DD’s sweaty celebration

Part 2 of DD’s blogging mini-series …

As mentioned in yesterday’s blog post, I’ve become known as ‘DJ Dave’ among the Warrior workout group (also ‘Honey Prawn’ – because I’ve spent so much time in China on business trips this year).

When I first started training with the group, one of the other guys would put on a play list – basically AC/DCs greatest hits. But, when I was doing one-on-one training at Muscle Beach I needed to provide some tunes myself.

And so the Warrior Playlist was born … a mix of Warrior favorites plus high energy songs I liked. And, because the Warrior is a child of the 70’s (with a haircut to match), it took me back to my earlier years and let me explore and rediscover music of the past: “Ballroom Blitz” (The Sweet), “Summertime Blues” (The Who’s version), “Magic Man” (Heart), “Rebel Rebel” (Bowie), “Fortunate Son” (Creedence), “Woodstock” (Crosby Stills Nash and Young).

Plus, of course, songs that suit an iron-lifting workout – “Let’s Go” (Cars), “Run by Night” (Midnight Oil), “Shipping Steel” (Chisel), “Scarred for Life” (Rose Tattoo) …

One of my great pleasures is to adapt the playlist to events – when George and Malcom Young died I put together a Vanda and Young and AC/DC playlist; birthdays are celebrated with The Beatles “Birthday”; and engagements are marked with Seal’s “Crazy”.

The boys will embellish the playlist with their own lines – shouting out “Let me outta here” to AC/DC mid sweaty work-out during “Jailbreak” or ”D1’s been scarred for life” during the eponymous Rose Tattoo song. You get the idea.

But one song has grown in significance – AC/DCs “Whole Lotta Rosie” – with first verse co-opted to serve as a celebration point of each workout, as we usually have a newcomer or returnee or birthday to mark. The Warrior will walk over to them as they are attempting to bench press and (ahem) ‘sing’: “Let me tell you a story / About a [victims name here] I know / He came to train with the Warrior / And crawled out real slow / He ain’t exactly pretty …” – with the whole group joining in for “ain’t exactly pretty”.

One of the great things about a high energy workout to music is that it clears the mind – well at least before you collapse in exhaustion – and stimulates thinking.

For example, one day it lead to this fateful interchange …

Warrior: “Awesome play list today D1”

D1: “Thanks Warrior. I have an idea to take it to the next level. Would you be interested?”

Warrior: “Of course D1 – how would we do that?”

D1: “A workout to a live band playing our playlist here at Muscle Beach”

All: broad smiles

And so the concept of the Warrior Christmas Party was born. Luckily we knew a good band called “Classic Stitch Up” – Son of D1’s cover band, which played at Alana’s 50th. The one requirement being that “Whole Lotta Rosie was added to the set as the last song.

The format: a 75-minute workout followed by a sausage sizzle and brown gatorades (aka beers).

Plus a Mr Whippy van stationed curbside for the kiddies!

And so, at 4.10pm on December 1, Classic Stitch Up struck up “Stairway to Heaven” and approximately 45 people started the inaugural Warrior Christmas Party Workout, which ended with a special rendition of “Rosie” with guest vocalist (see a snippet below)

Feedback has been universally positive and we are already planning the next “function” (bigger and better) towards the end of summer. So if any readers know of a large gym on the Northern Beaches with a stage – please let me know!

Here are some shots from the party: