Gym Snobbery - are you unashamedly guilty

If it is planet fitness I can't help but think you aren't serious about working out.

Meh. I just care about location. My gym is practically in my backyard, otherwise I'd prefer the rec center because it has a pool.

I'm not a gym snob, but i want a good range of classes with lots of different time options, good cardo machines, good freeweight area, kettlebells medicane balls etc, pool jacuzzi sauna and steam room, big chains generally have it all there!

There are a lot of gyms in Lincoln and I shopped around a lot before deciding where to join. They all had something great to offer, but in the end the Y offered more for my kids and myself. I'm like you, I don't care where people go to work out as long as they get it done. I've had people from Aspen tell me that the Y crowd is too old for them. I have also heard people from the Y say that Prarie Life doesn't take it seriously enough. I had no idea how snobby people could be about their gym until I joined one. I guess it's a good thing there are so many choices!

I've been to a plethora of gyms...and the latest one is by far my favorite. It's cheap, tons of cardio equipment that I don't have to sign up for, nobody is allowed to solicit themselves as personal trainers, there's 4 different free weight areas, a pool, hot tub, sauna, food court and it's open late. I can't complain about the people that go there, it isn't a competition, and there's always someone willing to spot you. I have no complaints about my gym. If someone said they were going to the gym I went to previously, I'd probably sneer and tell them not to waste their money on that dump, but to each their own. I also dislike the franchise gyms here that cost way to much and don't have nearly as much to offer as the city owned gyms.

If they have what I want (And I'm mainly a treadmill person so that's all gyms) i'm fine. But I'd rather go to a smaller/quieter gym where I don't have to wait for a machine.

My idea of a good gym is one that has power racks. Of course, there're tons of people whose idea of a nice gym is one with towel service and a fancy juice bar. I think there are different brands of snobbery.

Feeling like you're better than everyone else helps you burn more calories. MFP fact!

I think that there are certain pieces of equipment gyms should have if they want to be taken seriously. Things like a squat rack or power rack/cage, a bench, and a selection of free weights that go fairly heavy are musts. I could make due with less, but at that point I might as well work out at home. If it doesn't have those pieces of equipment, then it's not worth the membership fee and yes, it is a lesser, inferior gym.

If it is planet fitness I can't help but think you aren't serious about working out.

I have that same gut reaction.

I go to Planet Fitness. I'm a gym newbie. Why would you think someone isnt serious about working out just cos they go there? Not offended just curious.

The lack of equipment and rules about how you are allowed to use what equipment they DO have basically put a brick wall on the progress it's possible for you to achieve. They basically encourage mediocrity by it.

I go to Planet Fitness. I'm a gym newbie. Why would you think someone isnt serious about working out just cos they go there? Not offended just curious.

The lack of equipment and rules about how you are allowed to use what equipment they DO have basically put a brick wall on the progress it's possible for you to achieve. They basically encourage mediocrity by it.

For me, it's the above. Plus the "no-judgment zone." Or whatever they call it, although PF seems to be (corporately, anyway) the biggest judgers I've seen from the chain gyms.

Even among chains, there are good and bad individual entities. But I do hate the entire concept of some gyms, Planet Fitness being one. There is a huge PF on my way to work, so I stopped in once because I thought "hey, it's convenient, it's cheap, I'll check it out." One of the first things they said to me was "Basically, we're a gym for average people." If I wanted to be average, I could do that at home on my couch for free.

PF and gyms like it make their money off people who pay their membership fees and stop coming after a few weeks. These hard core, garage/warehouse-style gyms that are more selective about who gets to train there ... they don't make money from membership fees. They make it either from PT fees or the gym is owned by someone with some extra cash lying around who doesn't mind paying rent and utilities for his/her friends to have a legit place to work out. Honestly, I'd love to do something like that someday.