I think I have been kicked out of my gym.

[b-boy]

we all squat and deadlift in otomix or chuck taylors. nice flat shoes and it doesn't get the gym owners in an uproar

 

[pesty4077]

I knew a guy that dropped a 100lb plate on his toes from about 3inches off the ground. He was wearing shoes at the time-but couldn't fit into shoes for over a year afterwards. I can only imagine how much worse off he'd have been w/o shoes on when it happened. The no shoes rule should be enforced...at least more than the "you are required to carry a towel while working out"-rule.

Are you really that special because you squat 465lbs? How special??? Special enough for the owner to risk getting sued and losing his gym when some pencilneck newb accidently drops a plate on your foot? Special enough for all the members to understand when they lose their memberships when this happens??? How about the company that leases the building the gym is in? Should they get dicked out of the remaining time the owner had on his lease before he was bankrupted by your attorney because you like to squat in bare feet??? My point being, the gym is not all about you-no matter how awesome you think, or others think that you are.

Although I agree about some of your comments, the last statement is not true. If you own a business, you would know that is all about your customers or you wouldn't make a paycheck.

 

[Chuckblonde]

Hey which LA fitness was that? There is one in Waterford lakes now too.

 

[PsyT]

I do box squats and rack pulls with socks on only! It makes me much more stable...even the converse I have are kinda 'squishy' and make it a tad harder to bear the load through my heels (shoes push the load onto my toes which obviously is dangerous with heavy loads).

Maybe if you explain to them and say you will wear socks and offer to sign a release waiver they will let you go ahead and stay squatting shoe-less?

 

[hotttsauce]

buy some of t**broken link removed** to squat in...

Those are kick ass!!!

if it was an insurance issue that should have been stated, sanitary reason? seriously in dirty as sweaty gyms? you don't lay on the floor around the squat rack do you? He's not doing bare foot sprints around the gym.

Until you tried bare foot squats you shouldn't knock it. It's def preferred in this area also.

I usually do after squats ..... you must not be hitting them hard enough

As far as the dilema, with health codes (which are ridiculous in gyms when people don't even wipe off the cardio and get nothing said to them) your kinda screwed. Makes me appreciate our rattie gym a lil more, you can get away with a lot. (well cuz we rule the place anyway )

 

[thebrick]

Hey Tony!

Want to borrow my workout shoes? They work great for squats and deadlifts. They may PREFER you going barefoot though. I think I bought these during the early Clinton era.

 

[VTliftVT]

I squat in these...just as good as being barefoot considering there is only like 1/4" of rubber on the bottom for grip and no support elsewhere. Why be a hardass and cause problems when there are so many alternatives?

**broken link removed**

 

[thebrick]

As far as the dilema, with health codes (which are ridiculous in gyms when people don't even wipe off the cardio and get nothing said to them) your kinda screwed. Makes me appreciate our rattie gym a lil more, you can get away with a lot. (well cuz we rule the place anyway )

My favorite are the guys that blow their nose into the gym towels. Nice.

Also the time I got on the treadmill next to the guy running and his sweat was flying all over the place including my area. I moved.

 

[aeliop]

No I am not

Are you really that special because you squat 465lbs? How special??? Special enough for the owner to risk getting sued and losing his gym when some pencilneck newb accidently drops a plate on your foot? Special enough for all the members to understand when they lose their memberships when this happens??? How about the company that leases the building the gym is in? Should they get dicked out of the remaining time the owner had on his lease before he was bankrupted by your attorney because you like to squat in bare feet??? My point being, the gym is not all about you-no matter how awesome you think, or others think that you are.

Let me address this:

No I am not special for anything but in my years of tenure there for whatever it is worth I have done the following:

Myself and Marilyn (especially Marilyn) have brought in countless people who have joined. Since 2005 I have been pretty much a model citizen. I get along very well with all of the sales staff, all of the janitorial, all of the instructers, and most of the personal trainers. More times then I can count, sales staff while showing around prospects have interrupted my workout to bring by prospects. I am always really courteous and I give them the sales pitch of what a great gym, how much they will love it, and when there a member I will be happy to help them anytime.
Anytime I compete I always mention them as the place that I train at.
If I know a paticular personal trainer is struggling and I think they deserve a break, I will walk up to them when they are trying to sell a prospect and ask them some advice, try to give them a little cred.
I rack all my weights and most others as well as that rule is never followed.

Why do I do these things? That is just the way I am, I like to give more then I take. Most of the people who work there are good people just trying to make a living so I respect that and try to help out where I can. Does that make me special? Absolutely not but it does make me a damn good member.

Is the gym legally and on paper absolutely right and me absolutely wrong? Yes

 

[aeliop]

For those who live on sarcasm

insurance.

put your freakin shoes on or get out. if i owned the gym i would have done the same.

also for sanitary reasons.

old school

I forgot I didn't get your permission to be old school. Can you please grant me permission to be old school.

 

[tkav1980]

forget about shoes vs. no shoes... the problem i see is the diplomacy used to handle the issue. im sure if the employees of the gym would have approached in a more reasonable way the problem could have been handled rather quickly.

 

[aeliop]

I squat in these...just as good as being barefoot considering there is only like 1/4" of rubber on the bottom for grip and no support elsewhere. Why be a hardass and cause problems when there are so many alternatives?

