Romeo and Juliet
By: HealthyMan@webtv.net
Montagues and Capulets


Romeo was a vibrant and loving young man.  Living a healthy and happy
lifestyle.  But, one thing was missing from his life....LOVE.  True
love.  He had dated some nice women.  But, none of them ever fit the
mold of his "Ms. Right" quite fully.  You see, Romeo was a bit of a
health nut.  And he sought the same in his bride to be.  Also, Romeo was
VERY attracted to a STRONG woman!  Both of mind, and of body.  Romeo's
family was after all, the owners of one of the most prestigous health
clubs in town.  A Bally's fitness club!  It started out before he was
even born.  His father bought the rights to open Bally's in town many
years ago.  And had brought it up from a one floor health club with just
one large free weight area, to one of three floors.  Consisting of a
fine and extensive set of free weights and nautilaus equipment.  And,
tons of cardiovascular equipment.  Many of the top bodybuilders in the
area trained there.  Romeo had three older sisters.  All VERY into
fitness and weight training.  And the entire family was notorious for
phenomenal strength feats.  All of his sisters had competed in regional
powerifting competitions.  And, Romeo was, himself, a very strong,
little guy.  So, it made sense that Romeo was in search of a woman with
similar attributes.  

Romeo's family had been very successful in their business of health.
But, one other family in town had been hindering them from totally
monopolizing the fitness industry.  The family that owned the Gold's gym
in town.  The Gold's gym family were fairly new in town, and had opened
up a large and luxurious facility on the other side of town.  A few of
the competitive bodybuilders had switched to the Gold's gym.  And
Romeo's father had a deep hatred for Gold's.  Now, Romeo didn't know too
much about the Gold's gym family.  Nor did he really care.  I mean,
after all, they WERE on the other side of town.  So, usually, it did not
concern him. Although, Romeo's three sisters had competed against a
member of the Gold's gym family in a local powerlifting competitiion,
and she beat two of them.  So, his sister's were also very threatened
and not too keen on the entire Gold's gym clan.  

After Romeo's workouts, he often stopped by a newly opened health food
store to grab a PowerBar or two to refresh his drained body.  The health
food store was fairly new to this location.  And the owners of it were
not apparent.  Romeo's father had looked into the matter.  But, the
local licensing bureau were not allowing the owner's of the health food
store to be identified.  This upset Romeo's father, as the store was so
close to their gym, and many of their patrons stopped in there after
their workouts.  As Romeo often did.  

One day, after an especially exhausting workout, Romeo stopped in to the
health food strore.  The store was rather quiet on this warm Spring
afternoon.  Romeo was beginning to wonder if anyone was even there,
after he had browsed around a bit.  When Romeo had picked out his
PowerBar of choice, he stepped up to the counter.  No one was there.  

"Hello"?, Romeo called out.  "Anybody working here"?
"Here I am", came a sweet sounding voice from the back room.  In fact,
it was the sweetest voice that Romeo could remember hearing in a very
long time.  

At that point, out came a girl from the back room.  She was a tiny
little thing.  Standing about 5'2", and perhaps 130 stout pounds.  She
was cute as a button.  Romeo had never seen this girl before, he
thought.  He surely would have remembered this adorable little thing.
She was wearing a moderate length skirt, and a sleeveless blouse.
Displaying a pair of the most chiseled and muscular arms that Romeo had
seen.  Not even in his father's gym!  Her arms were not big, by any
means.  But, appeared to be as hard as steel!  

"I was just getting in a little workout in the back room there", she
said.
"Oh", stammered Romeo.  "So you lift weights"?
"Well, or course I do", she said.  "I work at a health food store".
"I assume that's where you got such nice arms", said Romeo.
"You think they look good", asked the girl.
"Yes", said Romeo.  "They look awesome"!
At that, this girl flexed her right bicep right in Romeo's face.
"I'll bet you can't squeeze them down", she said.
"Oh, really", querried Romeo.  
To which Romeo latched his strong hands to the girl's bicep, and
squeezed with all of his might.  But, to no avail, he could not put a
dent in her mighty arm.  
"Wow", exclaimed Romeo.  "Your arm is as hard as steel"!  
"Hee Hee.  Thank You", the girl said with a giddy laugh.  "You should
feel my legs.  They are even HARDER".  
"Ok", said Romeo.  "Let's see 'em".  
She then pulled her skirt up enough to expose her muscular thigh.  Yet,
not too far as to be un-ladylike.  Then she flexed her thigh, and
strands of muscle bulged from all angles.  She had the thighs of a
bodybuilder, Romeo thought.  Yet even harder appearing.  Romeo then
reached down and felt her leg.  Hard as granite!  
"Yes, but, are you strong", challenged Romeo.
"Oh, very strong", the girl said.  "I've competed in a few powerlifting
contests.  Almost won one of them".  

