Gym reviews that focus on cleanliness. WTH?
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Keto_Vampire wrote: »I get where the OP is coming from; the lack of focus on things that really matter because just about any commercial gym is going to be considered not clean because it is subjective for the most part (someone's version of clean may be someone else's version of not clean). Also, there is bias in being negative in online reviews (people intentionally take their time out to bring others down).
These reviews suck for the most part and are written by hateful Whiney know nothings who expect have unrealistic expectations
Reviews with both positive and negative feedback are often more helpful (nothing is perfect)
Including our current system of internet reviews.
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This is exactly right.Keto_Vampire wrote: »I get where the OP is coming from; the lack of focus on things that really matter because just about any commercial gym is going to be considered not clean because it is subjective for the most part (someone's version of clean may be someone else's version of not clean). Also, there is bias in being negative in online reviews (people intentionally take their time out to bring others down).
As for MegaMooseEsq's remark that "you can always call and ask," it's missing the point. NOBODY is suggesting that online reviews are the only method available to evaluate a gym. The OP wasn't saying "These reviews don't provide all the information I need." Rather, it was saying "Why are so many people consider having an immaculately clean facility to be the top priority?"
@Keto_Vampire is right. This is a lack of focus on things that really matter, especially since the outside world won't be antiseptically clean. Cleanliness matters, but one has to wonder how the folks who prioritize that above everything else can function in the real world. Going for a run in the woods or an unpaved park trail would certainly be out of the question if immaculate cleanliness is paramount.
Ultimately, I think that @not_a_runner had the right idea. A lot of people don't evaluate the gym based on its amenities or the types of exercises that are allowed, simply because 90% of the population doesn't know any better.
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Davidsdottir wrote: »Why do I need a review to tell me about the equipment? I have eyes.
well, idk about you, but i read reviews to save me having to make a trip down there and use those eyes for myself.
to the original question: i guess i'm more with the op. not that my equipment needs are terribly specialized, but really visual aesthetics are pretty low on my priority list.
i think it is about that more than bacteria counts? i mean, bottom line is without a bag of cotton swabs and a microscope slips, you just do not know what is 'clean' and what's not. all you're going to know is what looks clean; and so i assume that's what the reviews mentioned by the op were probably talking about.'looks clean' is not the same thing as 'is clean', believe me. i caught a hideous case of athlete's foot in one of the prettiest spaces at one of the larniest corporations i've ever worked for.
so yeah, not counting filth it doesn't matter to me much either. and to be honest, when i was looking around for a personal trainer and a private gym of my own, it was a massive relief when my trainer said something about how his space was very basic and very 'working class'. i could tell between the lines that he was sort of worried about me copping the middle-class icks when i caught sight of it, but i was relieved. i don't feel all that comfortable in places that give me the martha stewarts.2 -
a clean gym is a good gym. they care about the locations, the equipment, avoiding bacteria.
i go into the gym to check out the equipment. clean reviews gets me to go look
a chain review smelled like mildew and sweat and the treadmill tracks were loose. i wish a review said that and i didn't waste my time0 -
I dunno, it all just kinda seems like a 'd' measuring contest to see who's the most "hardcore" about their gym preferences.
I've worked out in some pretty dark, dingy, dungeon-y gyms over the years. I've also worked out in some clean, bright and shiny big box gyms. Sure, if they don't have the equipment I want for my workouts they're no good to me, but if I walk into a gym and see trash lying around on the floor, benches crusted with human grime, equipment strewn around everywhere and layers of dust all over everything, I'm gonna be out the door and checking my alternative choices.
I don't need a gym that passes the "white glove" inspection, but I'm not working out in some nasty slob pit either. Having the right equipment is requirement #1 (which is one of many reasons I'll never belong to a Planet Fitness), but at least some reasonable degree of cleanliness is right up there on my list too.
This.
Yes, I need the basics at my gym (for me, that's a decent selection of treadmills for my "OMG, no, it's raining/too hot/too cold" can't-run-outside days, and a pool -- I have two bars, weight plates, dumbbells and a bench at home), but if the locker room and the pool area aren't *clean* -- I'm not talking white glove, but at least a surface appearance of clean -- and at least well ventilated/no mold/no mildew/etc., I'm not going to get a good workout because my brain is going to go to "OMG this place is awful and how is this place this poorly maintained."
I don't need to give my money to some place that isn't going to at least put on the facade of pretending to care about maintenance. Because if you can't keep things clean, how do I know that you're maintaining the equipment?1 -
Once again though, if it's truly filthy -- has trash everywhere, for example, or the crusted grime that @AnvilHead mentioned -- then that's definitely a problem. Nobody's contesting that. And having mold and mildew is definitely a issue as well.
