The first
time I drove there was in the summer of 2015 during my first San Diego visit. I couldn't sleep all night,
finally I woke up at 3:30 am and made some oatmeal from organic farm fresh eggs
and oats with blueberries and drove 30 minutes to the World Gym to train there.
I wanted to be the first guy there. I got there at around 6 am. The hot air hit
me in the face. The music was pumping loud. There were already around to 20 guys
crushing their training, sweating and all destroying the weights. No talkers, just
doers. People who do work and not making any excuses.
I knew
right then, I found my HOME for next five summer weeks while preparing for my
upcoming contest in UK UKDFBA/WNBF International.
My best
ever birthday present was a one month membership to World Gym in San Diego that
summer. I never went back to the other gyms that where filled with people who went
through the motions and were not serious about their training. World Gym was
special. People were intense. People were fully dedicated and serious. No
excuses. Hard working guys and girls right there.
I had one
of the best workouts in this gym. Guys at the reception desk are Rick, Ed, Ted,
Bradley, and Mike – are all amazing and humble guys. They make this place even
more special.
I felt like
home. I crushed every workout, destroyed it, my training was intense and I
loved it. Fresh air filled the room through open space, you could see palm
threes outside, sun and even smell the ocean. I remember Dave Goodin saw my
picture on FB and he texted me saying that this is the best gym on the planet!
And I can only say “I agree”.
I won my
Pro Card that year and part of it was because of this amazing place I could
share on my journey.
I return
back to San Diego this year where I spent few months there training in the
World Gym again. I am not competing this year but I had one of the best
workouts ever. I broke all my personal records in Squat, Deadlift, Benchpress,
Shoulder press. I trained in and out of the gym. Training outside was incredible
– tire flips, hill sprints, skipping rope, box jumps, TRX, stair sprints, KB
etc. I Couldn’t get enough of it.
I trained
in England for many years and tried many different gyms – all hardcore places
for serious training's. Places like City Gym in Portsmouth, Collymore Leisure Gym
in Southampton, Unique Bodies Gym in Oxford, Deans Techno Gym in Oldbury, and
Temple Gym in Birmingham etc.
But World
Gym in San Diego is special. And it will stay in my memories forever.
Martin Petro WNBF Pro
