I used to enjoy going to the gym. Long before I became a runner I spent years doing a combination of cardio and strength training. I had upper body strength. Now I'm built like a frog - all my power is concentrated in my legs and my arms have become darn near obsolete. So I decided to start working out a couple of days a week and see if I can't regain the use of the top half of my body. I've made two visits to a fitness center a block away from my apartment and am not impressed so far.
There are a lot of 20-something men walking around like peacocks. That, combined with the constant thumping hip-hop music gives the place a cheesy nightclub feeling. Maybe I'm too demanding, but I like to control what I'm listening to. In this day and age when almost everyone has a personal music device why can't the gym be quiet? I guess I've gotten spoiled by the peace and solitude of road running.
Last time I was there I even gave the receptionist/personal trainer/male model and his little punk sidekick a piece of my mind. I'm pretty sure it just amused them...
Anyway, whatever - their loss. I'm revising my plan. I think I'll join the yoga studio instead of the gym and use that for cross-training. Might not have the same effect on my upper body strength, but any increased flexibility will probably help my running. And its good for anger management...
4 comments:
I recently joined a gym pretty close to where I live and they also play their music LOUD. How annoying is that? I too just want to listen to my own music, but instead I have to turn it way up to drown out what they're playing. My ears are getting damaged!
I feel your pain Jesse. We should start a movement - Quiet Workout Spaces for the People!
I'm with you on the music thing - 100%! Some people consider everyone walking around with iPods at the gym to be anti-social -- but when I'm at the gym, I just want to finish a high quality workout and get the heck out of that place. I do miss gyms in North America though. The Euro gyms I've gone to the past couple years are so tiny and crowded in comparison! So, no music thumping, but the same 20-somethings (but speaking different languages) and packed in machine after machine! I've had to learn a whole new tolerance level for (lack of) personal space!
Hey, you need to find another gym - my gym also has loud music but a door that closes, fairly soundproof!
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