The Strength Within Comes Out

[hatour]

An original story, with maybe some borrowed bits and pieces. Not sure yet. I'm just going where this takes me...

The Strength Within Comes Out

Chapter 1

'What am I going to do?' Naomi said to herself as she wandered aimlessly through the downtown streets. She was amazed how she could go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in just six months.

Naomi was married with two children. Two years ago, her children were old enough that she decided to go back to work. She had always coveted a government job. They are secure and flexible positions. However, they are notoriously difficult to get, especially if you have been out of the workforce for 10 years.

Six months ago, she was finally hired as a government employee by the Department of Labor to conduct DEI training. At the same time, her husband had been promoted to general counsel of the largest consulting firm in the country. Everything was coming up roses!

Then the first domino fell. She came home one day and the garage door didn't open. She went to the door and her key didn't open it. She rang the doorbell. When her husband came to the door, he handed her a suitcase and informed her that he wanted a divorce. He said he was taking the house and the kids, then shut the door in her face.

She was dumbfounded. She later found out that he had been cheating on her for years and he had been plotting to divorce her for the last two.

Usually a mother has an advantage in divorce court if children are involved. Not so when your husband is an important and powerful attorney. Naomi lost the house and custody of her children. To add insult to injury, she was even forced to start paying her husband alimony.

Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, she lost her normally secure job when the President fired all the DEI employees in the government. She had spent all her money on attorneys fighting to get custody of her children in the divorce. She barely had enough to eat. She definitely couldn't afford next month's rent.

Here she was now, wandering aimlessly through town. Trying to figure out how she was going to survive.

She stopped in front of a coffee shop window and looked at her reflection. At 35 years old, she wasn't unattractive, but she had let herself go during the last 10 or so years. She scowled at her slightly round and oval shaped body. She simply couldn't maintain a good figure after having two children and taking care of both the kids and her husband.

Naomi noticed she was slouching and stood up tall. Her now ex-husband didn't like her being taller than him. In her bare feet, she was an inch taller than his 5'10" height. She would often slouch around him to make him feel better. She decided at that moment, she would break that habit and stand tall. Heck, she might even start wearing high heels!

If only she could afford to buy new shoes. Or pay her rent for that matter. "Ugh!" Naomi shouted in frustration.

"Spare a dime, miss? So I can grab a bite to eat?"

[hatour]

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[erocha75]

Wow, a new story by the legendary Hatour!! Awesome start!! Mooore, pls!!

[brave_archer]

Legendary indeed! Wow, never thought I'd see this. Really looking forward to more, Hatour and glad to see you writing again!

[hatour]

Thank you for all the KARMA and kind words!

Chapter 2

Naomi looked down to see who spoke, shocking her out of her dreary thoughts. She saw a dirty little man sitting on the sidewalk between her and the coffee shop window. He was smiling up at her with his hand out.

She hadn't even noticed him there when she was looking at her reflection in the window. 'That will be me at the end of the month,' she thought to herself.

The man waited patiently for a response.

Naomi did not just give money to strangers, but she did help out when she could. Maybe giving this little man a meal would make her feel better. She walked up to the coffee shop door and opened it. "After you," she said to the little man.

The man stood up and walked inside. He ordered some food and a drink and Naomi paid for it. "Nothing for you?" he asked.

"I'm not hungry," she responded.

As she turned to leave, the little man said, "You're not going to make me eat alone, are you?"

Naomi sighed. It's not like she had anywhere to be, so she walked to a table and sat down.

The man followed her and sat across from her. He didn't touch the food. He just sat and looked at her. "So, do you want to tell me why you are so sad?"

For some unknown reason, Naomi poured her heart out to this little man. She told him everything. What had happened and how she was feeling. When she was done, she was sobbing with her head in her hands.

After the man let her have a good cry, he said, "Look at me, child." Naomi stopped sobbing and looked into the man's kind eyes. "Even after everything you have gone through, you still had enough kindness to give little old me a meal. The moment I saw you, I could tell that you are a woman of infinite kindness and strength. Please accept this ring as a token of my appreciation and a symbol of great things to come. So long as you wear it, your outer strength will match your inner strength."

He placed a ring in her hand. He then shoved the food towards her. "Eat. It will make you feel better." He stood up and walked out of the coffee shop.

