Years ago we had gyms; a place people went to ‘work out’. But that was when ‘working out’ was more about the ‘working’ and less about the going ‘out’.
Gyms were then watered down into ‘Fitness Centres’ in an attempt to appeal to a more mainstream audience. Seems that the majority of civilians feel that ‘training’ for a good body is too hard and too intimidating. ‘Fitness Centres’ mislead people with the deception that fluffing around with light weights would lead to the invisible, ambiguous result that is ‘fitness’.
As the ‘Fitness Industry’ intensified its milking of civilian wallets it realised that ‘Fitness’ was still too loftier an expectation for most people. So ‘Wellness Centres’ were born: a place to go when even ‘health’ is beyond you. A place where any able-bodied person can engage in all the useless rehabilitation a LOT of money can buy. From Pilates to swiss-balls to Yoga to strolling in the park with your ‘Personal Trainer’; if it’s normally prescribed to cripples, you can buy it for a premium at a ‘Wellness Centre’.
And that’s where we are at. It is almost impossible to find a decent gym these days. If the equipment isn’t completely inadequate the staff will harass you into being too uncomfortable to train properly anyway. If you are female then the abuse and bigotry is voracious (you’re supposed to be in the aerobics room, doncha-know)! And WATCH OUT if you try Deadlifting! Every douche-bag in the building suddenly becomes a extroverted pop-chiropractic expert with a deep concern for your spinal safety.
So what do you do? Unfortunately, you suffer in your jocks! It is what it is and the only places making enough money to survive are the big, mainstream chains. Hopefully one day, someone will realise that its futile trying to compete against the big chains for the mainstream public who don’t want to use a gym anyway. And that same person might realise that a properly-done, niche gym for people who actually WANT to train would be a very viable business. Don’t hold your breath though.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Gyms should be like a prison shower: friendly is fine; but you really just want everyone to leave you alone so you can do your thing and leave. And if there is an instructor around then, like the prison shower, a big cock that leaves you alone is infinitely preferable to a skinny one that keeps popping up where he’s not wanted!
1 comment:
I remember Archers Gym on the Gold Coast. I was going there as a 14 year old to get stronger so I could perform better on the school wrestling team and not get killed in Rugby scrums - particularly my neck and back. It was a serious gym in 1984. No machines, all free weights and it smelled like wet towels, sweat and metal. The sound track was clanking, grinding and grunting. It was just like the old school gyms you described. I loved it, and those big guys in there working with their buddy to spot, they were legends. Aloof, untouchable giants. I almost never see a guy really giving it heaps under a bar in a gym anymore. I was going to Healthworks for years up until a couple years ago and it was so trendy and civilised. There were some fit, strong guys, fewer fit girls, almost none of whom looked at all strong, just thin - and very little grunting. Most looked like me - overweight and marching time.
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