**broken link removed**

Well those are a poor alternative. This goes beyond safety, level platform..etc. There is a whole science to barefoot squatting that later relates to manipulating your quads and other muscles on stage. You know when you are barefoot.
Trust me I would never be described as a hardass.

 

[thebrick]

forget about shoes vs. no shoes... the problem i see is the diplomacy used to handle the issue. im sure if the employees of the gym would have approached in a more reasonable way the problem could have been handled rather quickly.

Exactly. If you have a business and want to keep clients, you handle things with (at least some initial) diplomacy even if you are right and the client is wrong.

 

[aeliop]

Lifestyles

Hey which LA fitness was that? There is one in Waterford lakes now too.

It's not an LA Fitness. It is a Lifestyles in Winter Springs on the corner of Red Bug and Tuskawilla. Let me know and we can train sometime.

 

[aeliop]

For what it is worth.

For those few who brought up the insurance issues and sided with the gym. Well I have to say you guys are right. Unfortunately sometimes because something is legal doesn't make it right. They didn't boot me out of the gym and I won't be squatting barefoot anymore. The Kmart has a pair of Joe Boxer shoes that look just like the Chuck's and they are on sale right now for 7.99 a pair. I probably will be leaving the gym soon for one that I can squat barefoot. Barefoot squatting and deadlifting is very important to me and beyond the safety issues there is a whole science to using the muscles in the feet, griping the floor with your toes, etc... but that is another thread. These factors as well as slipping and sliding is why I don't squat in socks either.

 

[PHIL HERNON]

Just a thought

People are starving in other countries........just throwin that out there....

 

[concreteguy]

You may be special

Let me address this:

No I am not special for anything but in my years of tenure there for whatever it is worth I have done the following:

Myself and Marilyn (especially Marilyn) have brought in countless people who have joined. Since 2005 I have been pretty much a model citizen. I get along very well with all of the sales staff, all of the janitorial, all of the instructers, and most of the personal trainers. More times then I can count, sales staff while showing around prospects have interrupted my workout to bring by prospects. I am always really courteous and I give them the sales pitch of what a great gym, how much they will love it, and when there a member I will be happy to help them anytime.
Anytime I compete I always mention them as the place that I train at.
If I know a paticular personal trainer is struggling and I think they deserve a break, I will walk up to them when they are trying to sell a prospect and ask them some advice, try to give them a little cred.
I rack all my weights and most others as well as that rule is never followed.

Why do I do these things? That is just the way I am, I like to give more then I take. Most of the people who work there are good people just trying to make a living so I respect that and try to help out where I can. Does that make me special? Absolutely not but it does make me a damn good member.

Is the gym legally and on paper absolutely right and me absolutely wrong? Yes

Tony, it sounds like any gym could use more members like you. You sound like a true asset to the gym.
I think the bare foot issue should have been addressed the first time staff saw you training this way. Letting you establish a precedence of trianing this way and then taking issue with it later is THE PROBLEM. I would guess it could be that a staffer may have a problem with you your not aware of. It could be jealousy or maybe even a woman staffer that is jealous of your wife? Bottom line is they can toss your ass for almost no reason. So if you like the gym, I would look for a way to not make waves. Good luck!

 

[myosin]

My Amateur Observation of Tony...

I don't know Tony- at all, except from what I've read here at PM.

My point is, although he probably doesn't need it, I can venture that Tony handled the situation very appropriately and not as a "hard-ass."

1) He's squatted this way for a few years there. Nothing ever said.
2) A person, essentially, verbally attacks him.
3) He simply makes an observation about the other people not wearing
shoes.
a. he doesn't see why there is a "double-standard" and points it out

It's as simple as that.

About replying in threads- try to keep it to THE POINT OF THE THREAD.

The point of the thread was about how the person approached him and the double standard.

Tony never said anything to the affect of, "I should be allowed to 'x' 'y' and 'z' however I want! Screw that place! Blah, blah, blah." So cut him some slack.

Again, really- please try to read post's for what they are or asking before erupting into a "hard-ass" yourself.

 

[marilyn]

hey brick

Want to borrow my workout shoes? They work great for squats and deadlifts. They may PREFER you going barefoot though. I think I bought these during the early Clinton era.

I guarantee you these wont be allowed, lol...not there..they may offend "other" members....

 

[marilyn]

if I may......

I don't know Tony- at all, except from what I've read here at PM.

My point is, although he probably doesn't need it, I can venture that Tony handled the situation very appropriately and not as a "hard-ass."

1) He's squatted this way for a few years there. Nothing ever said.
2) A person, essentially, verbally attacks him.
3) He simply makes an observation about the other people not wearing
shoes.
a. he doesn't see why there is a "double-standard" and points it out

It's as simple as that.

About replying in threads- try to keep it to THE POINT OF THE THREAD.

The point of the thread was about how the person approached him and the double standard.

Tony never said anything to the affect of, "I should be allowed to 'x' 'y' and 'z' however I want! Screw that place! Blah, blah, blah." So cut him some slack.

Again, really- please try to read post's for what they are or asking before erupting into a "hard-ass" yourself.

Beautifully said