Making immaculate cleanliness the top priority, though? The number one thing that one values in a gym, even above having enough equipment for an effective workout? That's what I and some of the others here find strange.
EDITED TO ADD: I agree with @AnvilHead and his assessment that it shouldn't be the top priority, but that some reasonable degree of cleanliness is most certainly important.4 -
Funny, I just recently reviewed my gym, and was reading some of the other reviews while I was at it.
When I was looking for a gym, I read a number of reviews - cleanliness was mentioned plenty, but usually if the place was gross. If they are getting a lot of reviews like that, then I'm guessing there's a good chance it IS gross. While that's not my #1 concern at a gym, it is a concern as people are sweating all over everything, and if it's not cleaned, well, yuck.1 -
Yeah, that's definitely a lot more reasonable. If it's utterly gross, mentioning that right off the bat makes perfect sense.HoneyBadger155 wrote: »Funny, I just recently reviewed my gym, and was reading some of the other reviews while I was at it.
When I was looking for a gym, I read a number of reviews - cleanliness was mentioned plenty, but usually if the place was gross. If they are getting a lot of reviews like that, then I'm guessing there's a good chance it IS gross. While that's not my #1 concern at a gym, it is a concern as people are sweating all over everything, and if it's not cleaned, well, yuck.
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i have OCD.
i care.
a LOT.
not to mention, if they are not bothering to sweep, mop and... clean.... what make you think they are bothering to maintain and repair their machines?6 -
I take cleanliness for granted - our local paper did a special investigation where they went around to all the gyms and wiped equipment, floors, and other surfaces and cultured it, and they found surprisingly little bacteria anywhere, because all the places constantly disinfect. To me cleanliness should be a given, a gym review focusing on cleanliness is like a restaurant review focusing on the food not being spoiled. I just naturally assume the food isn't spoiled at a place which is open and calls itself a restaurant, I want to know how the food tastes.
When reading reviews of gyms I am most interested in the things which are not obvious before you join, such as whether there are waits for equipment, whether the staff is helpful when needed, and if there are weird problems like them refusing to cancel and meet their agreements.
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callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »i have OCD.
i care.
a LOT.
not to mention, if they are not bothering to sweep, mop and... clean.... what make you think they are bothering to maintain and repair their machines?
exactly0 -
Most reviews I read for gyms focus on cleanliness, staff, crowds, and often access. You have to figure that the vast majority of people going to the gym aren't really "gym rats." They're going in to get a little exercise and feel good about themselves for doing something for their own betterment. I think these are the things that are probably the most important for the vast majority of people.
It's likely that many people who actually write gym reviews are actually fairly new to the whole thing and wouldn't really be able to comment much on equipment because they don't really know what the heck it is in the first place. I'd wager that for most people, the fact that the gym has equipment and it's in good working order is enough. The only time I've ever really seen reviews about equipment was when it was run down and dysfunctional or conversely things like, "there are plenty of machines."
I don't think I've ever read reviews in regards to free weights and whether or not there's a squat rack and such...I think largely because the vast majority of people don't really care because they may or may not ever even use those things.
Here's an example review of a local gym called Powerflex that I used to belong to...
https://www.yelp.com/biz/powerflex-gym-albuquerque-3I'm a newcomer to fitness gyms but I don't feel awkward coming here, because there is a nice variety of people of all fitness levels who workout here.
I'm very impressed with the cleanliness of the gym as well as the upkeep of the machines. There are all kinds of machines too. I have no idea what a lot of them are...yet!
There are some fantastic trainers for all levels who can help you.
This is pretty typical of what I see in most gym reviews.
If I reviewed it, it would be a much different review that probably would have gone something like...
Powerflex has an outstanding stand alone barbell/free weight area with 3 squat racks and 3 benches and an Olympic platform for deadlifting and Olympic lifting separate from the machines and dumbbells.
The gym boasts a large fitness room with plenty of machines, cable/pully machines, and dumbbells, as well as a stand alone cardio room.
The gym is clean and the staff is friendly, and you have 24/7 access. There are several trainers who rent space if you want to schedule with them and get an extra push.
That said, I'm not really one to write reviews.5 -
My gym looks and smells like a daycare center for toddlers with dysentary.
.... and I train at home.
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Cleanliness is THE most important thing at a gym in my opinion. I go to the gym average 4 times a week and frankly whilst good equipment is ofcourse important, I couldn’t care less if a gym was equipped with 1000 super duper all-singing machines if they were covered in other people’s stale sweat and germs.1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Most reviews I read for gyms focus on cleanliness, staff, crowds, and often access. You have to figure that the vast majority of people going to the gym aren't really "gym rats." They're going in to get a little exercise and feel good about themselves for doing something for their own betterment. I think these are the things that are probably the most important for the vast majority of people.
