Hold on. It’s not an onion article?!? It’s for real?? Wowsa!!
I hate it when I go to the gym and some self-absorbed jackass pumped up on steroids begins to make loud breathing noises like a copulating rhinocerous right next to my face. Or some bimbo who is chatting on her phone or sending texts while carelessly lounging on the equipment I want to use. There needs to be a certain set of rules enforced in gyms to prevent inconsiderate assholes from affecting the positive experience of other customers. But “intimidating people with a toned body”, unless this is somebody’s interpretation totally taken out of context, is idiotic for sure.
A dude curling or doing upright rows in the squat rack on leg day makes me rage.
+1
It annoys the ever-living shit out of me when dudes start grunting and groaning. I understand that it’s somewhat normal when straining under the weight, but I think a lot of it is for show. And honestly, if you can’t lift a weight without moaning, it’s really probably too heavy for you anyway.
I also hate it when people drop dumbbells. It’s bad for the dumbbells, and it’s inconsiderate of those around you. Nobody want to be scared shitless because you dropped two 120-lb dumbbells right after your bench-press. If you can’t set it down gently, then it’s probably too heavy.
But the worst are the girls who put on their designer workout outfits, put on their makeup, and do their hair. Then they drop their kids off at the daycare, and they walk around the gym for an hour punching on their smartphone. They don’t break a sweat, and they don’t work any muscles. They do nothing for an hour, then pick up Junior from daycare and go back home.
If you’re not hurting/sweating/out of breath, then you’re not really working out.
I’ve never been to a Planet Fitness and didn’t know that they were targeting the “flabby” market, but if that’s their business model, who are we to criticize it? It seems this particular situation could have been handled more tactfully, but the gym was sticking to their established business practices. It seems a lot of folk here like to spend a few bucks on a nice meal at a high-end restaurant now and then. How about the next time you go, the restaurant waives it’s normal policies and sits a couple of smelly cab drivers right next to you and also tells them it’s fine if they continue to gab away on their cell phones throughout your meal? Not going to be very happy are you?
earbuds and a focus on what you’re doing eliminates all these issues. focus on your workout. i don’t talk to or look at anyone. put your work in and go about your day. if others in the gym don’t like that or are offended at you lack of friendliness, it’s their problem not yours.
Yeah, some people are missing the point. Planet Fitness wants to the anithesis of Gold’s Gym. They’re trying to get the people that are otherwise too intimidated to go to the gym. That includes people that grunt, do curls at the squat bar, or are just too cut. Seems like a fine business model to me.
+1000000
Difference: Gold’s doesn’t go up to people and tell them to cover up because their flabby, untoned body is offending the other members.
Gold’s is extremely unwelcoming to the non-neckless. The employees may not say anything, but they don’t have to. The clients are assholes enough.
Edit: By the way, they made a documentary about this very issue.
I used to be a Gold’s member and never experienced anything like that. But I go to the gym to workout not to socialize so maybe I missed out on this aspect of the culture.
I used to go to Gold’s. Now I go to the YMCA. There’s a very acute difference in the clientele. A lot of meathead guys and vain girls at Gold’s. At the Y, it’s more “normal” people.
Never been to Planet Fitness, even though one just opened up here recently.
I just want a Crossfit gym that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. I am tired of waiting 15 mins to use Squat rack.
One of the places I’ve started training people is a CF gym, so I basically have a free membership there too. This one is really awesome, great equipment, great and knowledgable staff with collegiate athletics backgrounds as athletes and coaches. If I didn’t get a free membership, I would probably pay to go there simply because the only black iron gym for me is far away (Iron Sport Gym, home of Steve Pulcinella, pictured below). In NYC though, I feel like you really have to spend an arm and a leg to go to a good crossfit gym. And, you really don’t want to go to a bad one. Unlike Golds or PF, there is massive variation between quality in crossfit gyms. A good indicator is if they have multiple class types (power lifting, straight crossfit, oly lifting, gymnastics, etc) and have been open for several years, they are probably a decent operation.
Are you super hot?
the ONLY reason I go to the gym is to ogle scantily clad broads…I am married with kids, it is all that I have left.
+1
I was on the treadmill yesterday, and there was a cardio kickboxing class going on in basketball court in front of me. There was an open window where a HCB was bouncing up and down doing her Taebo stuff. Her waist was small, but her hips and hoo-hoos were not.
It was a good day.
CF has great equipment and some instructors fit the role of an instructor but be very careful in your selection. I like the fact that CF is evolving and starting to realize high reps with oly movements is not a smart implementation of such movements. Here are my personal recommendations for gyms:
Brookyn: hands down renzos http://renzogracieacademy.com/
-close second, just for the team, is ardon’s sweet science.
Boston: Total Performance Sports http://totalperformancesports.com/
- close second: bostoncombat/broadway bjj
CT
-http://www.lightning-fitness.net/about-us.html
IMHO - if you are concerned with someone grunting, or what they are wearing, you’re not focused enough. This is a time to channel all energy into your mission, distractions cannot be a variable.
crossfit is ok, if not for pussies.
Why?
I do squats, and I know one other guy who does them regularly.
Other than that, I’ve seen people doing squats less than half-a-dozen times the entire time I’ve been going to this gym. I just don’t think people like to do them, because you’re not laying down.