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.
buy some of t**broken link removed** to squat in...
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.
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 )
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.
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 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**
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.
Hey which LA fitness was that? There is one in Waterford lakes now too.
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
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 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.