It's likely that many people who actually write gym reviews are actually fairly new to the whole thing and wouldn't really be able to comment much on equipment because they don't really know what the heck it is in the first place. I'd wager that for most people, the fact that the gym has equipment and it's in good working order is enough. The only time I've ever really seen reviews about equipment was when it was run down and dysfunctional or conversely things like, "there are plenty of machines."
@cwolfman13 , you've always shown a lot of wisdom in your postings. This is no exception. I think your remarks are spot-on.1 -
My gym reviews always are mostly based around what types of plates they use and if the barbells have good knurling. LOL.3
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A lot of people join a gym, not many people continue to work out there. I think a lot of people consider having an clean facility to be the top priority because they don't know any other priority for them.
When I first joined the gym I had no clue if the machinery variety was good, if maintenance was up to scratch, if the personal trainers were good, etc. However, I could immediately tell if the place was clean. If I was to review the gym in the first 1-2 months after joining, my review would only really be able to be about the cleanliness.
However, now that I have gotten into strength training and know my way around the different machines, I can now comment on variety, maintenance, PTs etc.
That being said, cleanliness is still probably top priority for me.
I belong to a gym chain where the one membership lets you into any of their different gyms and the biggest difference between them has been cleanliness. The variety of machinery isn't always comparable, but I can work around it. I had to switch my 'regular' gym due to changes at work and the biggest disappointment was how much dirtier the bathrooms are. They are still cleaned every morning, but my workout usually ends up with me showering just before the cleaner arrives. I've gone to use a bathroom (they are individual unisex combined shower/toilet/changeroom) and found that someone has left a spray of liquid *kitten* in the toilet bowl.
So my review would still probably be about cleanliness, as it its harder to work around a dirty bathroom then it is because they don't have x machine.1 -
I like you.peaceout_aly wrote: »My gym reviews always are mostly based around what types of plates they use and if the barbells have good knurling. LOL.
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I think something that the OP is also missing is that not everyone goes to a gym for the weight room. More broadly - not everyone uses the gym the same way the OP does and that isn't something to be dismayed about. We all have different wants, needs, limitations, and habits.
At this point I use the gym I go to for their pool and then I use a whole three of their weight machines. Cleanliness matters a lot to me for a whole host of reasons. On the other hand, I don't actually care about the vast majority of the things that are in the weight room. I don't use them and frankly I can't use a lot of things because of my knees as well my somewhat recent shoulder injury.
So spartan_d - while you might think a whole load of people here just don't get it, appears that you don't seem to get that people have different needs and priorities. Those different priorities aren't somehow inferior or superior, they are just different.7 -
I think something that the OP is also missing is that not everyone goes to a gym for the weight room. More broadly - not everyone uses the gym the same way the OP does and that isn't something to be dismayed about. We all have different wants, needs, limitations, and habits.
At this point I use the gym I go to for their pool and then I use a whole three of their weight machines. Cleanliness matters a lot to me for a whole host of reasons. On the other hand, I don't actually care about the vast majority of the things that are in the weight room. I don't use them and frankly I can't use a lot of things because of my knees as well my somewhat recent shoulder injury.
So spartan_d - while you might think a whole load of people here just don't get it, appears that you don't seem to get that people have different needs and priorities. Those different priorities aren't somehow inferior or superior, they are just different.
Yes!! I like my gym. I do weights and cardio. Those areas, and the bathrooms, are always clean so I have no complaints there. I have a friend who refuses to go to my gym because she primarily swims and says that the pool area is not maintained well at all. Something I would not know because I don't swim there. So while I think my gym is clean, she definitely does not!2 -
Life is too short to spend hours a week in a dirty dive gym.
Also, a clean gym is generally an overall well-managed gym, because it takes conscientiousness and effort. Managers of gyms who ignore details like cleanliness are more than likely also half-assing other details like equipment safety, financials, human resources, building codes, etc.4 -
I keep coming across gym reviews online that start out with "It's so clean!" or somesuch rot. Very often, that's the primary focus of these reviews, with little commentary on the equipment or the environment.
Now, I'm not suggesting that cleanliness is unimportant. You certainly wouldn't want to work out somewhere that's a health hazard. Maybe it's just me though, but I find it odd that cleanliness is the main focus of so many of these reviews.
Frankly, I can deal with a gym that's less than pristine clean, as long as it has the right kind of equipment and allows me to perform effective exercises. Heck, if you're working hard outdoors, you're likely to get a bit dirty, so dealing with a little bit of dust inside a gym isn't a big deal as far as I'm concerned.
May be too much paranoria/attention to what one has a 0.0000001% chance of catching as opposed to actually working out.2 -
I think something that the OP is also missing is that not everyone goes to a gym for the weight room.
