Spit and sawdust gyms

[Dom]

I used (many many moons ago) workout in a real spit and sawdust gym. This gym had smashed windows, little carpet and nothing in the way of creature comforts - no showers, no water fountain, no CV equipment!

However, it had someone of the best free weights and resistance machines I've every used, loud motivating music and some great guys who talked, laughed and trained with each other most nights after work.

Now I'm not becoming nostalgic here but don't you think modern gyms and health clubs are missing a little something? Very few health clubs seem to have much of an atmosphere. In fact most health club members seem to train with their head down in fear of meeting the eye of fellow members and even fewer seem to exchange views in conversion.

I think it is the responsibility of the health club management and gym floor team to work on the atmosphere in their clubs. If anyone has any ideas maybe you could share them here.

Dom

[Darren Hil]

Hi Dom,

I understand what you mean but I think I prefer the creature comforts of the 'new age' gyms. True some of the atmosphere has been depleted but I think better equipment, more of it and a better mix of people in the gym (i.e. more women) is a good thing. And besides once you plug in your ipod and start working out you really could be anywhere - wthere is't Gillingham, Muscle Beach or a basement gym in Dagenham.

[Addy]

As long as a gym has a wide selection of free weights and some traditional machines - lat pull downs, leg press, smith machine, I'm as happy as a pig in muck.

[Tom@foresight]

Think i am with you Dom, some of the old school gyms did have alot going in their favour. But they also had bad points.

However alot is to be said for the modern gyms, with on the whole better policies and practice and more qualified instructors.

TOM

[postfatty]

I really wanted to go to a gym with a great atmosphere and i found it at Gymophobics! i have tried loads of gyms, i kept flitting around, but there the staff are incredible they focus entirely on service!!unlike when i went to conventional gyms i could, just like you described, go in and not speak a word to another person; members or staff! when i go to Gymophobics their resistance machines are so simple but the attention to detail there is amazing you feel special the moment you step in the door. I have taken all my friends to sign up there and we are all getting amazin results, I reccommend it to everyone i meet.

[johnbeau]

I've been building my own world - wide database of gyms and it's intersting the mix that are out there...and how everyone's got their own definition of a great gym. I have about 4,422 gyms so far and I reckon 25% of these are 'dungeon' gyms.