When someone tells you they’re Red Rocks bound, it may be hard to imagine them heading to a scene different from that of dancing lights, driving acoustics, and the frequent whiff of pot smoke. Yet there’s another side of Red Rocks amphitheater that’s often overshadowed by its fame as a star-studded performance destination. The amphitheater, with its dozens of well-spaced rows and scenic views of downtown, is many Denver locals’ preferred place to help reaffirm the role of Colorado as one of the nation’s fittest states.
From a distance, the amphitheater’s prominently paired rocks tuck into the foothills like a gateway into the Rockies. And for those who hope to be ready for summer hiking, shirtless volleyball at Wash Park, or climbing a 14er, the amphitheater is indeed a gateway to preparedness. Try exercising here and you’ll learn firsthand that there’s something about a Red Rocks workout that no gym could ever emulate. Between the determined bustling of insanely fit people and knowing you’re in a cultural lion’s den, there’s a natural drive here that takes no prisoners. Perhaps it’s the energy reverberating through decades of performances from global icons — from the Beatles to Skrillex. Whatever it is, there’s something here that inherently pushes you.
Now that the weather has finally improved for outdoor pursuits outside of snow sports, Denver fitness fanatics are finding a better alternative to being cooped up in a gym. For Delroy Gill, a Broker Associate in Littleton, what began as spontaneous workouts at Red Rocks has evolved into a group of ripped guys who meet at the amphitheater every weekend to support and push each other.
“It was me and my brother that came here one week and then…the guy in the back there, with all the tattoos and headphones…he joined us the next week, and it’s just been growing every week basically.”
And it shows; the boys have a regimented circuit in rotation. Someone lugged up a pair of dumbbells. Another, ankle weights. Gill looks out at the precise teamwork of dozen guys who, a few weeks ago, didn’t know each other.
On the opposite end of the amphitheater, a much larger group of roughly 80 grunting masochists jump and tuck in unison. A man in front yells out at the dogged crowd, counting down their momentary hatred for him. He leads with experienced, orchestrated movements. He is the Joe of ‘It Burns Joe Fitness’ — a free, boot camp style class that takes place at Red Rocks every Saturday and Sunday from 8–11 AM. Joe Hendricks, once known to Coloradans as Jumpin’ Joe, made a name for himself in the 80’s as a pro BMX trick rider. One of the first pioneers to the sport, Jumpin’ Joe stole crowds during NBA halftime shows by whipping 360s over giddy believers that dutifully laid flat on the court.
Now he leads people up, down, and around the amphitheater for three hours with a level of physical exertion that naturally requires a gallon of water. The intensity of Joe’s workouts, doubled with 6,400 feet of elevation, drives people to puke, quit, or beg for more. Dave Charter, having just finished Joe’s class, looks dazed as he leans on a side platform and closes in on his breath.
“It was rough,” Charter chuckles.
He’s all smiles — enjoying some unique realm between runner’s high and oxygen deprivation. To Charter, the comaraderie that emanates from enduring such a beating is worth the drive from Castle Rock.
“It’s a real fun group…a lot of good people. There’s lots of different activities that happen afterwards. People meet up for bike rides, trips to Moab, we’ll go to Mexico together…all sorts of stuff.”
Try asking the girl you always see at the gym if she’d like to escape to Mexico with you. Just be ready to repeat yourself as she fumbles to take her ear buds out before the probable rejection.
There’s certainly something here that fitness facilities can’t offer. And while your average gym does provide more muscle-toning tools (where would we be without our seated calf raise machines?), the troopers at Red Rocks make good use of the surroundings. Susan Mulder, a Denver resident, suggests “…to use the stairs. You can run, do lunges, squats, pushups, abs. You can do everything here.” A quick glance around the amphitheater confirms this. Some grunt out pull-ups on the side stage’s low-hanging support beams. Others snake through the 69 rows of bleachers in the amphitheater, a running distance that comes out to be just short of a 5k. And hey, why not throw down some push-ups on the very stage that likely hosted several of the artists featured in your workout playlist?
If you’re looking to get into top shape, get outside more, and perhaps even build on your social network, Red Rocks is worth the trip — a 30 minute drive from downtown. With no entry fees and scenery infinitely better than rows of treadmills with mirrored walls, the amphitheater is as useful for social fitness as it is for entertainment purposes.