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So spartan_d - while you might think a whole load of people here just don't get it, appears that you don't seem to get that people have different needs and priorities.
It's not a question of using the weight room vs. cardio. Cleanliness matters just as much (or conversely, as little) in either environment.
And once again, you folks keep bringing up cases where a gym (or pool, or whatever) is horribly filthy. As I said earlier, we can all agree that an utterly filthy gym is undesirable. My point in the OP wasn't about that. It was about gym reviews that start off immediately by raving about how immaculately clean the place is.
Do we all have different goals? In a sense, but if you're serious, then presumably the primary goal is to get an effective workout. The difference between basically clean and pristine, sparkling clean isn't going to matter much in practical terms.
I think that some of the previous posters have it right. A lot of people comment immediately on the cleanliness because that's all they can see. Your typical Joe or Jane won't know what kind of equipment is most effective, what constitutes knowledgeable training, or even what kinds of gym rules make sense or not. I never thought about that before, but I think their comments are spot on.2 -
Hmm. I actually read the thread last night, and in the morning I realized what might be the ”problem” here. Any kind of service usually asks for a review immediately after your first visit or use of that service, whether it’s a phone app, a gym or even a book you bought from Amazon. When you write feedback after your first visit, cleanliness might be the easiest thing to actually say anything about. After your first time there, you probably didn’t try all the machines yet, can’t really say whether it’s always going to be crowded etc.4
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Hmm. I actually read the thread last night, and in the morning I realized what might be the ”problem” here. Any kind of service usually asks for a review immediately after your first visit or use of that service, whether it’s a phone app, a gym or even a book you bought from Amazon. When you write feedback after your first visit, cleanliness might be the easiest thing to actually say anything about. After your first time there, you probably didn’t try all the machines yet, can’t really say whether it’s always going to be crowded etc.
This is so true for me! And quite often I will visit a business once or twice and think it's amazing. Only after several visits do I realize that it's not up to par for whatever reason. Cleanliness being one of those things. We visit (or used to) a local ice cream shop. People are nice, service is good, I run in and out lugging the kids so I am not paying much attention to the details of the place. I recently went in alone, had to wait around a bit while the employee was fixing some thing and got to looking around. It was dirty and dingy, a few bugs here and there. Nothing obviously out in the open but if you glance around it's there. My review definitely changed!0 -
It’s the first thing I noticed in my gym. Cleanliness, size, equipment quantity, friendliness, equipment and staff quality, class quality. In that order. So that would be the order I addressed the points in a review.1
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Hmm. I actually read the thread last night, and in the morning I realized what might be the ”problem” here. Any kind of service usually asks for a review immediately after your first visit or use of that service, whether it’s a phone app, a gym or even a book you bought from Amazon. When you write feedback after your first visit, cleanliness might be the easiest thing to actually say anything about. After your first time there, you probably didn’t try all the machines yet, can’t really say whether it’s always going to be crowded etc.
That's actually a pretty good insight. Not all gyms will ask for an immediate review, but some of them certainly would, yes.0 -
I brought up a gym that was horribly filthy? I don't think I did actually. What I did say is that we all have different priorities which is what, until this post, you seem to seriously be missing. A less than clean pool will likely mean a whole lot more to someone than a less than clean weight room for what I would think would be pretty obvious reasons. If I find random bits of detritus in a pool on a frequent basis then I'm going to worry about how the gym is maintaining their pool. Various bits isn't "filthy" but it isn't a good sign for an indoor pool.I think something that the OP is also missing is that not everyone goes to a gym for the weight room.
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So spartan_d - while you might think a whole load of people here just don't get it, appears that you don't seem to get that people have different needs and priorities.
It's not a question of using the weight room vs. cardio. Cleanliness matters just as much (or conversely, as little) in either environment.
And once again, you folks keep bringing up cases where a gym (or pool, or whatever) is horribly filthy. As I said earlier, we can all agree that an utterly filthy gym is undesirable. My point in the OP wasn't about that. It was about gym reviews that start off immediately by raving about how immaculately clean the place is.
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Sometimes when I'm asked to review a place, it's via a link sent by email and you're asked a number of questions. Levels of cleanliness are generally somewhere near the top. I've never reviewed a gym but maybe that accounts for the apparent significance people attach to it? And, as has been said, if there's a pool and that's the main reason a person is going, then cleanliness is pretty important0
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Yeah, I'll concede that distinction with regard to pools. That's a valid point.
I don't ever recall seeing a review that started out by raving about the clean swimming pools, though. These were invariably comments about the rooms or equipment themselves, and I don't think that most of these places had pools. I remember seeing numerous Planet Fitness reviews on Yelp that started out by raving about their pristine cleanliness though, and PFs typically don't have swimming pools.0
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