A FEW GOOD GYMS
by Bob Whelan
Some of the few, proud and best gyms in the world are relatively unknown. They are usually not famous and can be found at random in the basements and garages of hardcore, drug-free “dinosaurs” all over the world. Most of these gyms only have a single Olympic bar, plenty of plates, a squat rack and a flat bench, That’s it! Some may have a lot more equipment than this, but many have even less. The equipment is not the element that defines a good gym. Gym atmosphere is everything. Social status, money, race, etc., are invisible in good gyms. You are not respected for “who you think you are." You are respected only for “what you do.” Your effort earns respect.
Good gyms make you feel like training hard. You are comfortable there. The floors are usually cement, not carpet. The ceiling usually has exposed pipes. The paint on the walls, if there is any, is not even noticed. Good gyms are not fancy but have plenty of black iron. Here you can be yourself. Here there is brotherhood and camaraderie. You and your training partners can sweat, scream, bang weights, grunt, growl and GROW!
There are no juice bars in good gyms. Men and women go there to train only. You don’t train with your ass hanging out, or with perfume or cologne on. You don’t try to pick up women there. If you want to do that, it’s at another place and time. No supplement stands, saunas, whirlpools or even shower facilities arc to be found. (You can do that somewhere else, too.) No sweatbands, matching outfits, spandex or lifting gloves. There are no ferns in the comer, classical music or art work on the wall. They don’t sell bottled water. There are no skinny geeks with clipboards walking around telling you what “dangerous” exercises NOT to do (they have no idea what TO DO!). Any machines to be found have no computer on them and are plate loaded. There is no chrome and no mirrors. Words like ״toning" and “body sculpting" get you mugged.
There are no pictures of drug using scum bodybuilders on the walls of good gyms. They are not role models to be glorified. They belong on wanted posters, not gym walls. Pictures of the “old-timers,” who did it the right way, like Jowett, Grimek, Sandow, Haekenschmidt, et al, do belong there to be respected and admired. You will only find their pictures in good gyms. People who run “fitness clubs" have never heard of any of them.
There are thousands of gyms all over the world that are crammed to the gills with every gadget and new machine known to man, but most of these gyms SUCK! People who run these “social clubs” get upset when you work too hard! They don’t like sweat on the floor or on their machines. They don’t have chalk. They don’t want you to make any noise when you train (other than long whispering conversations between sets, which is OK).
If you are an advocate of “ground based” high intensity training (i.e., you end up on the ground or floor after a hard set), you are warned to never do that again or you will have your membership revoked! (“You are scaring the members!”) Effort is barely tolerated. As long as you go through the motions with a smile, don’t sweat too much, make no noise, and take the harassing, unwanted advice of the clipboard geek “personal trainers”, you will he a desired member. Most people sadly are. This is the reason why most commercial gyms make dinosaurs sick!
by Bob Whelan
Some of the few, proud and best gyms in the world are relatively unknown. They are usually not famous and can be found at random in the basements and garages of hardcore, drug-free “dinosaurs” all over the world. Most of these gyms only have a single Olympic bar, plenty of plates, a squat rack and a flat bench, That’s it! Some may have a lot more equipment than this, but many have even less. The equipment is not the element that defines a good gym. Gym atmosphere is everything. Social status, money, race, etc., are invisible in good gyms. You are not respected for “who you think you are." You are respected only for “what you do.” Your effort earns respect.
Good gyms make you feel like training hard. You are comfortable there. The floors are usually cement, not carpet. The ceiling usually has exposed pipes. The paint on the walls, if there is any, is not even noticed. Good gyms are not fancy but have plenty of black iron. Here you can be yourself. Here there is brotherhood and camaraderie. You and your training partners can sweat, scream, bang weights, grunt, growl and GROW!
There are no juice bars in good gyms. Men and women go there to train only. You don’t train with your ass hanging out, or with perfume or cologne on. You don’t try to pick up women there. If you want to do that, it’s at another place and time. No supplement stands, saunas, whirlpools or even shower facilities arc to be found. (You can do that somewhere else, too.) No sweatbands, matching outfits, spandex or lifting gloves. There are no ferns in the comer, classical music or art work on the wall. They don’t sell bottled water. There are no skinny geeks with clipboards walking around telling you what “dangerous” exercises NOT to do (they have no idea what TO DO!). Any machines to be found have no computer on them and are plate loaded. There is no chrome and no mirrors. Words like ״toning" and “body sculpting" get you mugged.
There are no pictures of drug using scum bodybuilders on the walls of good gyms. They are not role models to be glorified. They belong on wanted posters, not gym walls. Pictures of the “old-timers,” who did it the right way, like Jowett, Grimek, Sandow, Haekenschmidt, et al, do belong there to be respected and admired. You will only find their pictures in good gyms. People who run “fitness clubs" have never heard of any of them.
There are thousands of gyms all over the world that are crammed to the gills with every gadget and new machine known to man, but most of these gyms SUCK! People who run these “social clubs” get upset when you work too hard! They don’t like sweat on the floor or on their machines. They don’t have chalk. They don’t want you to make any noise when you train (other than long whispering conversations between sets, which is OK).
If you are an advocate of “ground based” high intensity training (i.e., you end up on the ground or floor after a hard set), you are warned to never do that again or you will have your membership revoked! (“You are scaring the members!”) Effort is barely tolerated. As long as you go through the motions with a smile, don’t sweat too much, make no noise, and take the harassing, unwanted advice of the clipboard geek “personal trainers”, you will he a desired member. Most people sadly are. This is the reason why most commercial gyms make dinosaurs sick!
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