[hatour]

Thank you for all the KARMA!

Chapter 3

Naomi looked down at the ring in her hand. It felt large and heavy. It appeared to be made of pewter. It was scratched up with what looked like many years of use. On its head was etched two parallel lines, of which the left was longer than the right. The two lines were connected at the top by a slanted line.

The ring looked so large, she doubted that it would fit any of her fingers. She slipped the ring onto her right thumb. To her amazement, it fit perfectly.

At that moment, her stomach growled. 'No use letting that food go to waste,' she thought. 'And I need to make every dollar count.'

After she had finished eating, she felt much better. Better than she had in months. She stood up and walked back to her apartment.

As Naomi placed her hand on the entrance door of her apartment building, she saw a man wearing sweats outside the store front next to her building. He was handing out flyers. She walked up to him and took one. It was a coupon for a free personal training session. A second session would be free if she joined the gym.

Naomi looked up at the sign on the storefront window. "GOLD'S GYM" was printed on the glass. "Funny," Naomi said to the man. "I never realized there was a gym here."

"That's because we just opened last week," the man replied. "I noticed you were about to enter the apartment building next door. Do you live there?"

Naomi looked down at the man. She was taller than the man in front of her, even though realized she was slouching again. He was shorter than her ex-husband by a couple of inches.

She straightened up tall and asked, "Why?"

"Since I just opened the gym and the apartments are right next door, I am waiving the application fee and giving three months free to those that live there. Besides, I just moved into the apartments myself and I haven't had a chance to meet any neighbors yet. I'm Kyle, by the way." The man held out his obviously muscular hand.

Naomi reached out and shook his hand. Even though her hand was larger than his, his grip was powerfully strong. It almost hurt.

"Naomi," she replied. She dropped the hand shake and rubbed her hand. "And yes, I do live there."

Seeing Naomi rubbing her hand, Kyle said, "Sorry about the handshake. Sometimes I forget how strong I am. Just the hazards of being a powerlifter, I guess."

"Well nice to meet you, Kyle," she said as she turned to walk back to the apartment building door.

"Stop by anytime for your free personal training session!" Kyle shouted out to her, as she left. "I'd love to help out a neighbor!"

[hatour]

Thank you for all the KARMA!

Chapter 4

Naomi entered her apartment and sat on the coach. She looked at the flyer in her hand. She never thought about working out. Sure she was overweight and out of shape, but she thought that diet would be all she needed to shed the weight.

Her ex-husband liked skinny women. Naomi was as thin as a model when they first met. That is what he used to call her, his beautiful runway model. She should have known then that he only cared for her as a trophy wife. His new girlfriend was short and rail thin, a new trophy for him to show off.

She crumpled up the flyer in her hand in anger. 'Well I am done conforming to what he or any other man wants,' Naomi said to herself. 'I am going to do what I want to do. And I want to start losing this weight and getting into shape. Maybe joining the gym is exactly what I need to do!'

The next day, Naomi got up and searched for some workout clothes. The best she could find was an old sweatshirt and yoga pants that barely fit her. She remembered how loose they were on her when she was younger. Now she could barely squeeze into them.

Naomi grabbed the flyer and went down to the gym. When she entered, Kyle was at the front counter looking at a magazine. She put the flyer on the desk and said, "Let's do this."

[hatour]

Thank you for all the KARMA!

Chapter 5

Kyle looked up and smiled at Naomi. "Do you want just the single training session or do you want to sign up? The apartment special still stands. I'll even throw in a third training session if you sign up today."

"I just lost my job, so I don't know if I can afford to join just yet," Naomi replied.

"You get the first three months free, remember?" Kyle said.

Naomi thought about it and said, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I should have another job in three months, right?"

"Of course you will," Kyle said. "Let's get you signed up." Kyle got out the paperwork and Naomi signed up for the gym.

When they were done, Kyle gave Naomi a tour of the gym. It was set up for serious bodybuilders and powerlifters. It was a Gold's Gym, after all. Naomi began to think that she bit off more than she could chew.

