"Many people have many excuses, but if you look (and think) hard
enough you can find an alternative and stop supporting those who
peomote falsehoods about exercise. "
Who cares what those frigging chains promote if you're smart
enough to know it's crap? If the price is OK and they have the
equipment you need, go for it. I personally, checked out a whole
bunch of commercial and non-commercial gyms years ago but
everywhere I went they played this god-awful techno music. Now
*that* is something that really bothers me.
Got a family membership to a gym nearby. A lot of factors went into taking the plunge, not the least of which is they have on site daycare so my wife and I can work out while our son is supervised.
And I work out at home. And at work.
Mark
jjj is correct. kansetsuwaza, I think your prejudices against "commercial gyms" is overpowering what you see people post. While I will admit, there are some gyms, and in them trainers, who promote stuff which is more or less bullshit, that has never stopped me from training the way I want to.
Now, you may wonder, why I defend such places. Easy. I am a trainer at a gym, and to be quite honest, am often seen as too "hardcore" for many members. Yet, my starting (what I call "foundation phase") workouts for people do very little in terms of powerlifting type movements (in fact, in most cases, none at all). Yet, my own personal workout is a synthesis of bodyweight, free weight, machines, and yes, some "pussy" devices like BOSU balance trainers (most specifically, I love to burn out my chest using a machine incline press for 8-10 reps, then drop and immediately do 10-15 pushups with my hands on the BOSU, flat side up. Great stabilizer work, and a hell of a burnout movement). Now, why do I start people so low when I personally know they won't see great results at first? Simple. BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THEY WANT. They don't want to be able to clean and press their bodyweight. They don't want to climb a twenty foot rope in ten seconds. And they sure as hell don't want to have the ability to grapple with a Randy Couture.
Do I eventually integrate more "classic" movements into my clients routines? Of course. Just the other week, I had a woman who I gave a "squat with reverse curl and DB press" to. Long name for a slowed down, simplified clean and press. Yet, if I told her "power clean and press" she never would have done it. Instead, she loves what I gave her, and is coming back more and more often.
But remember man, not everyone trains like we do. However, just because a gym is full of spandex/UnderArmour wearin', three pound DB carryin', no sweatin', fucked up movement people doesn't mean that we have to workout that way.
BTW, jjj is also correct on gym music. The other reason I love my gym: they don't play music. You want music? Bring a fucking CD player.
"jjj is correct. kansetsuwaza, I think your prejudices against "commercial gyms" is overpowering what you see people post. While I will admit, there are some gyms, and in them trainers, who promote stuff which is more or less bullshit, that has never stopped me from training the way I want to"
Exactly it's really what you do at the facility that makes the difference. You make the most out of the gym do not let it rule what you do.
"Luis Farrakhan professed at the million man march for blacks not to spend money at white businesses as this only makes them rich, to keep the money in the black community. A similar philosophy applies here, commercial gyms are the antithesis of what is a general common belief on this STRENGTH & CONDITIONING forum, so why should people give financial support to these fitness terrorists (commercial gyms)?"
So your the Louis Farrakhan of fitness? It sounds like you want people to spend money on your own services as a trainer. Suck it up, there just not much of a market for your 'expertise' in rope climbing. The people you're down on just have different goals, they don't need to do what you feel they should.
And most trainees who are not interested in the whole fussy fitness scene are competitent enough to make their own choices whether they train at a commerical gym or home. I could care less if there's a spinning class in the other room, has nothing to do with me.
I have converted the basement into a full gym. It consists of the following:
Squat Rack
F/I/D Bench
Dipping station
Chinning Station (homemade)
Pulldown/Rowing machine
Calf Raise
Olympic Bar and Plates
DB (fixed 30,40,50 etc to 100)
Grappling Dummy (homemade)
Heavy Bag
Swain Matt area (12x12)
Stairmaster
"homemade" Clubbells
"homemade" medicine ball
matted and mirrored
many, many other homemade accesories
It is important to note that many accesories (med ball, chinning bar, gripping devices etc) are "homemade". With some ingenuity, large cup of coffe and a trip to home depot you can make a TON of stuff. All the equipment I have was beat up and rusted from a gym going out of business (rustoleoum took care of that) and scouring the want ads for eqipment. The gym is incredible looking and my pride and joy, people go nuts over it...but it took hard work, patience and creativity (not money) to get it that way. For me I could never go back to a commercial gym.
