What happened to our gyms?

[maldorf]

I was just talking about this today from another older bodybuilder. My original gym, when I had a show the entire gym would show up to cheer me on, it was like family. You use to have to know someone to get gear back then so the big guys were everyone's friend. Now gear is very readily available and with the internet, information is a finger tip away.
I hate the young guns at the gym today, I sit there and I can't believe it when I see them taking videos and pictures of themselves posing in the mirror in between their sets so they can post them on instagram all while supersetting with 4 different machines of all cable exercises....really? When I was a teen, if I did that, they would have punched me in the face and threw me out the door. Can't do that now with all the cameras filming everything.

I like a lot of things old school. I just started getting my haircut at a real barbershop. It is like 4 chairs and a couple of older barbers along with one a little bit younger than me. There is usually a small group of older men that are there just hanging out and shooting the shit with the barbers. Got my hair cut there yesterday and had a blast talking politics with them. It is hard to find places like that today. The old gyms are all but extinct now. You can find a few of these barber shops around.

 

[rcorchid]

Hey sorry man. Were you the hair band bass player in the back of the gym doing cable curls and walking lunges? We did like you but we were to busy doing deads and eating D-bols to say hi.

Yeah, it was me, but I didn't notice you, so we're good.

 

[FrancisK]

Stop going to gyms for douchebags, I go to the YMCA they have a full gym and everyone is extra friendly and courteous.

 

[Rastaboy]

I gotta disagree, I have my headphones in before I get out of my car and still have them going when I leave. Training is a very individual thing for me, not a team effort. Don't get me wrong if I need a spot I pop a headphone and find one but it ain't social hour. Also it irritates me when the bigger dudes in the gym try to catch your eye and give the head nod like "OMG we both got muscles that makes us friends now right?" Ugh....

 

[trainlikeaboss]

Look at the people you are talking about man. Do you really want to have a conversation with them? Cause I don’t. If you’re wearing gloves, jeans or fucking crocks, no. Making up your own ridiculous exercises, no. Quarter squatting, no. Doing half reps on a decline bench, no. Deadlifting with your back arched like a cat, no. I’m working out between two jobs and doing my own meal prepping. I don’t have time to teach people shit for free and I sure as hell don’t have anything to learn from someone who doesn’t even look like they lift. If they want to just “tone up” and do half assed hiit workouts that’s all well and good but I’m not interested in what they have to say. There’s maybe 1-2 people in the gym at any given time that I would actually want to have a conversation with, and they are busy actually lifting and doing their own workout. Can’t stand the shit music they play there anyway. Unless I have a training partner that day, headphones in and focus on the lift.

All that being said. Yeah. My ideal gym would be an ACTUAL “hardcore” gym where everyone there is ACTUALLY serious about lifting. I’d be interested in talking to people who obviously have knowledge to share and I can trust not to drop 315 on my face if I ask for a spot.

 

[Dvo36]

Everyone has a different reason for being in the gym which is perfectly fine. The one thing that isn’t fine is when people lack gym etiquette. Back when there were gyms and not fitness centers, people understood how to work around each other. Nowadays, it’s just something we know we’re going to have to deal with when we workout. I’m sure everyone reading this post has at least one nickname for someone at their club lol.

 

[rcorchid]

Look at the people you are talking about man. Do you really want to have a conversation with them? Cause I don’t. If you’re wearing gloves, jeans or fucking crocks, no. Making up your own ridiculous exercises, no. Quarter squatting, no. Doing half reps on a decline bench, no. Deadlifting with your back arched like a cat, no. I’m working out between two jobs and doing my own meal prepping. I don’t have time to teach people shit for free and I sure as hell don’t have anything to learn from someone who doesn’t even look like they lift. If they want to just “tone up” and do half assed hiit workouts that’s all well and good but I’m not interested in what they have to say. There’s maybe 1-2 people in the gym at any given time that I would actually want to have a conversation with, and they are busy actually lifting and doing their own workout. Can’t stand the shit music they play there anyway. Unless I have a training partner that day, headphones in and focus on the lift.

All that being said. Yeah. My ideal gym would be an ACTUAL “hardcore” gym where everyone there is ACTUALLY serious about lifting. I’d be interested in talking to people who obviously have knowledge to share and I can trust not to drop 315 on my face if I ask for a spot.

^^^This.

