Rant/Powerlifting Gym

[m_donnelly]

So, I received an 8pm phone call from the manager of the gym I train at last night. Apparently, I accidentally tracked mud into the gym yesterday and my gym membership has been revoked.. Now, there is an issue with inconsiderate people trashing the place but I'm more certainly not one of them. I have (had) been training there for thirteen years and took pride in the place as it was my home away from home. I apologized profusely, offered to pay the cleaning crew's salary for that night and told her it would never happen again. Her reply; "Your membership is gone" and she hung up on me. This is literally the second time I've talked to her and, again, I have NEVER trashed the place. I didn't even realize my shoes were muddy until I looked at them after she b-tched me out. It might be for the best anyway... That gym used to be the powerlifting/bodybuilding Mecca in town but this new lunatic manager is turning it into a "fitness center": moving free weights out to put in spin classes, Zumba and that kind if shit.

So, the second part to this thread; how much would it run to open up a small gym dedicated solely towards powerlifting and athletic performance enhancement? Places like Westside Barbell are really nothing more than little dungeons with basic equipment. This town sorely needs something like this gym.

[OnTheSauce]

Express your concerns to the owner

[m_donnelly]

At this point, I'm not going to bother. He's not a real pleasant person either... He turned several of us a way from memberships four years ago because he was "tired of people coming crawling back to his gym after leaving to work-out at yuppie shit-holes". I hadn't been training there for a year because I went back to college and could lift at the school facility for free. I explained this to him and was told to f-off anyway. I came back to the gym this time around because I was told the owner had nothing to do with it any more and that the new manager (crazy wench) was sane.

[>Good Luck<]

At this point, I'm not going to bother. He's not a real pleasant person either... He turned several of us a way from memberships four years ago because he was "tired of people coming crawling back to his gym after leaving to work-out at yuppie shit-holes". I hadn't been training there for a year because I went back to college and could lift at the school facility for free. I explained this to him and was told to f-off anyway. I came back to the gym this time around because I was told the owner had nothing to do with it any more and that the new manager (crazy wench) was sane.

I'm interested in the same information as I have been getting and hearing complaints about weight being to loud and other members being intimidated by heavy lifters. I asked the manager if this is a policy because i pay for a membership to lift how I want. 365lbs is far from my desired deadlift and I'm just a puny guy. People are lifting 7 plates a side and having their asses reamed by management. Guys benching 5 plates are being dangerous. Guys squatting 6 plates are gigging weights. Guys db pressing 120's should have someone take the weights off them so they don't hit the floors. Pretty lame mainstream gyms around here

[krugerr]

My old college gym used to complain about weights being noisy. They had the rubber coated plates, and a thick rubber floor.
Eventually they banned deadlifts, they were too noisy and intimidating. They used to make comments if you dropped the dumbells after heavy pressing.

I train at a real old skool gym now that doesn't give a fvck!

[m_donnelly]

I'm interested in the same information as I have been getting and hearing complaints about weight being to loud and other members being intimidated by heavy lifters. I asked the manager if this is a policy because i pay for a membership to lift how I want. 365lbs is far from my desired deadlift and I'm just a puny guy. People are lifting 7 plates a side and having their asses reamed by management. Guys benching 5 plates are being dangerous. Guys squatting 6 plates are gigging weights. Guys db pressing 120's should have someone take the weights off them so they don't hit the floors. Pretty lame mainstream gyms around here

It's funny that you mention this because I'm wondering if this wasn't the real reason I was run out. I've never been told of complaints about me but I do train with heavy free weights and it feels like this gym is trying to change its identity. We had several murals of Arnold, Dorian Yates and other bodybuilders on the walls and they were white-washed over last week. I got loud with my squat workout last weekend and I wouldn't be surprised if it offended the manger's fragile sensibilities.

I don't know... I really don't get it.. I show up, put my earbuds in, train for an hour, mind my own business, follow gym etiquette and then I leave. I pick up after myself (and other people), I spot people when they ask for help and just maintain a good attitude.

But, like I said, it's probably for the best anyway. The place is turning into a YMCA real quick and I imagine its only a matter of time before the squat racks and power platforms are replaced with stationary bikes. And, this is why I'd like to fill a small garage with free weights and just focus on a gym that pushes big weights and gets people bigger, stronger, and faster.