The twinkle in her eye was enticing to Romeo.  He had searched long and
far for a girl of this nature.  

"How much can you lift", asked Romeo.
"Well...", she thought.  "I could lift you easily"  A giggle followed,
as her eyes twinkled even more now.  
"Oh, really", said Romeo.  "Well, let's try a few things".

She proceeded to take Romeo by the hand to the back of the store.  She
had him stand facing a wall, bent over, stuck her head between Romeo's
legs, and lifted him up onto her shoulders.  Then, she began doing
squats.  Many, many of them!  Romeo was amazed at the power that he was
feeling from this tiny powerhouse.  How could she be so strong?

Then, she sat on the edge of a counter, and had Romeo sit on his feet,
while she did many leg extensions with him.  The muscles cording out
from her thighs.  She also did donkey calf raises with Romeo sitting on
her back.  And later, took him outside, where she climbed a few flights
of stairs with Romeo seated astride her strong shoulders.  His sister's
had used him for weight like this before.

Romeo was amazed how much fun this girl seemed to be having, showing off
her strength in this way.  She was so incredibly strong.  And so cute!
Romeo was beginning to think that he had found his "Ms. Right".  But,
was she married?

"So, what is your name", asked Romeo.
"My name is Juliet", came the response.  "Do you have a girlfriend that
can lift you like that"?
"No", said Romeo.  "I don't have a girlfriend or a wife".
"Well, I don't have a boyfriend or husband to lift like that", said
Juliet.  "So, that's why I enjoyed so much lifting you.  What is your
name"?
"I am Romeo"
"Well, it has been a pleasure meeting you, young Romeo".

Romeo then left the store, in awe at the girl that he had just met.
Romeo stopped in to the store every day that week.  And he and Juliet
went through their impromptu workout like this often.  Laughing and
giggling as they did so.  Juliet had even seemed to get stronger after
awhile of doing these lifts.  She claimed that it was the fact that she
had begun to fall in love with Romeo that had made her so much stronger.
Romeo was amazed to hear these words from Juliet.  Because he was
beginning to fall in love with her also.  

Several weeks later, while Romeo was in the store, Romeo's father walked
into the store.  He had Romeo's sisters with him.  Hoping to perhaps buy
some protein powder for them.  Romeo was standing at the counter,
chatting wih Juliet.  The sisters paid no mind to Juliet at first.  When
they had chosen their items to purchase, they looked closely at Juliet.  

"Hey!  You're the girl at the powerlifting competition", exclaimed the
youngest sister.  
"Yes, that's her", said another sister.

Romeo's mouth nearly dropped to the floor.  If this was the girl that
his sister's had talked about that had beaten two of them from the
competition, then, she was the daughter of the Gold's gym family.  Oh,
how could this be!  Romeo's father immediately scolded him for being
seen with Juliet, and hurried Romeo and the daughters from the store.  

Later that evening, Romeo's father told him that he forbid him from
seeing Juliet any further.  
"But, father, I think I love her", pleaded Romeo.
"Never the less, Romeo.  She is beneath this family, and not deserving
of you", said Romeo's father.  
"Oh, but she is, father", said Romeo.  "She is as strong as the girls".  
"Ha", resounded Romeo's father.  "Not a chance"!
"If she proves herself father, would you allow me to ask her hand in
marriage", inquired Romeo.
After a moment of pause, his father responded.
"Yes, Romeo, I will.  However, your sisters will not be beaten by Juliet
again.  We will hold a contest with this Juliet.  And you will be the
weight for this contest, Romeo.  She must outlift all three of them for
my approval."

Romeo immediately went to the health food store, and proposed the idea
to Juliet.  
"My love for you will make me strong, Romeo.  I'll lift until I die for
you".  
Romeo smiled, and kissed Juliet gently on the cheek, while squeezing her
arm as he did so.  He was sure that she would also.  For he loved her
so.  

The next day, Romeo's father took his daughters to the agreed upon
meeting place for the contest.  The girls were primed to beat Juliet.
As they were still very angry that Juliet had fared so well in the last
contest against them.

The contest lifts were to be:
Squats - using Romeo as weight for the girls to lift as he sat upon
their shoulders.  And it was expressly stressed by Romeo's father that
the girls go down to a parallell position for each rep.  
Leg Extensions - with Romeo sitting on the girls' feet for weight.  

And, Stair climbing would be the tie breaker.  Whoever could climb the
most stairs with Romeo seated on their shoulders.  An endurance and
strength exercise.

