Like you, I also started lifting in gyms that were more like the picture in the article. And, yes, they probably were a bit off-putting to newcomers.

All the same, though, I was a newcomer – as 15 year old boy in 1985, who decided to use his spare time a bit better, by lifting weights – I can’t tell you how many times I heard the soundtrack to Rocky movies, or Beverly Hills Cop, during those early years.

Like you say, going back in time, gyms were much more of a social, collaborative experience – even if the advice of the old-timers or experienced was at times a bit suspect, perhaps dogmatic, the whole experience tended to feel more of a community than it has in recent decades.

I also look back with nostalgia, and feel somewhat irritated by the labelling, reinvention of the wheel, and fads evident in gyms, these days. There doesn’t seem to be much of the same spirit of community in gyms, these days – it seems mostly replaced with cliques, and groups of people, supposedly “training” whilst spending more of their time socialising whilst hogging equipment, than the banter and camaraderie that seemed to go hand-in-hand with “old school” gyms that happened whilst not interfering with the progress of peoples’ workouts.

I’ve also noticed the information age has kind of “informed” gym users with more details, but not necessarily more knowledge, sense and fact. Often it’s just as dogmatic, albeit with a different source, or just misapplied. I also think there’s much less decorum – which I’m sure those involved who shun tradition and favour meritocracy, see as no harm, no foul – but I somehow just can’t go quietly into the night about people curling in the squat rack – or the worst I’ve seen – lateral raises in the squat rack.

I’m sure I’m just a gym dinosaur, but I can’t help but look back on the old-days with more than nostalgia. Maybe I’d be best timewarped back
to the era of Pumping Iron, to workout in gyms like that.

The new age, anything-that-gets-bums-off-seats-has-to-be-a-good-thing mantra is maybe rhetoric that society as a whole needs, but all the same, gyms being a bit daunting, a bit scary, was perhaps somewhat self-selecting, tipping a wink to evolution, and all that. Now we just have irritating platitudes, and gyms geared up to appeal to what is, perhaps, a whole wider audience, albeit an audience that according to statistics, most won’t be still attending 6 months after starting.

I can’t help but think, long term, it was good for gyms to be that bit intimidating, that bit daunting – not because I cling to some old fashioned, dogmatic idea that these things should be difficult and off-putting – more because people determined to see past that don’t tend
to waste time of practically everybody involved – well everybody except the finance people.

And as a final note, yes, like many, these days – I also turn-on, tune-in and switch-off in the gym, by becoming self-absorbed in my own personal
selection of music on an mp3 player. Hypocritically, or otherwise, but most of the social interaction in gyms, these days is inane beyond belief, with free time to workout at a premium, I’d rather seem ignorant and unapproachable the tides of time can’t be turned back, I realise that – but like you, I can’t help preferring the clock could be turned back, all the while becoming isolated in my own personal reverie.

I’ll just slide off, now, and watch Stay Hungry on VHS – see, that’s what’s missing in gyms, these days – people dressing up as Batman whilst they workout. Or maybe not…

However, I do agree with much of what you say and I cant argue with your own experiences, it’s positive to hear you are training and by the sounds of it enjoying it. I remember years ago before every member of the gym team being a personal trainer that the interaction with members was far greater and it is more an atmosphere of wanting others to succeed and improve that I miss rather than the dirty weights and creaky machines. Of course, it’s just really an opinion and perhaps a rose-tinted or slightly cynical one. ) Best wishes. G

…Until a few years ago, the weights rooms of gyms for me(and I have been a member of various gyms around the world from Fitness Firsts to specialist weight-lifting gyms), were always a “no-go” zone. I was miss cardio-girl and I was safe there. The weights rooms intimated me..mostly due to the fact that the people in there were big and muscly and had a very good idea of what they were supposed to do with a 30kg dumbbell or bar. I had no clue, except maybe not be able to pick it up and drop it on my foot. If every gym was as you described and everyone felt like I did when they saw barbells and dumbbells and big muscly men grunting at each other, we wouldn’t have much of a gym-culture at all.

My point is that in today’s society (and now I’m sounding like my parents), with obesity levels increasing at an astonishing rate, we need as many people as possible to find gyms and fitness centres accessible and inviting, not scrary and intimidating. If this means fancy and “faddy” machines and complicated celeb work-outs that can only be achieved with a personal trainer and special machines, well so be it. People will always go places to “be seen” or to show off, whether that be the cinema, shopping mall, night-club or gym. I don’t think we can get away from certain gym-goers poncing around, however if it makes people get off their ass and go to the gym instead of the shopping mall or night-club, then I think it is a positive thing.

Seriously well done Muse.

As I mentioned to you last week during training, I put a lot of value on my sessions with you. It’s such an important aspect to reaching the goals we set for myself.

For the last 6 months I have had a knee injury and Sian has worked every session around it, and has been a great inspiration to me, when at times I have thought that it was the end of the world. Our Personal Training sessions are always varied, hard work and of course great fun. She is a credit to her profession.

Well Done Sian!

And yes indeed Jennifer, you should be proud of your daughter!

Good luck darling! You deserve success because you have earned it through hard work and perseverence.
Love you heaps. X Mum
ps.
Oh and by the way – she is brilliant at what she does. She is also giving me good advice as to what to do after two major operations so I can get back to full fitness