[cgozz]

I think all gyms are heading this way. I am a PT director at a 60,000 sq ft gym. It still has old school 150lb db. It use to be a real hardcore gym. Now the owner has added fitness center to the name of the gym. He has added zumba,spin,extreme fitness classes etc. we use to play real hardcore music now fu**in pop/dance music. I have brought many complaints to the owner because a lot of the original members, the hardcore lifters complain. So recently the owner tells me we are a dying breed! People don't want that anymore. All I see in the gym now are not serious lifters they are there to socialize. What happened to the golden age of lifting?

[m_donnelly]

It's got me pretty bummed out.. The rest of the gyms in town are 'fitness clubs'; none of them have power platforms or more than one squat rack.

However, this gym is going to end up closed down before you know it. I was one of the few original members that still trained there, enrollment is down, and the few new members joining are just there for the three Zumba sessions a week. The place is located in a shitty side of town and its hard to find without directions.

[>Good Luck<]

I think all gyms are heading this way. I am a PT director at a 60,000 sq ft gym. It still has old school 150lb db. It use to be a real hardcore gym. Now the owner has added fitness center to the name of the gym. He has added zumba,spin,extreme fitness classes etc. we use to play real hardcore music now fu**in pop/dance music. I have brought many complaints to the owner because a lot of the original members, the hardcore lifters complain. So recently the owner tells me we are a dying breed! People don't want that anymore. All I see in the gym now are not serious lifters they are there to socialize. What happened to the golden age of lifting?

Well here's why....75% of people who join a gym, don't use it. The ones who don't go, pay the bills. The ones who do will cost less money on bikes and treadmills.

I'm gonna open up a chain of REAL gyms

[gixxerboy1]

i've been in the fitness industry for years. Hardcore gyms make no money. The owner owns the gym to make a proffit. BBer's dont pay the bills. You may have 30 hard core lifters in your gym where he can put 30 people into 1 spin class. Also they arent as hard on the equipment. People dont realize how much dumbells and good bars and machines cost.
So yea you get bitched out for dropping 100lb db's. because you drop them enough and they break or bend its atleast $300 to replace that pair.

[>Good Luck<]

i've been in the fitness industry for years. Hardcore gyms make no money. The owner owns the gym to make a proffit. BBer's dont pay the bills. You may have 30 hard core lifters in your gym where he can put 30 people into 1 spin class. Also they arent as hard on the equipment. People dont realize how much dumbells and good bars and machines cost.
So yea you get bitched out for dropping 100lb db's. because you drop them enough and they break or bend its atleast $300 to replace that pair.

I understand and agree. But what are we supposed to do? Home gym only??? Do you have a solution or us my friend? I honestly hope so, because it's obvious that you are right but it still sucks

[Capebuffalo]

I understand and agree. But what are we supposed to do? Home gym only??? Do you have a solution or us my friend? I honestly hope so, because it's obvious that you are right but it still sucks

Move to Texas join metro flex

[m_donnelly]

I can understand the issue with equipment; there's no need to slam things around and damage them. However this thought that we're 'intimidating' because we come in to push weights and train hard is moronic. The gym that I've been talking about has a fitness area for classes, a machine/cardio room, and an actual free weight room. So, the solution is simple; these people need to stay around the portions of the facility that are appropriate to their needs. I don't bitch about the runner that puts 100 miles on the treadmill during the weeks in the winter and ends up trashing a 3,000.00 piece of cardio equipment.

[cherrydrpepper]

I don't know how much mud we are talking about. If you feel he was wrong I'd tell the story to as many people as possible.

In the last town I lived in there was a restaurant owned by a young guy right in the heart of all the action downtown. Service was terrible we're talking 20+ minutes to have your order taken even when not that busy. People would complain to him. Instead of taking their complaints he would tell them things like "go somewhere else". The rep of the place got so bad that occasionally I would meet a random person around town and the restaurant would come up in conversation and they would mention the place is terrible. I found it so funny because I had gotten bad service there every time I ate and so had other people apparently. I'm hoping the place goes out of business but take comfort in the fact hes losing 10s of thousands of dollars by how bad his rep is.

[>Good Luck<]

I can understand the issue with equipment; there's no need to slam things around and damage them. However this thought that we're 'intimidating' because we come in to push weights and train hard is moronic. The gym that I've been talking about has a fitness area for classes, a machine/cardio room, and an actual free weight room. So, the solution is simple; these people need to stay around the portions of the facility that are appropriate to their needs. I don't bitch about the runner that puts 100 miles on the treadmill during the weeks in the winter and ends up trashing a 3,000.00 piece of cardio equipment.

There is also a difference between throwing weights around and dumping from low level. These are heavy weights and are gonna be louder. When doing deadlifts, the more weight- the more noise... Plain and simple. Why not invest in bumper plates to accommodate heavy lifters?? Probably because some idiots will take them and use them to prop up the foot of the decline bench lol

[Armykid93]

Lol this is nuts, is this what I have to look forward to when I start working out in civilian gyms again?

[gixxerboy1]

There is also a difference between throwing weights around and dumping from low level. These are heavy weights and are gonna be louder. When doing deadlifts, the more weight- the more noise... Plain and simple. Why not invest in bumper plates to accommodate heavy lifters?? Probably because some idiots will take them and use them to prop up the foot of the decline bench lol

Also bumper plates are expensive. Most gyms charge what $30 a month? So your membership for 1 year will pay for a pair of 45lb plates. There is no return on investment.

[Eddie_m63]

Also bumper plates are expensive. Most gyms charge what $30 a month? So your membership for 1 year will pay for a pair of 45lb plates. There is no return on investment.

I pay 21 a month for two memberships lol.

[DCI]

i've been in the fitness industry for years. Hardcore gyms make no money. The owner owns the gym to make a proffit. BBer's dont pay the bills. You may have 30 hard core lifters in your gym where he can put 30 people into 1 spin class. Also they arent as hard on the equipment. People dont realize how much dumbells and good bars and machines cost.
So yea you get bitched out for dropping 100lb db's. because you drop them enough and they break or bend its atleast $300 to replace that pair.

That's it exactly. A happy gym owner is one where the weight section is empty and the classes are jammed full of people. Unfortunetly people just want the ab's look and etc which is unfortunate.

[Papa Smurf]

I guess Im lucky................. Our gym is owned by an ex BB from Vegas. We have both at the gym. Hard core area (dumbbells and rubber plates for deadlifts) and then a seperate for machines, another area for cardio, and then a back room for the classes............

He even purchased a set of heavy dumbbells (160 to 200 ) after some complained the 150s werent cutting it anymore. Not many gyms keep DPs from 5 to 200lbs in 5lb increases.

Yesterday I got a free hoodie sweatshirt for sending him 3 new members.............

[m_donnelly]

I don't know how much mud we are talking about. If you feel he was wrong I'd tell the story to as many people as possible.

In the last town I lived in there was a restaurant owned by a young guy right in the heart of all the action downtown. Service was terrible we're talking 20+ minutes to have your order taken even when not that busy. People would complain to him. Instead of taking their complaints he would tell them things like "go somewhere else". The rep of the place got so bad that occasionally I would meet a random person around town and the restaurant would come up in conversation and they would mention the place is terrible. I found it so funny because I had gotten bad service there every time I ate and so had other people apparently. I'm hoping the place goes out of business but take comfort in the fact hes losing 10s of thousands of dollars by how bad his rep is.

That's the thing: my shoes weren't all that muddy, at all. The bottoms of them had some dried-on mud but that was it. I checked the floor boards if my car and there wasn't anything there either. So, I don't know what that crazy bitch is thinking. Plus, even if I had completely trashed the gym, I still apologized, it was the first time Ive had any issues, and offered to compensate them for their time.

The only reason I haven't gone on a Facebook and Twitter rampage with this is because I have friends that personal-train there. They're good guys who are just trying to earn a living and I'm not going to mess with that. They offered to go to bat for me as they know me and know that I've never left a mess but I told them not to bother; I'm not going to so spend my money at a place run by a lunatic fitness competitor that needs to back off on the clenbuterol.

[jimmyinkedup]

i've been in the fitness industry for years. Hardcore gyms make no money. The owner owns the gym to make a proffit. BBer's dont pay the bills. You may have 30 hard core lifters in your gym where he can put 30 people into 1 spin class. Also they arent as hard on the equipment. People dont realize how much dumbells and good bars and machines cost.
So yea you get bitched out for dropping 100lb db's. because you drop them enough and they break or bend its atleast $300 to replace that pair.

