"I still don't know why you have me here," Jeremy grumbled slowly as he was lead into the area in the Dino Dome by Mr. M.
Much like the Claw Coliseum in Animalia, many of these facilities were in areas underneath the stands for the main part of the arena. Since the whole building was built to scale for Dinotopians, these spaces had more than enough room for weights and to be set up. Some of them were in separate rooms, with one room for free lifting, another benches for use in the bench-press, and another for squats. Some of that was likely done to allow room to be safely conserved and that things didn't become a mess, and this would be rather critical for Dinotopians given the special adaptations and features. Some of the benches had even been specially designed for that sort of thing. Though it wasn't exactly Jeremy's personal interest.
"To keep you in shape and in a work out regimen that will keep you healthy," Mr. M answered with some confidence, "You don't want to go to flab."
"Animalians have been shown to have a relatively healthy metabolism, even the Animalians that are cold blooded will eat more than a unuplifted cold blooded animal of comparable size," Jeremy pointed out, "so... unless I just gorge myself, I doubt I'll get fat."
"But all the things with Animalia and Animalians has focused on how double dosing can make one younger again," Mr. M countered.
"It can also accelerate the aging process, depending on who is delivering the Animalia Virus," Jeremy raised an eye ridge.
"Yes, but that's all to the prime of life," Mr. M gave a knowing smile, "meaning a ten year old could be exposed and find themselves with the body, metabolism, and hormones of a twenty year old. And someone who's seventy could then become twenty again. In this, there really aren't any "old" Animalians, particularly while vaccination against the virus was only voluntary. This means a LOT of people were double dosed."
Jeremy nodded as he followed Mr. M along until they came up to one area where a bar was ready. Mister M then set about moving some of the heavier weights onto the bar. Despite their very rock like appearance, the clinking of them hitting each other as the weights were pressed against each other was clearly metallic in nature, which told Jeremy that much of the design for the weights as purely for show. It was one of those things that he wasn't that keen on, but on certain levels he knew why he was there and would go along with it, and a part of Jeremy even wondered if Mr. M didn't already know that as well and was just letting him grumble. Jeremy accepted that and continued to follow along with what his "trainer" had in mind, though that wasn't the exact reason for him.
At the same time Jeremy also knew that Mr. M was also right with regard to one point, that how an Animalian's metabolism would last into old age was something of an unknown. There have been some Humans who were older that became Animalians in the initial outbreak, as he knew that many of the accidents, like what had happened with Abby Brown, were far more common than many would have expected, particularly when pets were uplifted. However many of them ended up "bonding" with their pet and being double dosed or found love with another compatible Animalian and were soon double dosed. Much of this happened so quickly that among those that became Animalians in Lyre, the elderly population pretty much vanished as they went from Elderly Humans to Animalians in their prime. The result was that by the time things were under control enough that Horizon could run the appropriate tests to determine the metabolism of Animalians, there weren't any elderly Animalians. That would then raise the question on what would happen as Animalians aged, as it was noticed with some Humans that as they aged their metabolisms would slow as they aged. Jeremy had even wondered if Animalians would have similar results, but right now, that would take some years before any answer could be determined with any certainty.
"I'm still more of a scientist," Jeremy managed weakly.
"Yeah... so is Rex," Mr. M smiled, "but that doesn't mean a little exercise is bad for you. Besides... if you really weren't going to do this, you wouldn't be here. You would have run out on me and fought back if I tried to drag you back. So... I'd think you know why you're here."
"Because Tyra was upset that Polly's performance in Lyre got delayed," Jeremy answered, "but she knew about that before hand..."
"Please... you're not scared of your mother-in-law are you?" Mr. M asked with a toothy smirk.
"Grandmother, technically," Jeremy corrected, "and no... I'm not afraid of her... upsetting Heather, maybe... but not with Tyra."
Mr. M nodded, but Jeremy could see one eye roll as he then moved the weighted barbell to the mat in front of Jeremy. He'd already been taken through a series of stretches and then other exercises to get him loosened up. However, from the roll of the eye, Jeremy also got the sense that Mr. M wasn't entirely in agreement with the point.
"You're getting closer to why you're here," Mr. M smiled.
"With the insinuation that I'm afraid of Tyra?" Jeremy asked.
"No," Mr. M's smile did not diminish, "you wish to please Heather. You're a strong looking male and I'm sure your bond mate finds you highly desirable. But a part of you will always want her to have her eyes on you... to desire you... to want you."
"I love Heather," Jeremy answered, "it's why we married... it's why I became a Dinotopian. To be with her, and I'd think we've been happy together."
"And that is quite good," Mr. M smiled and tilted his head to his left a little, "but you know you'd want your bond mate to see you as the big and virile male that won her heart... even if you weren't big in human form, you are now what she's imagined you to be as a Dinotopian, I'd bet. And your love for her will mean that you'll want to stay that way for her."
Jeremy didn't have an answer to that, as Mr. M reached over to touch his shoulder.
"And that's why you're here, even if you don't want to admit it," Mr. M commented, "and you don't have to go until you're capable of competing with me for the body building title. You don't have to... Rex isn't either... and I won't push you to go that far unless you want to. But what you want to stay healthy and in shape for the one you love. You're doing this for Heather. Just think on that... you're doing this for Heather."
"I'm doing this for Heather," Jeremy said softly. A part of it didn't sound like he wanted to be there, but at least privately, a part of him was willing to put up with it, for Heather. Mister M smiled and nodded and stepped back to let Jeremy approach the barbell.
"Okay, we'll start with some curls," Mr. M spoke, "and they're set to what Tyra's lowest weight when she started, so a big strong male like you should be able to manage."
"Technically among Tyrannosaurs the female is larger than the male," Jeremy pointed out, "and while Syntixisaurus is a hybrid... most of its DNA is from Tyrannosaurus."
"Maybe... but you are still a hybrid and some of the component fossils came from smaller animals," Mr. M answered, "and thus Rex is bigger than Tyra. And while she might be a bit bigger than you... it's not by much. You should be able to do this. No weaseling out."
Jeremy let a low rumble escape his lips as he bent down and gripped the barbell with both hands so that the inside of his arms and elbows faced Mister M. Then lifting with his legs, he stood up again felt the barbell come up with him, though he could feel its weight. It wasn't that much, and Jeremy could lift it, but he could feel the weight. From there he began to curl his forearms up while letting his biceps point downward until he brought the barbell from around his waist up to his chest. Mister M continued to smile back him as he performed the lift.