 

[nothuman]

Also it irritates me when the bigger dudes in the gym try to catch your eye and give the head nod like "OMG we both got muscles that makes us friends now right?" Ugh....

Lol'd because we can all probably relate

 

[concreteguy]

New gyms are only half a real gym. They have enough leg equipment to tease you into thinking you worked your wheels. They play all this wrap music that's SO COOL I just want to puke. Half the idiots are sitting on equipment playing with there phones. Another 25% are standing talking to another dude (a couple of stick figures) Half of what's left are at the shake bar waiting for a cup of pure slop. What's left are people like me training and making the best of things. Notice I didn't mention the girls with there goat hoof leotards. Keep them coming baby!


It's a rare day when you walk into a gym in the N.E. and find a "gym" inside.

 

[Reload]

 

[maldorf]

LOL, that looks a bit like where I go now. Classic picture!

 

[Fa Seeshus]

And as you snap the picture you realize the sad irony that you are yourself also on the phone.

 

[maldorf]

And as you snap the picture you realize the sad irony that you are yourself also on the phone.

I wonder what the guy on the left is doing. He is sitting there watching the guy on the right side in the back. looks like he is eyeing that leg press and waiting for the guy to get done. I have seen so many guys sitting on a piece of equipment wasting time on their phones. The other day I was waiting for a decline bench because of that. He spent more time on the phone than he did lifting.

 

[Reload]

And as you snap the picture you realize the sad irony that you are yourself also on the phone.

The pic is off the internet. I leave my phone in the car when I train!

 

[m314]

Some people log their workouts on their phones. When was the last time you saw someone taking notes with pencil and paper between sets? You don't have to be young to use 21st century technology.

 

[Reload]

Some people log their workouts on their phones. When was the last time you saw someone taking notes with pencil and paper between sets? You don't have to be young to use 21st century technology.

Nope...but when you aren't under 300-900lbs grinding out a set your on your phone? Seriously WTF?! Can't you go find another piece of gym equipment to warm your ass on while you input your macros, super sets and PR's?

 

[buck]

It has been about 15 years since I have seen the inside of a hard core gym. I don't even hear rumours of any hard core pits any more. Seeing guys bench 400+squatting 500 + everyday are long gone around here. But I don't care what condition some one is in. As long as they are trying to improve that is all that matters. Some of the old, overweight out of shape people that don't want to be there but show up every day impress me more then the young inshape crowd pumping their light weights and wanting other people to think they look good. One of the women at the gym shows up with her walker ever day and heads straight to the leg press....she is my hero!

 

[thethinker48]

My gyms pretty cool, bunch of older guys who I say hi to and chat with.

Some younger guys as well.

Everyone willing to spot.

And the fat kid with his girlfriend who mean mugs me the whole time doing DB rows with 30 lbs.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[Elvia1023]

Some of you are miserable bastards I don't know where some of you guys train but you need to change places. Or perhaps it's not as bad as you think you are just a bit miserable. I have trained brutally hard in so many crap gyms. So what if some guy is on the phone or everyone else is training like an idiot. Why does that have to effect your workout. If your gym is equipped with the basics you can train hard.

If you are constantly aware of all the idiots around you perhaps you aren't training hard enough or focused enough. Don't get me wrong I get it. I trained yesterday and some guy was doing light deadlifts and kept posing in the mirror. Everytime I looked in that direction he had his shirt held up checking his abs in the mirror. He weighed about 170 and had a physique type body. But so what it doesn't have to effect my training he just made me laugh.

There are hardcore gyms all over I guess some of you just have to find a suitable place. In my city now I purposely tried many gyms and liked them all but it took me a long time to find my current gym. I must have tried 20 gyms beforehand as I would actively look for them. I found some in the middle of nowhere. That's the advantage of Google Maps etc. Perhaps some of you guys need to do the same if your gyms are so bad. Chances are you will find issues with every gym though.

 

[graybass]

Some great responses. It's not about age. Friend of mine is 24 and competing in the NPC nationals. We train the same. All hardcore.
Again what I was saying, is being so self absorbed sometimes you'll miss out on a chance to learn from experienced people. I am very fortunate to train at one of the most hardcore gyms on the east coast. We are also home base to a well known powerlifting club, and many many national level BB's. Might be a good place to stop and listen once in a while. :headbang: