Last week while away on business, I had the opportunity to work out at a commercial gym, Mac’s Health Club of Kittanning, PA, for the first time in approximately 7 years. It has been a long time. I really don’t miss it. I much prefer working out in my home gym in my basement. Sure, I had access to some new equipment, which I wish I had access to on a regular basis. But no special equipment or machines are necessary to build a great physique, just some basic equipment (barbells and dumbbells), hard work, and determination. It was nice to use some different equipment for a couple of workouts just for a change, but it was great to get back to my normal routine when I got back home.
Here are a couple of more observations I made about some of the equipment and working out at a commercial gym in general. Mind you, I did not work out in a Planet Fitness, Bally’s, Retro Fitness, Gold’s Gym, or some other big commercial chain. I am sure if I did, my list of observations would be much longer and I would likely have a lot more complaints.
· There were two absolute monsters in the gym. Seeing advanced lifters who have made some great gains is definitely motivating.
· Searching for the weights I needed and waiting for equipment is SO annoying. I definitely do NOT miss this!
· It is so annoying to have to wipe down a machine or bench every time after I used it. I know it is proper gym etiquette, but it is just annoying.
· Leg presses are SO much easier than squatting. I don’t have a leg press machine, so after I did my squats, I jumped at the opportunity to use it at Mac’s. Leg presses are so much less demanding, it is not even funny. I am sure that you can build some impressive legs using leg presses, but it was clear to me after my leg workout at Mac’s why squats are called “the king of exercises.”
· Machines can be helpful in general, but not for so much for advanced lifters who have developed some significant strength. The weight stack on a machine is typically the limiting factor. I maxed out the leg extension and standing calf raise machine (and I do not bounce when do calf raises). I did the stack on tricep pushdowns. These exercises are great, but basically useless for me because I cannot progress on them.
· It was great to have some mirrors around while working out, so I could observe my form and check my muscles! That is, except while squatting. I was kind of freaked out seeing my face turn beet red and seeing the veins popping out in my neck!
So there you have it, a few of observations and complaints from working out at a commercial gym. I will be happy this afternoon when I hit my basement gym for leg day. I won’t have to wipe down any equipment, I won’t have to search for weights, and best of all, I won’t have to see my beet red face while squatting!
If you have any personal observations or complaints from your gym experiences, drop a comment below and let’s discuss!
Here are a couple of more observations I made about some of the equipment and working out at a commercial gym in general. Mind you, I did not work out in a Planet Fitness, Bally’s, Retro Fitness, Gold’s Gym, or some other big commercial chain. I am sure if I did, my list of observations would be much longer and I would likely have a lot more complaints.
· There were two absolute monsters in the gym. Seeing advanced lifters who have made some great gains is definitely motivating.
· Searching for the weights I needed and waiting for equipment is SO annoying. I definitely do NOT miss this!
· It is so annoying to have to wipe down a machine or bench every time after I used it. I know it is proper gym etiquette, but it is just annoying.
· Leg presses are SO much easier than squatting. I don’t have a leg press machine, so after I did my squats, I jumped at the opportunity to use it at Mac’s. Leg presses are so much less demanding, it is not even funny. I am sure that you can build some impressive legs using leg presses, but it was clear to me after my leg workout at Mac’s why squats are called “the king of exercises.”
· Machines can be helpful in general, but not for so much for advanced lifters who have developed some significant strength. The weight stack on a machine is typically the limiting factor. I maxed out the leg extension and standing calf raise machine (and I do not bounce when do calf raises). I did the stack on tricep pushdowns. These exercises are great, but basically useless for me because I cannot progress on them.
· It was great to have some mirrors around while working out, so I could observe my form and check my muscles! That is, except while squatting. I was kind of freaked out seeing my face turn beet red and seeing the veins popping out in my neck!
So there you have it, a few of observations and complaints from working out at a commercial gym. I will be happy this afternoon when I hit my basement gym for leg day. I won’t have to wipe down any equipment, I won’t have to search for weights, and best of all, I won’t have to see my beet red face while squatting!
If you have any personal observations or complaints from your gym experiences, drop a comment below and let’s discuss!