war camp.  He conducts his training on a carpeted floor where you can't wear shoes or bring water.  The room is kept at about 105 degrees and you must do exactly what he says or you get relegated to a "back room" which is about 10 degrees hotter where you have to do mountainclimbers or squat thrusts.  Students 18 and below have to call him "sir" or "Mr. Newton" and most people (me included) call him "sir" in class.  He doesn't accept any excuses and he prides himself on knowing exactly how far he can push you.  Indeed, he gets extremely angry if he tells you to do something and you tell him you can't.  He also has very strict dietary restrictions and you have to fill out food sheets and bring them to class.  Occasionally he'll tell the whole class what you ate.  On several occasions, I've seen him make an overweight person tell the whole class their body fat content or weight.  His idea is that you have to accept where you are before you can change anything.  Its a rather harsh environment, to say the least.  Many (if not all) of you have told me to kick him in the nuts and leave.  For some insane reason, I haven't yet.  My mother won't even discuss it with me anymore because she thinks its so crazy.  I mean, she's impressed with how fit I am now but she doesn't like to hear anything about Mack because she doesn't like him.  I get it.

 

Anyway, I'm still hanging in there for some odd reason.  Admittedly it has gotten much better (where else could it go but up?).

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[Todd L]

Listen to your mother.