Right on the money Gix.
One day we should look at the money one of these successful big fitness centers can bring in though. It is ASTOUNDING! Jaw dropping to most in fact.
10,000 members / average monthly dues of $27 or so (more like 30-35 now prob). Over a quarter mill per month in total revenue not counting ANY value added services revenue from say PT or Juice bar or merchandise revenues. Shut the Front Door man!

[m_donnelly]

I guess Im lucky................. Our gym is owned by an ex BB from Vegas. We have both at the gym. Hard core area (dumbbells and rubber plates for deadlifts) and then a seperate for machines, another area for cardio, and then a back room for the classes............

He even purchased a set of heavy dumbbells (160 to 200 ) after some complained the 150s werent cutting it anymore. Not many gyms keep DPs from 5 to 200lbs in 5lb increases.

Yesterday I got a free hoodie sweatshirt for sending him 3 new members.............

That's the way this place started off; a bodybuilder/powerlifter opened it up as a hardcore gym. It thrived for awhile but this guy was only part owner and sold his share. He's still around there, training people and working out but he's completely our of the business aspect. The gym has steadily gone from a bustling place filled with big dudes throwing around weight to a ghost town that never sees more than twenty people in during peak hours. Last night, I was the only one in the facility from 4-5pm. The lights are motion activated and the gym went completely dark on me between sets.

It sucks though, I just got back from another gym and had to wait twenty minutes for a squat rack because people were doing shrugs and curls on them.

[>Good Luck<]

That's the way this place started off; a bodybuilder/powerlifter opened it up as a hardcore gym. It thrived for awhile but this guy was only part owner and sold his share. He's still around there, training people and working out but he's completely our of the business aspect. The gym has steadily gone from a bustling place filled with big dudes throwing around weight to a ghost town that never sees more than twenty people in during peak hours. Last night, I was the only one in the facility from 4-5pm. The lights are motion activated and the gym went completely dark on me between sets.

It sucks though, I just got back from another gym and had to wait twenty minutes for a squat rack because people were doing shrugs and curls on them.

Oh you must have went to my gym. Did the shruggers and curlers have FLS? (fake lat syndrome)

[m_donnelly]

Oh you must have went to my gym. Did the shruggers and curlers have FLS? (fake lat syndrome)

Oh yes, yes indeed... Their 'most muscular' poses were phenomenal too. When I finally got the rack, I had some kid hovering around, waiting for me to finish. I guess he absolutely had to work his shoulders with military presses done on the squat rack.

[>Good Luck<]

Oh yes, yes indeed... Their 'most muscular' poses were phenomenal too. When I finally got the rack, I had some kid hovering around, waiting for me to finish. I guess he absolutely had to work his shoulders with military presses done on the squat rack.

Yup^^^^, my gym for sure. There's one noodle who always wears a thin strap muscle shirt... Looks like a coat hanger

[m_donnelly]

I'm going to have to shop around town; I'm not going back to the gym I was at today. I got a whole lot of funny looks for doing deadlifts.

[krugerr]

Right on the money Gix.
One day we should look at the money one of these successful big fitness centers can bring in though. It is ASTOUNDING! Jaw dropping to most in fact.
10,000 members / average monthly dues of $27 or so (more like 30-35 now prob). Over a quarter mill per month in total revenue not counting ANY value added services revenue from say PT or Juice bar or merchandise revenues. Shut the Front Door man!

Sooo... I've decided I want to open a gym....

On a serious note, I think gyms should try to accommodate us all. With enough revenue from fitness classes, spinning, Zumba, etc. they can afford to have a seperate section for people lifting heavy weights.
I sometimes use a GoldsGym in Camberly (UK) and it has dumbells going up to 90kg (~200lbs). But it just doesn't always get as busy as a gym with a host of fitness classes. There needs to be a mix.

[Euroholic]

I just saw this movie and it made me think of this thread.

This is a bb dungen

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i9hopyj...eature=related

[Honkey_Kong]

Sooo... I've decided I want to open a gym....

On a serious note, I think gyms should try to accommodate us all. With enough revenue from fitness classes, spinning, Zumba, etc. they can afford to have a seperate section for people lifting heavy weights.
I sometimes use a GoldsGym in Camberly (UK) and it has dumbells going up to 90kg (~200lbs). But it just doesn't always get as busy as a gym with a host of fitness classes. There needs to be a mix.

