Shane Lance B.S., M.Ed.

When my son was 14, I decided it was time for him to hit the weight room.  My training partner had a son the same age.  We both had these delusions of grandeur about our sons coming to the gym with us and getting hooked on pumping iron just like us.  Hmm, well it might have worked if we hadn’t dragged them out of bed at five in the morning.  If they had worked as hard at lifting as they did at complaining, they would have built some serious muscle.  Surprisingly, we put up with the complaints for eight weeks before we gave up and let them sleep.  I wasn’t too concerned at that point.  My son was a wrestler and football player and I knew sooner or later he would discover that girls like muscles.  It was the next year that it happened.  A girl said he was looking buff and a monster was created. 

I had the pleasure of training the football team through the summer during each of my son’s four years of football.  I watched him grow bigger, stronger, more athletic, and more confident each year.  It was a lot of fun to spend quality time hitting the weights with him before he left on his LDS Mission.  Of course, he’s still not as big and strong as the old man but he has a good start.  For Christmas this year I sent him a set of exercise bands so he can work out.  He sent us videos of him working out and he is apparently training other missionaries now.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is a desire to lead an active and healthful lifestyle.  It is like teaching them to fish.  The best way for us to do that is by example.  It is hard to instill that desire if the only activity they see from you is when you run to the bathroom during commercial breaks.  We all have our down times.  I am fat and out of shape right now but that has got to change.  My daughters are depending on me to train them to kick butt in soccer.

I'm starting on Tuesday.  It's too crowded on Monday. ha ha