When the tour was over, Kyle said, "First, we need to establish a baseline to measure your progress against. Let's take some basic measurements." Naomi's baseline measurements were:

Height: 5 feet 11 inches (1.8 m)
Weight (lb/kg): 230 / 104.3
Body Fat: 33%   
Chest Cup: B   
Chest Size (in/cm): 40 / 101.6
Waist (in/cm): 40 / 101.6
Thighs (in/cm): 30 / 76.2
Calves (in/cm): 20 / 50.8
Arms (in/cm): 15 / 38.1

With the measurements complete, Kyle gave Naomi her first training session. Since he was going to give her three training sessions, he set her up with a classic three day training program. All his knowledge was about powerlifting and bodybuilding, so the program he made for her was dedicated to building strength and size. Naomi did not know anything about working out. She just went along with his program.

The first session was dedicated to working her chest, shoulders, and triceps. He walked her through ten exercises using very light weights. He wanted her to concentrate on proper form first, before she got into lifting heavy.

Light weights for him were very heavy for her. She struggled to bench press the bar. Even though she was struggling with the weights, she enjoyed the feeling of resistance they gave her. She was determined to do the exercises correctly. When they were done with the session, Naomi could barely move.

"Great job, Naomi," Kyle said when they were done. "I wish half the people I trained took to this like you did."

"Thanks, Kyle," Naomi replied, exhausted.

"Hit the showers and take tomorrow off to rest since you are going to be pretty sore," Kyle continued. "Resting is just as important as lifting when it comes to strength training. I'll see you in two days for your second session."

[taoschild]

I'm enjoying the slow burn. 

[brave_archer]

Short updates and a slow burn is better than nothing at all from the great Hatour.

[nwguy67]

Good story. Please continue.

[hatour]

Thank you for all the KARMA!

Chapter 6

When Naomi woke up the next day, her chest and arms were sore. She took a warm shower and ate a large breakfast. Kyle told her that even though she wanted to lose weight, she still had to eat enough to fuel her body to build some muscle to burn the fat.

Naomi spent the rest of the day online, looking for a job. As the day wore on, she felt less and less sore. By the time she went to sleep, her body didn't ache at all. When she woke up the next morning, she felt refreshed and full of energy.

Naomi arrived at the gym just as it opened. Kyle smiled at her. "You're here bright and early. That's what I call dedication! Let's get started."

The second session was dedicated to working her back and biceps. Again, his light weights were heavy for her. She could only curl five pound weights. After he walked her through seven new exercises, Naomi was exhausted.

"Great job again, Naomi," Kyle said when they were done. "Your dedication and determination is a true inspiration."

"Thanks, Kyle," Naomi replied, exhausted.

"Hit the showers and take tomorrow off to rest. You are going to be pretty sore again," Kyle continued. "Don't forget that resting is just as important as lifting when it comes to strength training. I'll see you in two days for your last session."

Chapter 7

When Naomi woke up the next day, her back and arms were sore. She took a warm shower and ate a large breakfast. She checked her emails and spent the rest of the day online, looking for a job. As the day wore on, she felt less and less sore. By the time she went to sleep, her body didn't ache at all. When she woke up the next morning, she felt refreshed and full of energy. 

Again, Naomi arrived at the gym just as it opened. The last session was dedicated to her legs. Kyle took Naomi through a series of exercises that worked her quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Naomi was beginning to enjoy the feeling of resistance that the weights provided. Even the exhaustion after the workout was done felt good.

"That's all she wrote," Kyle said. "If you keep up with this routine, you will be in shape in no time."

"Thanks for all the help," Naomi said, breathlessly.

As she got up to leave, Kyle said, "Oh I almost forgot. I am having a housewarming party at my place tomorrow. You are invited, assuming you can still walk."

"Sure, why not?" she replied.

"Wow, just what a guy wants to hear," Kyle responded, smirking.

"Sorry. I'm just tired. I would love to stop by. What time tomorrow?" she said.

"It will start at around six and end whenever," he said. "I'm in apartment 69. Insert your joke here."

Naomi smiled. "Too easy. See you tomorrow," she said as she walked out.

[jeffbeans]

Love the slow build up, keep going! 

[hatour]

Thank you for all the KARMA!

Chapter 8

Naomi woke up the next day and hobbled to her bathroom to take a hot shower. Her legs were so sore, she could hardly walk. A large breakfast continued to be on her menu. Since it was Saturday, she decided to relax on the couch and watch some television.

