.gif "IP Gear")
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2007
- Messages
- 3
First off let me introduce myself. I'm Blake, i'm 20 5'11" and around 240 pounds. I've lifted for a little over 6 years, peaking post highschool and early college. I played highschool football and a little college ball, as well as competitively powerlifted. I traded in the college sports for books and long hours in the library due mainly to various injuries and a lack of love for the game, but never gave up lifting. Still lift, perheaps not as much as i should, but i do. I'm coming off a few injuries, so it's a fresh slate, and i decided i would go for the other spectrum of lifting for a change. It's time to trade in the barrel chest for some nice definition.
Fast forward to today. I'm a full time student, and work at a health club/gym. I'm sure most of you are familiar with this gym, as it is known for being anit-bodybuilding/power lifting, but it pays the bills. For those who aren't familiar with the gym, ask around im sure your friends know, but i'll leave it unnamed for a little anonymity for now. Anyway, for comedic value i figured i could give my perspective from the inside.
When i first started here, my boss was a sports medicine/nutrition major and a pretty knowledgeable guy. I had heard horror stories of friends i lifted with being kicked out for doing their normal routine, but this was the first actual experience i had with it. Upon starting the job i had to read the operations manual, and a few other training things. As i read through it i couldn't help but laugh at this companies logic as to how a gym should be run. It blatantly states "does not cater to bodybuilders/powerlifters" in the companies motto and whatnot, but their methodology of not letting real lifters into the gym is RIDICULOUS. Muscle shirts or any shirt cut to expose the chest is prohibited, no gallon water jugs, no lifts from the floor (i.e. dead lifts), no slamming weights, no yelling-grunting-cursing-screaming-abnormally loud breathing allowed, dumbbells only go up to 60 pounds, and the list goes on. So as i stand here dumbfounded at how insane these policies are, i question my boss as to just why bodybuilders are so hated here. He gave me the company answer first, followed by his attempt at an honest answer. The first answer was: "This company discourages bodybuilders/powerlifters because they intimidate other people in the gym. They are obnoxious and cause people to feel uncomfortable in the gym." As he told me this i couldn't help but laugh. He then gave me his own response which was: "Man, i really don't know why we don't allow bodybuilders, but i've had to kick some good people out." Now on a daily basis i have to grit my teeth as i tell people the company policy, but like i said it pays the bills.
Now the way i see it, some guy with a god complex got pushed around be a jock in highschool, and immediately associated him with a bodybuilder because he lifted weights. Now as this guy grew up and through whatever means became prosperous enough to open a gym franchise, he decided he would get his ultimate revenge against Joe Weightlifter. Through his manaical gym policies and ridiculously cheap memberships, this guy is killing fitness. He is completely americanizing lifting and the physical health industry. It kills me to see a "gym" that caters to nothing but people who really don't care about their health, much less their image, almost completely dominate the gym market. In my area you can pay $10/mo to go to this gym, or upwards of $50/mo to go to a real gym. Well 99% of people are going to choose that $10 option because their routine isn't going to change either way. This chokes out the real gym and you are left with no other option.
I realize this is capitolism at it's finest, but it disgusts me to see something as great as weight lifting falling vicitim to the american way. That being said the general stigma of bodybuilders being rude and obnoxious cracks me up. I have met maybe a handful of real lifters that weren't more than happy to give a little friendly advice, most of them did it without me even asking. It sucks how people on the outside of the BB world picture us all as unconsiderate meatheads who know nothing but lift and eat. After just a few hours of browsing this site i was amazed at the infinite knowledge provided here. There are a few members at my gym who have amazingly slipped through the cracks, and they all pointed towards this site.
I just figured you would all find it as funny as i did just how flawwed the view of the BB world is. There is more science in this industry than in almost any other, and even Joe Shmoe is becoming more knowledgeable by the day. I hope that eventually this knowledge can lead to these old school images being broken, but until then i guess we have to keep doing our daily thing and growing on our own.
Well i hope this entertained at least some of you, if not oh well you'll live. But it is great to find a site like this, and i hope that i can contribute to it in any way.
Fast forward to today. I'm a full time student, and work at a health club/gym. I'm sure most of you are familiar with this gym, as it is known for being anit-bodybuilding/power lifting, but it pays the bills. For those who aren't familiar with the gym, ask around im sure your friends know, but i'll leave it unnamed for a little anonymity for now. Anyway, for comedic value i figured i could give my perspective from the inside.
When i first started here, my boss was a sports medicine/nutrition major and a pretty knowledgeable guy. I had heard horror stories of friends i lifted with being kicked out for doing their normal routine, but this was the first actual experience i had with it. Upon starting the job i had to read the operations manual, and a few other training things. As i read through it i couldn't help but laugh at this companies logic as to how a gym should be run. It blatantly states "does not cater to bodybuilders/powerlifters" in the companies motto and whatnot, but their methodology of not letting real lifters into the gym is RIDICULOUS. Muscle shirts or any shirt cut to expose the chest is prohibited, no gallon water jugs, no lifts from the floor (i.e. dead lifts), no slamming weights, no yelling-grunting-cursing-screaming-abnormally loud breathing allowed, dumbbells only go up to 60 pounds, and the list goes on. So as i stand here dumbfounded at how insane these policies are, i question my boss as to just why bodybuilders are so hated here. He gave me the company answer first, followed by his attempt at an honest answer. The first answer was: "This company discourages bodybuilders/powerlifters because they intimidate other people in the gym. They are obnoxious and cause people to feel uncomfortable in the gym." As he told me this i couldn't help but laugh. He then gave me his own response which was: "Man, i really don't know why we don't allow bodybuilders, but i've had to kick some good people out." Now on a daily basis i have to grit my teeth as i tell people the company policy, but like i said it pays the bills.
Now the way i see it, some guy with a god complex got pushed around be a jock in highschool, and immediately associated him with a bodybuilder because he lifted weights. Now as this guy grew up and through whatever means became prosperous enough to open a gym franchise, he decided he would get his ultimate revenge against Joe Weightlifter. Through his manaical gym policies and ridiculously cheap memberships, this guy is killing fitness. He is completely americanizing lifting and the physical health industry. It kills me to see a "gym" that caters to nothing but people who really don't care about their health, much less their image, almost completely dominate the gym market. In my area you can pay $10/mo to go to this gym, or upwards of $50/mo to go to a real gym. Well 99% of people are going to choose that $10 option because their routine isn't going to change either way. This chokes out the real gym and you are left with no other option.
I realize this is capitolism at it's finest, but it disgusts me to see something as great as weight lifting falling vicitim to the american way. That being said the general stigma of bodybuilders being rude and obnoxious cracks me up. I have met maybe a handful of real lifters that weren't more than happy to give a little friendly advice, most of them did it without me even asking. It sucks how people on the outside of the BB world picture us all as unconsiderate meatheads who know nothing but lift and eat. After just a few hours of browsing this site i was amazed at the infinite knowledge provided here. There are a few members at my gym who have amazingly slipped through the cracks, and they all pointed towards this site.
I just figured you would all find it as funny as i did just how flawwed the view of the BB world is. There is more science in this industry than in almost any other, and even Joe Shmoe is becoming more knowledgeable by the day. I hope that eventually this knowledge can lead to these old school images being broken, but until then i guess we have to keep doing our daily thing and growing on our own.
Well i hope this entertained at least some of you, if not oh well you'll live. But it is great to find a site like this, and i hope that i can contribute to it in any way.
