Going back to a commercial gym…

[thehulk]

I had two gym memberships until recently, one is a local mom and pop “hardcore” gym…yes they do still exist. The other was a planet fitness that I use when traveling. Decided to let the hardcore place go and just try planet fitness as a solo option. I don’t lift heavy anymore, just slow controlled reps…doubt it will be much of a loss. Regardless of where I go I’ve always just ignored everyone except in cases where I have a partner, so it doesn’t make a big deal. I do like the planet fitness option I have in that it’s $25 a month and I can always take a guest without them having a membership.

 

[The other Snake]

I had two gym memberships until recently, one is a local mom and pop “hardcore” gym…yes they do still exist. The other was a planet fitness that I use when traveling. Decided to let the hardcore place go and just try planet fitness as a solo option. I don’t lift heavy anymore, just slow controlled reps…doubt it will be much of a loss. Regardless of where I go I’ve always just ignored everyone except in cases where I have a partner, so it doesn’t make a big deal. I do like the planet fitness option I have in that it’s $25 a month and I can always take a guest without them having a membership.

Can you do just a month PF membership and drop it? I normally don't work out on vacation, but sometimes my gym layoff doesn't coincide with that

 

[thehulk]

Can you do just a month PF membership and drop it? I normally don't work out on vacation, but sometimes my gym layoff doesn't coincide with that

My understanding is the worst case for a PF cancellation is a $58 buy out fee if you cancel outside the terms of your contract. I’ve had it for years which means I just need to cancel before a certain day of the month to avoid the next months fees. All in all it’s a good deal due to their locations all over and the always take a guest policy.

 

[Therealkiller]

I started in Jr high, HS, and summers in college in a small home gym. Power rack, standard weights, flat to incline, adjustable DBs, and a Marcy multi machine with high/low pulley that I could strap on extra weight with a dip belt to increase the load on rows, pulldowns. It was enough to get the job down with high motivation to get stronger for football and look like a superhero (and of course Arnold and Sly). The best gym I every worked out, for around 10 years, was a Gold's gym that was part of a local Gold's group. It was the size of a warehouse and had everything you could dream of (at the time and it did have a Nautalis pull over machine). Currently lift at a World's Gym which has a very old school feel to it as it has been around since '93 and you can do about anything in there. It is not all that busy these days on most days (except international bench Mondays) and really dies down through the week. The economics of the area close to the gym have changed in the past 10 years and the gym about 10 minutes north gets more people. Also a planet fitness opened up a couple minutes away so that took many members as the equipment is "new and shiny, although low end" and members are afraid of the free weights and people actually working out hard at Worlds. However, as I am more "seasoned," I wish the World's Gym would get some newer machines and cables. I would like to see if I could do a hip belt squat pain free. Since the Worlds phased out group classes, there is virtually no T&A there

 

[BrotherIron]

Brother, if some dude wanted to squat 135 and I had on five or six plates, we'd strip it for him.

Nobody get s to banging out reps with 585 unless they go through 135 first

I second that. As long as they're working hard then I'm all for allowing them to work in. We got to where we are because someone else was kind enough to share knowledge and let us work in.

 

[Bigtex]

Going back to a commercial gym for the first time in about 9 year after working out in a home gym makes me realize what I forgot: people are truly enamored with the cable machines! Thankfully it leaves all the racks and benches freed up! I went back mainly due to boredom and my workouts have been a 9 compared to recent 4-6’s.

I spent much of my life working out in private gyms. My wife and I rented a small office space and started a "key club". I put i nothing but powerlifting equipment and we had maybe 10 guys who were powerlifters there. I got tired of being kicked out of commercial gym for powerlifting, being too loud, using chalk or intimidating the old women. Most commercial gyms absolutely hated powerlifters. After I closed my key club I put all the equipment in our garage and had a nice area. Hot as shit in the summer months and cold in the winter. No one to bother me and never had to wait on equipment while some jackass was testing. One day my fucked up shoulder twisted with 500lbs on the bench press in a squat rack. No spotter, so I tossed the weigh backwards to avoid being decapitated and it knocked the power rack through the wall of the garage. My wife came home form a commercial gym and was horrified. So that ended my home gym and I sold all the equipment and went to a commercial gym. It took me quite a few year to become socialized. I had no patients with having to wait for shit and would start problems. No patients for idiots who left weight on bars and shit all over the area and would start problems again. Hell I want the area clean and the weight were they are supposed to be so you can find shit when you need it. Yes, I was a tremendous gym rat asshole but I was also about 290lbs and had a total of 2275. It took me quite a few years to get use to training in commercial gyms. Now if I have to wait, I just do something else. I can't squat any more so I don't give a shit if people do curls in the power rack. I put in my ear phone and could care a less what people are saying around me or what crappy music is being played. Now I actually enjoy the air-conditioning and the variety of equipment. They only problem I have is I am still not sociable. I have never gone to a gym to talk and make friends and instead work my ass off and avoid chatty people as much as possible. I always train at 1:30pm so mostly retired people are there that seem to need to talk. I avoid these people as much as possible. So I am pretty much a commercial gym guy now and would consider going back to my garage and training in the 100 degree heat again.