The competition was fierce!  Romeo's youngest sister, well known for
being short, yet having tremendous sized legs, won the squat contest,
with 30 repetitions.  Juliet could only push out 29 reps.  Although,
Juliet was the lightest of the of all the girls.  

In the leg extensions.  All the girls lifted to total and complete
failure.   Romeo's older sister went first.  Grinding out 30
repetitions.  His middle sister went next, straining very hard for only
21 repititions.  And his youngest sister got 39 repetitions.  Juliet
began her set strong!  But, her legs began trembling by rep number 30.
On rep number 35, she was wearing down.  Romeo gazed into Juliets eyes
as she looked directly at his.  Romeo smiled at her, as in saying, "You
can do it, Juliet"!  Just then, Juliet strained and grimaced to squeeze
out 5 more reps.  Making 40!  She had won the leg extensions.  

Romeo's father deemed the competition a tie.  As Juliet had won one
event, while his youngest daughter had won one also.  So, it was to the
tiebreaker.  The stairs!  

The two younger sisters made it up 3 flights with Romeo sitting on their
shoulders.  But, his oldest sister had made it a point to train hard in
climbing stairs recently, as she was preparing for a bodybuilding
contest, and needed the stairs to cut up her legs.  She ascended 7
flights with Romeo.  


Oh, how was Juliet going to make it up that many flights of stairs,
Romeo thought.  The leg extensions had really worn her out.  
"Do not worry", said Juliet.  "I told you, I'd die for you, Romeo".

Juliet squatted down, as Romeo sat upon her small shoulders.  She stood
up easily, and begun her ascent up the first flight of stairs.  Indeed,
Juliet did seem intended to win.  As she went up the first three flights
quite easily.  She began to pant more heavily by the fifth flight.  And
on the sixth flight, her legs were shaking tremendously!  Romeo was
beginning to wonder if she could go on.  Every step there after, she
took a pause of concentration before continuing.  She almost fell a
couple of times.  "One more step", said Romeo.  And Juliet would take
one more step.  "One more step", said Romeo.   And one more step, Juliet
would take.  Until, eventually, Juliet made it up the entire seventh
flight. 

Then, all she had to do was take one more step to beat Romeo's oldest
sister.  
"One more step", said Romeo.  
But, Juliet's little legs were quivering feverishly at this point.  She
placed her right foot up on the next step, and with a mighty "oomph",
she made  up the next step.  SHE HAD DONE IT!  

Juliet set Romeo gently on the steps.  And just as Romeo began to reach
down to hug his victorious and future bride, he noticed that she had
slumped to the floor and passed out from the exhaustion.  Romeo quickly
reached to Juliet's neck to feel her pulse.  But, he could not find one!
Oh, My God, thought Romeo.  Juliet had exhausted herself to death to win
his love!  There was no breathing signs from Juliet either.  She should
be gasping for air right now.  But, she wasn't!  She was gone.  The
process of lactic acidosis had taken place.  Many marathon runners had
died of the same thng.  Often at the finish line.  

Romeo ran from the scene.  As fast and as far as he could.  Her ran up
hills, across bridges.  He ran as hard as he could, hoping that he too
would die from exhaustion, so that he could be with his Juliet.  But, he
could not.  So, while crossing a bridge, Romeo stepped to the railing.
Gazing down at the rushing river water down below.  And then, Romeo lept
from that bridge!  To his death, as his body landed in the swiling water
down below.  Drowning under the current.

Romeo's father, realizing that Juliet had won the contest, immediately
after Romeo ran off, began CPR on Juliet.  After a couple of minutes,
Juliet's breathing returned, and she awoke. 

Upon hearing of Romeo's running away from the scene, thinking that she
was dead, Juliet began searching for Romeo.  Where could he had gone,
she thought.  As she crossed a bridge over the river, she noticed a body
on the shore banks below.  She ran down the embankment to the body.  It
was Romeo.  Juliet reached down and picked up Romeo's lifeless body in
her arms, sobbing.  
"Oh, Romeo, I'm alive...I'm alive.  And now you are gone".  Sobbing
heavily.  

Juliet then layed Romeo gently by the edge of the water.  "I can't live
without you, Romeo", she said.  And Juliet dived into the river.
Swiming out into the river's fervish current.  Knowing that the
undercurrent would surely ovetake her.  And it did!  Juliet died in the
river current, as her muscular body was swept down the mighty river.
And suddenly, a wave washed up onto the river bank, and swept Romeo's
body into the river also.   And Romeo and Juliet's bodies swept side by
side, down the river.

THE END