If you think you can make enough money at it, go for it. Problem is there are too many horror stories of people running failed gyms. As Gix said, you're not going to keep the lights on with just the hardcore lifters and bodybuilders.

So then you're going to run in to a problem of real estate. Every piece of equipment in there takes up space and costs money. You also can only make so much money off each piece of equipment or open space in the gym. So you run in to a situation where you're going to be debating "a squat cage and rack of heavy DB weights and various types of benches that will satisfy 10-20 lifters who will train for 45 mins to an hour or so each per day? or a few bikes and wood floors that will accomodate zumba, spin, fitness, etc and serve several hundred people for a half hour each?" If that's not enough once you factor in the cost of upkeep for the equipment and replacements, it really speaks for itself what you're going to do. It's kind of sad, but it's a business you're running. It's not a charity.

[Euroholic]

Maybe invest in a home gym. I pay just under 500 a year for gym.
But think of it like this spend 20 grand on equipment and just hope you live long enough to break even or make a small profit

One bench
One squat rack
One leg press
One cable pull over machine
One cable row machine.
2 dumbells
1 barbell
1 ez bar
Abd plates.

I remember seeing a thread on a guy who built his own squat rack.

[panntastic]

Maybe invest in a home gym. I pay just under 500 a year for gym.
But think of it like this spend 20 grand on equipment and just hope you live long enough to break even or make a small profit

One bench
One squat rack
One leg press
One cable pull over machine
One cable row machine.
2 dumbells
1 barbell
1 ez bar
Abd plates.

I remember seeing a thread on a guy who built his own squat rack.

I made my own farmers walk handles years ago and they can take some serious weight.
I know its no squat rack but with the right know how anything is possible

[Honkey_Kong]

I made my own farmers walk handles years ago and they can take some serious weight.
I know its no squat rack but with the right know how anything is possible

I've seen people on here post pictures of some squat cages they welded together themselves.

[m_donnelly]

I just saw this movie and it made me think of this thread.

This is a bb dungen

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i9hopyj...eature=related

(GASP!!!) Chalk!! Chalk on the floor!!! Chalk on the floor next to a guy doing deadlifts!!! Boot his ass out!! He's intimidating our Power Yoga classes!! Kick his ass out! I was informed last night that the mud incident was my last chance. Apparently, I've been "getting chalk everywhere". I don't even ****ing train with chalk. Seriously, I haven't used chalk in that gym in over ten years. They have been throwing a fit about "the mess it makes" for a long time so u just stopped using it. Bunch of tools.

[songdog]

I workout at my home.I got over 900lbs of weight squat rack and no training partner to piss me off.I get chalk on the floor and no one bitches.Beacuse I have to clean it up.

[>Good Luck<]

I workout at my home.I got over 900lbs of weight squat rack and no training partner to piss me off.I get chalk on the floor and no one bitches.Beacuse I have to clean it up.

I'll be there in an hour... What's the cover charge?

[m_donnelly]

I really should have given that woman a good reason to kick me out. I could have walked around like I was at a powerlifting gym; wearing nothing but my squat gear, fat gut hanging out, tossing chalk around like pixie dust, screaming and swearing at the weights, brutalizing the first person I saw doing curls on the squat rack and punched anyone who bitched about Pantera playing at full bore. I would have hammered back some Cheque drops before-hand to make it real interesting.

[kelkel]

I guess Im lucky................. Our gym is owned by an ex BB from Vegas. We have both at the gym. Hard core area (dumbbells and rubber plates for deadlifts) and then a seperate for machines, another area for cardio, and then a back room for the classes............

He even purchased a set of heavy dumbbells (160 to 200 ) after some complained the 150s werent cutting it anymore. Not many gyms keep DPs from 5 to 200lbs in 5lb increases.

Yesterday I got a free hoodie sweatshirt for sending him 3 new members.............

Papa you got the hoodie cause he doesn't want to look at you anymore!




My little dungeon gym. I'm the only member so it's full of drama...

[joebailey1271]

Yea where i live, seems to be hard core heavy metal gyms on every other corner, seems like everyones juiced to the max

[joebailey1271]

Papa you got the hoodie cause he doesn't want to look at you anymore!




My little dungeon gym. I'm the only member so it's full of drama...

dam nice man cave