k Doty, dramatizes the conflict in the mind of a bodybuilder and his desire to change who and what he is. The speaker observes the bodybuilder's bench press routines at a local gym and attempts to explain the driving force that causes him to change his appearance. The speaker illustrates the physical use of inanimate objects as tools used for the “desired” transformation: “and lift nothing that is to be lifted” (5.6). However, coupled with “but a certain burden they chose this time” (7), the speaker takes the illustration beyond the physical use of the transformation tools and delves deeper into the mental state of the bodybuilder. The speaker ends by describing the bodybuilder as an arrogant and muscular being with a fragile feeling of insecurity. Similar to a church altar where baptisms take place, the speaker begins by describing the bench press as an altar of change and transformation. Illustrating the setting in this way suggests that the speaker is beginning to wonder what causes the bodybuilder to repeatedly lift an inanimate object....

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