In the afternoon, Naomi realized that Kyle's party will probably be filled with a lot of fit and attractive people. She shook her head. 'What was I thinking?' she said to herself. 'I will look like an overweight ogre next to all the fit men and women who will be there.'

Naomi picked up her cellphone to call Kyle to tell him that she could not make it. That is when she realized that she didn't have his number. 'Shoot,' she said to herself again. 'I can't go over there and say I can't make it in person. I guess I have to bite the bullet and go. I'll just make a quick appearance and go.'

When the time for the party came near, she got up and went to her closet. She tried on an outfit that she thought would make her look decent. The outfit seemed a little loose on her. 'That is odd,' she thought. 'This fit me fine last week.' She tried on another outfit and it felt loose, as well. She went deeper into her closet to pulled out an outfit she hadn't worn in years because it had become too small on her. She was surprised that it fit her when she put it on.

Naomi looked at herself in the mirror. She still looked overweight, but she did seem a little skinnier than before. 'If I had known that working out would help me look better this quickly,' she said to herself, 'I would have started working out sooner. Hopefully this passes muster.' Naomi put on a pair of flats, grabbed a bottle of wine to give as a housewarming gift, and left her apartment.

When she arrived at Kyle's apartment, she knocked on the door. No one answered. She could hear people and music inside. She put her hand on the handle of the door and saw that it was open. She walked in.

[derekr]

Loving so far. Can't wait for more!

[hatour]

Thank you for all the KARMA!

Chapter 9

Naomi scanned the crowd and saw wall to wall muscle. Most of the women in the crowd were at the fitness competitor level. They were the least muscular people in the room. There were what appeared to be a couple of women powerlifters and bodybuilders in the crowd. All of the men were hugely muscled. She gulped as she realized how out of shape and out of place she looked.

The second thing she noticed was how tall she was compared to everyone. She didn't know that most people who get into powerlifting and bodybuilding were on the shorter side. She was easily five inches taller than everyone in the room, with the exception of a couple of guys.

The person closest to her in height was a man on her left. He smiled at her and came over to introduce himself. He was easily the most muscular person in the room. "Hey there," he said, extending his hand. "I'm Jake. You must be new to the crowd."

Naomi looked slightly down at Jake and smiled. She didn't shake his hand for fear he would crush hers. She just put up her hand awkwardly and gave a little wave as she said, "Naomi."

"Nice to meet you, Naomi. How do you know Kyle?"

"I live in the building and I just joined the gym."

"That is awesome," Jake said with excitement. "Did you take advantage of Kyle's personal training? He is the greatest. Would you believe that when I first met Kyle I was 350 pounds of fat? Look at me now. I'm 300 pounds of pure muscle."

Jake lifted his right arm up and gave it a flex. Naomi's eyes widened. It was the biggest muscle she had ever seen.

"Go ahead, give it a squeeze. It's rock solid," Jake said with a smile.

Naomi raised her hand and placed it on top of his arm. Even though she had large hands, she could only grasp the top of his biceps. When she squeezed, his muscle felt like a rock and didn't budge an inch.

"Unlike Hulk Hogan, these are real 24 inch pythons," Jake said.

"Hey, Ogre!" Naomi heard someone shout. Her face went white. 'Did someone just call me an ogre?' Naomi thought in horror. Her worst nightmare was coming true.

"Yo!" Jake shouted.

"You couldn't wait a minute to flex for the new girl?" Naomi heard from behind her. She turned around and looked down at Kyle, smiling up at her. "I see you've met Ogre."

"I used to hate that name," Jake said. "Kids used to call me that when I was fat. Now I own it because I am as strong as an ogre."

"Calm down, Jake," Kyle said. "I've just met Naomi and got her to join the gym. We don't need to scare her off. Especially since she is also a neighbor."

"Well it was nice to meet you, Naomi," Jake said. "See you around the gym." Jake walked off to talk to a group of buff ladies in the corner of the room.

Naomi turned her attention back to Kyle. She handed him the bottle of wine she had brought and said, "Happy Housewarming."

Kyle took the bottle of wine and said, "You shouldn't have. You know you're the first person to bring me something that wasn't bodybuilding related. It's a wonderful change of pace. Thank you. Would you like me to open it and pour you a glass?"

Naomi thought some wine would be great to calm her nerves. "That would be great. Thank you," she replied.