24 hour fitness RANT

[myfault]

so i work out at a regular 24 hour fitness (non-sport), that is a pretty decent drive away. it is a fairly nice gym, has a decent amount of benches, i never have a problem getting a bench or a squat rack. so they have been building a 24 hour fitness SPORT gym like 1 mile from my house. i have been really excited for quite some time about its opening because it is very convienent to drive 2 minutes to get to the gym. so it opened the other day and i went for the first time.

i walk in and what do i see? rows and rows of bikes, treadmills, stair steppers and various cardio machines. 20-30 of each. i walk past them to get to the free weight section of the gym, and what do i find? well, lets just say not much. the things i noticed were... a total of 3 flat benches, 1 squat rack, 1 preacher curl, 1 calf raise machine.

the other gym ive worked out at for years has roughly 8+ flat benches, 3 squat racks, 2 preacher curls, 3 calf raise machines.

pretty much sucks that i have a brand new very nice gym right next to my house that i am not going to be able to use.

 

[H_T_]

you gonna use all 3 racks at one time?

 

[Xlajbf]

you gonna use all 3 racks at one time?

Easier to share 3 racks with other members than 1. My gym only has 2 squat racks. If I don't get early in the morning my workout ends up starting 10-15 minutes later than it should because there are always other people there.

 

[get456]

my gym has...
Upstairs:
1 barbell flat, 1 decline and 1 incline bench & a smith machine

Downstairs:
2 adjustable incline benches (which also go flat)
1 flat bench
1 seat for presses
1 smith machine
1 squat rack
1 preacher curl


fortunately, pretty much no one uses the benches upstairs and almost no one uses the squat rack... in six weeks of doing the 5x5 program, i think i maybe have had to wait longer than 1 minute, twice

 

[myfault]

you are very fortunate.

ive been to the new gym twice. had to wait about 10 minutes for the squat rack both times. and while i was using it, i had people asking me if i was almost done, and pacing around me staring until i finished.

 

[Cynical Simian]

My gym only has one squat rack and one bench. Then again, it's in my apartment.

If you don't like waiting, consider a home gym. You can't really blame commercial gyms for trying to maximize profits. They'd rather sell a membership to somebody who buys an annual pass as part of a new year's resolution and comes in maybe once per week than somebody who's in there 3-5 days per week "intimidating" the cardio crowd with free weight lifts.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

The 24 hour fitness sport we use (one mile away) has two power racks side by side, the dumbells go to 150 (the other ones in the area only go 120-125), probably 5 or 6 benches (don't know as I don't do barbell work for upper body). Overall pretty decent.

 

[myfault]

My gym only has one squat rack and one bench. Then again, it's in my apartment.

If you don't like waiting, consider a home gym. You can't really blame commercial gyms for trying to maximize profits. They'd rather sell a membership to somebody who buys an annual pass as part of a new year's resolution and comes in maybe once per week than somebody who's in there 3-5 days per week "intimidating" the cardio crowd with free weight lifts.

true... i definitely understand what they are doing and why.
its just frustrating to wait for so long then realize i probably wont be working out there much.

 

[muscelove]

i agree. If i were opening a gym. It would be a cardio gym with a bunch of stupid stuff but I wouldnt workout there. Neway my gym has 5 flat benches 3 power racks 3 inclines and 2 declines. Its a small old gym with all the good ole rusty equipment. They play loud music and the dumbells go up to 140. Only downside--theres not one cute woman in the whole place

 

[BiggT]

At a 24 hour fitness, there is gonna be some irony. Nobody squats, yet all the squat racks are filled with curlers and upright rowers.

 

[theguy351]

my gym is a small one in the middle of my town...only has 2 flat benches, 1 squat rack, 1 smith machine and then a bunch of isolation stuff....doesnt bother me tho cause im there squating,benching deads and stuff and the little a&f looking guys are prancing too their little machines...(sorry if that was harsh or offensive).

 

[steig]

I completely understand. Recently a super Gold's was built close to my home. I wanted to join b/c the ownder vowed to have the largest free weight are in town along with a basketball court (my main addiction). When the gym opened and I visited for a few workouts I found a free weight section about half that of every other gym in town, one power rack, no squat racks, two flat benchs, 1 incline, and 1 decline. Everything was so close together that you didn't have room to comfortably move and the worst part was no weight trees. The weights were on plate loaded machines so you had to walk all over the place and dig through weights to get a 5 lb or 10 lb weight. I quit and stayed at my old gym. I would say that most new gyms are going this route but so far it the new Golds is failing to attact members.

 

[sofakingdel]

At a 24 hour fitness, there is gonna be some irony. Nobody squats, yet all the squat racks are filled with curlers and upright rowers.

Bump True that

 

[Inhibitor13]

My gym only has 1 Bench, 1 incline, 1 calf raise machine, 1 smith machine, 1 squat rack, basically 1 of everything... but I also live in a medium size town and hardly anyone works out here....lol bunch of fatties !