I think I have been kicked out of my gym.

[aeliop]

So the other night I am in the gym minding my own business as I usually do. I am in the least frequented parts of the gym, the part that has the squat racks. Typical of an "old school" bodybuilder like myself I am squatting barefoot like I have done thousands of times before and many times in this gym in particular. Well low and behold from all the way across the gym making a beeline towards me is a rapidly aging, fitness bunny, who I have never seen before but does have a name tag. She starts frantically pointing at my feet, which are now dawned in flip flops as my set is over. I remove my headsets to find out where the fire is and which way do I evacuate. The following is a transcript of our conversation.

aeliop: Hi, How are you?
mrs fitness: You can't wear those in here
aeliop: What these half eaten flip flops
mrs fitness: You gotta have athletic shoes on
aeliop: really?
mrs fitness: you can't be barefoot, and you can't wear sandals
aeliop: Well how come all of those ladies over there are wearing sandals and barefoot (I point to the legions of fat, "sweaty bettys" coming from the Yoga class)
mrs fitness: You have to wear athletic shoes
aeliop: Why?
mrs fitness: You might drop a weight on you foot
aeliop: Oh, so if I have athletic shoes on I can drop a weight on my foot and it won't hurt or damage me?
mrs fitness: storms away to the Managers office

Today

Once again this morning I am minding my own business squatting barefoot. Here comes the Manager.
He chokes out a couple of sentences about how I have to have shoes. Pointing to my shoes laying in the corner by my bag, I tell him I have shoes, they are right there. He says he knows I have been told the other night to put on shoes. I try to explain to him that I will as soon as I am done with my set I put them on and wear them in between sets. He gives me the same you gotta wear shoes line and walks away. Well.........since I only had one more set left I went ahead and pounded it out. He apparently sent one of his minions to report back to him what I was up to. The minion saw me still barefoot squatting and reported it back to the Manager.
I was done with training for the day so I put my shoes on, racked my weights and left. I think my membership has been revoked, I guess I will find out tonight when I return to the gym with Marilyn.

 

[maxer]

Harsh! Dont we all sign a waiver when we sign up saying if we hurt ourself its our own fault? Like a release of liability. That should be all we need IMO

 

[michelin]

that sucks, but I'm sure you can talk way around them Tony. You do have a way with words. Good luck

 

[Dangkolo]

That is F**** up!

I must truly be in a old school gym cuz I see all da boyz sporting as they call them out here "flip-flops"

The only concern from me is catching some funky fungus.......lol because my gym is not the most cleanliness gym around.....

 

[aeliop]

Oh Happier Days

I guess the members of the gym won't get to see this anymore

 

[musicmann89]

the la fitness i go to are same way, i go to a little old school gym sometimes that doesnt care can do whatever pretty much

 

[klowndog]

Sounds like you were a gentleman about it. I was expecting to read on that you grabbed the minion by the throat or something. Good job keeping your cool. If they're on you now they'll be watching.

I know I've read that barefoot squatting is beneficial, but how much difference does it really make? Is the difference in strength, growth, ? I see you're moving some serious poundages there.

Might just have to start wearing tough soled shoes.

 

[SOCOM]

It's probably not even the shoe issue. Sometimes these guys just want to exercise their authority and go around starting shit, and they wont let it go until you give in. I dont know how long youve been a member at your gym but why is it that theyre telling you this now?

 

[scottbee]

i wouldnt go barefoot in any gym -----i would worry about fungus and other diseases...in worlds gym in the next town over,there was a staff infection scare-4 members got i think it was called mursa. better off wearing shoes bro!

 

[triathloncoach]

I'm a barefoot squatter at La Fitness

Greeks need not apply - sounds like a case of discrimination because of your good looks and charm.

Yeah, nothing like the security of a pair of Chucks or Nikes when a 45lb plate drops on your feet.

PS - Maybe you have really ugly feet?

 

[PsyT]

haha intense! This is a problem though with the 'fitness center' gyms. Find a real powerlifting gym and they won't give a crap what you do. Go barefoot, belch, fart, pop your zits on the bathroom mirror, whatever its all good when everybody else is as dirty and rude as you are

 

[GorillaGenetics]

i just wear wrestling shoes now feels the same as barefoot and they cant say shit about it

 

[Mr.G]

I knew you were a trouble maker with all that gladiator stuff...lol

 

[joshbarnett]

you can squat barefoot at our gym

 

[7_Deadly_Sins]

That happened to me before too..expect I don't pay for my membership thankfully, but I got a pair of chucks to squat/DL in.
I don't know they think if you're wearing shoes(thin shoes) it'll make the weight hurt any less..if 450 pounds falls on your foot shoe or not you're fucked.
Plus you're in a fucking squat rack..how is it going to fall on you? If it does, it's because the damn barbell splits in half..but the weight would fall off the sides..I hate people at gyms.
Tony, was the girl chubby who told you? The girl who told me was some what over weight...and you can tell has never worked out a day in her life.
Good luck

 

[SABAGOY]

I do my squats, SLDL, Rows and calves without my shoes on...but i keep my socks on...I can kinda...just kinda...see where the gym might not like bare feet...but the weight falling on your foot to justify why you cant is terrible...at least say something likes its not sanitary.

And now i see why your legs are so damn big...nice pictures!

 

[robot]

I've taken to wearing my squat shoes in the gym but prefer sock foot for deadlifts.

The gym staff generally stays away from the free weight area/meatheads as we tend to sweat and make funny noises.

 

[xx0noob0xx]

u should be fine, their not gonna give away money to another gym by losing 1 member which will make more switch cuz of a stupid incident

 

[Truepeptides]

yeah some gyms are pretty queer about it i remember getting yelled at for nonsense before as well and guess what a bout a month or two later i see the scrawny trainer in a cast cuz he dropped a weight on his foot and smashed it..

 

[Phidias]

If I trained only wearing a g-string in my gym, everyone would encourage me to take it off and go naked in the squat rack...

And I'm not kidding... I guess we're more open-minded over here...