Tony
You should take a picture, Tony. I like seeing peoples home gyms.
"I am really trying to understand the psychology involved in why people like to work out in commercial environments. I guess we are a consumer population. "
The day I can fit in and afford Squat racks, Bumper plates of every size imaginable, dumbbells of every size imaginable, machines for every body part imaginable, climbing walls, Muay Thai bags, Stair climbers, threadmills, grappling mats, saunas, pools, pretty girls in spandex etc is the day I might consider leaving my commercial gym...
Kanetzuwaza seems to be more into gym politics than actual training IMHO...
Either way I'd still rather work out at the clubs I go to. 1st the OL club has my coach and the club people and trainig atmosphere that I 'love'. Training is MUCH better and more fun when you have people silence out, and pump you up for a heavy set of Snatch's or a new PB back squat.
THAT to me is something I don't think I could create in a home gym. It is harder to me to really focus without the club and people around me. Also my coach is there to coach and give points for me to improve and to what I didn't do by live instant feedback.
Same at Gymnastics.
For me the people make my training places. Of course it has to have the equipment but I'm sure we could make do with less equipment and more sharing.
Koing
Home for upper body, gym for legs.
I go to a university gym. It's really, really cheap(for students/staff) yet good. Three squat racks and areas for olympic weight lifting. If that is how you judge a gym than I'd say it's pretty good. The three good treadmills however, are most important to me.
If I didn't have this possibility it would be all about home body weight exercises and outdoor running(while I prefer a treadmill I can run fine in the usually snowy winter).
kansetsuwaza, do you have a constantly-changing parade of spandex-clad single-and-ready-to-mingle rotties in your home gym? Didn't think so. Case Closed. LMAO @ referring to Farrakhan as authority, great troll job there!
24 Hour fitness... the stereotype of commercial gyms.
However, I get a killer rate through a corporate discount.
And I go at 4am when the annoying people are still asleep.
Thanks Lofland! I am glad someone appreciated th Farrakhan thing.
Golds here in Santa Rosa Ca is okay, 3 levels, 3 flat bench stations, 1 decline, 1 incline, + 3 freeweight chest machines, 4+ stack chest machines...couple squat racks, tons of other machines & freeweights..
not the best Gym ive used but plenty of elbow room and, of course, the main reason aside from quick & easy workout, the rotties!!!
I workout at a small local gym. The plates are 1/2 in kilograms, 1/2 in pounds. Which kinda pisses me off sometimes. I'm comfortable in both now though. Very little waiting around for machines, which is cool. The temperature is nice too. Only problem, not enough ladies running around. Good for training, hard on the eyes.
Barely any room to stretch, which I tend to do a lot of. The treadmills are ridiculous. Of the 4 they have:
1 shocks you once it's running
1 the belt is too short, it has to be 5 ft long, maybe.
1 the belt is way too narrow, ie, it hurts the insides of my legs because they're too close together. And I'm not a huge guy.
1 has a 15 minute max. Who the hell runs for only 15 minutes?
I used to workout at the university gym, tons more rotties. Guaranteed 6-10 between 4pm and 6pm.
I train at the Gold's Gym right here in good old Lynchburg VA! fortunately, the owner is more of a weightlifter than health and fitness nut. That means that we actually have more free weights than machines, or cables! Wohoo!
oh, and there are like 5 or 6 colleges within 30 minutes, so the meat market if fresh and replenished frequently!
lol @ posting about 5 or 6 colleges about near him
Koing
A