Gym Prose: Water Valley ISD

My name is Max Guarnaccia and last week I was unemployed. This week I am the newest multimedia specialist working within the marketing team at Bolt Fitness Supply, and tomorrow I will be traveling with the Gym Pros team to outfit Water Valley ISD in Water Valley, Texas. I am thrilled to already be put on this assignment documenting the process for a massive high school gym installation. Not only am I new here at Bolt but I've only just recently moved to Houston, Texas, and am already getting the opportunity to travel across this great state.

Oscar Adame, the general manager at Bolt Fitness Supply approached me at my desk and gave me my brief for Water Valley. I looked up Water Valley on a map and it looks far. The further the better as far as I’m concerned because this will be a great opportunity to experience this beautiful state first hand. Because Texas is so big (everything is bigger in Texas) Houston in relation to Water Valley gives me little approximation as to how far (or not far) this place actually is. Will it take us 10 hours? 20 hours? No, 7 hours, Oscar tells me. “That's it?” I tell Oscar - But I don't discriminate, I love all road trips and the opportunity to see new places. I don't even care that as Oscar walks out he tells me this will be a two-day project beginning tomorrow 7 am sharp. I'm not a morning person but I know this will be a project worth rising for.

The following morning I arrive at 6:45 a.m. to Bolt HQ (6415 Allegheny St, Houston, TX 77021) thinking surely I would be the first one here. On the contrary, I am in fact the last one and it appears everyone has been waiting for me. Sheesh. These Gym Pros mean business, and this is not a good first impression. I am optimistic however that over the next 48 hours I will be provided with abundant opportunities to earn my stripes, at least that's my plan.

The addition of me makes us a team of seven. Of this group, I know Jackson Chamblee, our videographer, and Oscar whom I’ve mentioned. As I am herded into one of two trucks I meet the two guys whose legs I will be touching all morning. As the new guy, I am without question riding in the middle seat. On the positive side, I now have a front-row seat to what will be a beautiful drive, once we escape Houston of course, which I learned actually takes a really long time.

Our first stop is Buc-Ee's in Katy. What is Katy? Or who is Katy? Is this even Houston? (remember, I'm not from here) Are you telling me we've been driving over an hour and we’re still in Houston? And what is Buc-Ee's and why do I see this dang beaver everywhere? (I will spare you my Buc-Ee’s diatribe: See Gym Prose Episode 20) Nevertheless, we’re here and loading up on gas, snacks, obligatory Buc-Ee’s merch, and more snacks. This is a good opportunity to stretch out my legs because something tells me there won't be much stopping between now and our final destination.

The beauty of the Texas landscape does not disappoint and I am very grateful for the opportunity to have this experience on the clock. I have only seen these vast landscapes in the movies and it does live up to the lore. Speaking of movies I notice that Water Valley is located close (relatively speaking) to Odessa and Midland which is so cool because these towns are the setting for one of my favorite movies: No Country for Old Men. You have to remember that I am from the East Coast and have never been to Texas before. We really do romanticize this state, even from the self-imposed confinement of our high horses in the North East.

But enough of that, we just pulled up to Water Valley High School and it's time to get to work. Everybody has an important position to play and mine is that of documentation and assisting the Gym Pros with some basic installation procedures. We have two trucks packed with fitness equipment and it's time to unload them. It's beyond impressive how much equipment they fit in these two trucks, someone at Bolt got their Ph.D. in Tetris, and these professionals didn't waste one cubic inch of space. We spent most of the afternoon unloading the trucks and strategically placing everything in preparation for another big day tomorrow. I'm calling it: this will be the best high school gym within 100 miles.

Oscar calls it a wrap around 7 pm. All the equipment is laid out and our work for tomorrow certainly is too. We've been at it for 12 hours now and I'm wiped. I think I'm the only one who's tired because the team appears to be completely unfazed by the day we just had. We decide (by we I mean they) to eat at the Twin Peaks next to the hotel, I’m game because that puts me in very close proximity to a bed. Is this restaurant inspired by the show Twin Peaks? I know it's hardly relevant but I had to ask, the question was even less relevant because no one had seen the show. That was my last attempt today at observational humor, I sleep-eat (sleepwalking but eating) through this fried food feast and then hit the proverbial sack.

I sleep like a baby and wake up like a man. Today I'm ready to prove myself amongst these seasoned installers and earn my keep within this competitive roster. We arrive on-site, at 7 am, and immediately get to work. The group is extremely motivated because the fact is we only go home tonight if all the work gets done today.

We begin by unboxing the equipment, I haven't laid eyes on any of this fitness gear until right now, and holy smokes this stuff looks amazing! Bolt Fitness equipment is perfectly located at the intersection of form and function: these pieces are matte-black, heavy-duty, and hyper-functional. What's more a lot of this gear has been customized at Phantom Print Shop and is branded with the names of the Water Valley sports teams: Wildcats and Ladycats. I can't believe how clean this fresh gear looks, the quality of the prints on the cross members, lifting platforms, and weight plates look amazing, not to mention the custom embroidery on the Triton benches. (nice work Phantom Print Shop)

It is worth mentioning that Water Valley purchased a lot of gear: I count 4 Knight GHD, 15 Barbarian Racks equipped with 15 Thrasher barbells, and countless competition bumper and lightening weight plates, just to name a few. I also love how our Ridgeback power sleds look on the indoor turf. This is shaping up to be the type of facility that forges state champions. And speaking of state champions, these Gyms Pros are dominating this assembly, they are a well-oiled machine, like a fleet of Ferraris or an Argentinian football team (you decide). If there was a national title given to gym installers I’d bet the farm on Bolt's Gym Pros, you’ll just have to see the video to believe it. I’m not even trying to keep up as much as I'm just trying to stay out of the way.

The coup-de-gras of this install are the two custom (that's right two) bridges that Bolt designed for Water Valley. These contraptions are intense, like playground equipment on steroids with a side of Ninja Warrior. Each custom bridge spans almost the entire width of the gym and is branded with the Wildcat logo.

We’re 10 hours in and the team is puttering about putting the finishing touches on this installation. Oscar walks around the gym with the athletic director demonstrating a flawless performance from each piece of equipment. Oscar knows his stuff and the athletic director and his team are blown away by their new facility. I wish I could be here to see the looks on the athlete's faces when they walk in here for 2-a-days but it's time to hit the road. I mustn't get too attached to Water Valley because there will be many more epic Bolt gym installs on the horizon.

After some Chinese buffet not worth writing home about we hit the road and embark on a drive worth writing even less about because I slept the entire way. I am exhausted, keeping up with the Gym Pros team was nothing to shrug a barbell at. I am tired but still able to summon the energy to pat myself on the back: I’m proud of myself and even more proud to be a part of this elite group at Bolt Fitness Supply. All this action and I haven't even been here for one week. This place is awesome.

-Max Guarnaccia