Greetings guys,

A HUGE problem in the fitness world is that commercial gyms are trying to put an end to a lot of the important/fundamental compund exercises.

Squat racks are disappearing. Deadlifts are being banned. LOOKING FIT is being banned (Planet Fitness)

Even in my school and Mike's, the gym has a strict dress code. Cut-offs are not allowed. Why would I want nice-capped shoulders and big arms if I can't show them off??!!

Imagine if we started a rebellion to get fitness back to the good old days. These underground training facilities are doing it RIGHT. People are looking to flock to these gyms because they are sick of the old fart sitting on your machine, and the basic (you know) texting with one arm and curling a 5lb dumbbell with the other.

What if we just all LEFT the commercial gyms and started supporting the little guys in their underground gyms?

OR

What if we all went in and started deadlifting and squatting in stringers and cut-offs?

Feel free to leave your thoughts in this thread. Maybe list some awesome gyms that people should join!

Keep it old school, keep training hard, screw the hate.

-Eric

I agree. I used to work out at a commercial gym 2-3 years ago and you had to pay every single time you wanted to talk to somebody about what routines/exercises to do. On top of that, they didn't have a lot of machines/racks, etc. I went there 3 times a week for exactly 2 months, and then less, and then even less, and then I paid for a subscription I didn't use because their machines SUCKED and their support sucked even more.

Now I work out in an "underground" gym, as in, these people have 5 locations nationwide instead of one in every city. I get free advice as long as I schedule a session in advance, tons of machines and racks, and people willing to support. In other words: support the "little" guy gyms, because they are usually way better than the commercial ones.

P.S. Thank God Planet Fitness isn't in Holland!

Eric,

The real reason behind this trend is liability and political correctness. Gyms are concerned about people doing exercises where the potential for injury is high like squats and deadlifts. Insurance companies are putting more pressure on gyms to limit potential liability. The more potential liability the higher the insurance premiums. Big franchise gyms like Planet Fitness, etc need to cut costs. Gyms also are getting nervous about people potentially complaining about too revealing gym attire or managers of gyms are concerned it will drive away potential customers if they feel intimidated by more fit individuals showing more skin. It is the nature of the times we live in now.

John

This is crazy! I heard planet fitness was bad, but I didn't know it had blown up so much everywhere.

I go to a small town gym, and if they tried to tell me I couldn't deadlift and that I had to dress a certain way, I would be out of there. When people are half-assing around at the gym it's a pain in the ass for sure too.

I don't know the gyms in America yet, so no suggestions, sorry :P

Sounds like a good plan you have in mind though! #HTH

Jordan

I'd freak out if i was told not to deadlift or dress myself like 200 years ago with every bit of skin being covered oO

The "Fitness World" chain is great to be honest. They have like every possible machine, all cable machines, lots and lots of benches, 2 long racks with dumbells. One with lighter for the fitness fans and one big one at a mirrow wall for the big guys and ladies. Smith Machines, Squad racks, calve raise machine, wooden bar walls, a bar area to do pullups etc. As well as dip racks and whatnot. Additionally a circle training area with ab machines, shoulderpress machine, rowing machines, leg extensions, curl machines. 2 Rows of threatmills, 2 rows of steppers, another room full of bycicles/Spinners, etc etc. And a separated Aerobic class room & Boxing area. and so on and so on..

I really can not complain and all of this for only 18 Dollar a month. (15 Euro) All machine usage etc included. (for weekly classes and group exercises you have to pay extra)

They repair their stuff, nothing takes longer than a few hours to max. 2 days until it's fixed. They just made the whole bathroom new. There is always minimum one guy roaming around and putting things back in place from 6 Am until 22 PM. Everything is clean and nice.

Really glad to have found them.

And all they ask is to bring clean shoes for the training and to clean up after yourself when you used things. Near all machines you find a big roll with tissue/paper and a spaybottle with desinfection.

Sure they ask about 17 Dollar for someone to sit down with you and make a plan. But honestly i think with this low monthly fee, that is just more than fair. Can only suggest them to everyone who lives in a town where they have a center =)

(https://www.fitnessworld.dk/)

@crood your 'Fitness World' sounds like 'Exercise4less' here in the UK. I pay £9.99 GBP a month. It's clean and plenty of benches, weights, machines and CV gear to use. Plus they have squat racks x2 and olympic bars for deadlifts.

Also you can wear stringers!!! No jeans or boots in the gym only sneakers...which is understandable.

We have some old school gyms and modern gyms where I live so plenty to choose from.

I've been getting some good suggestions of local places from people in my area! Hopefully I'll get some free time to go check them out. I even heard of a place that has never complained about deadlifts! :D

-Eric

I work at a planet fitness and we allow people to deadlift and do whatever they want.  Cant make loud noises but i have no problem deadlifting 435(sadley smith machine cause thats all we have) with no one complaining or saying anything.  and the fitness trainers are free.

I think it has to do with the area the planet fitness is in.  were in a major city in MA i think our gym alone has 18,000 members  probably only 5,000 use it regularly but most of them dont care what others do.  Then you have the ones in uptight richy areas that people probably complain alot and thats were tons of those youtube videos come from.  I watch them all the time i think there funny.  I find it stupid when people go there with a camera on purpiose just to make loud noises and purposly get kicked out just to get an online video lol.

Anways to my point is i think it depends on the gym location but the gym is designed for overall fitness not body building.  So its deffintnly not for the people that want to lift heavy, its for the people that wanna just stay is  decent shape.

o yea PS  i dont agree with the non dealifts and making noise thing. but i understand why they have the rules there and i dont judge that easy

Totally agree with you man. Like good ol Ronny Coleman said, everyone wants to be strong, but no one wants to lift heavy ass weight! These fake gyms like Pussy Fitness, or Planet Farceness as I like to call it, should totally be abandoned! If I can't wear stringers, use chalk, grunt, yell, swear if I want, superset, deadlift, etc, then my money is going elsewhere! People that wanna jerk off and dick around on their treadmills while watching the Kardashians on the screen, are not serious. If you wanna text while sitting on the smith machine, youre not serious about making gains and being truly fit. If you're not serious, do all of us a favor and go to planet fitness lol

LOL! Classic. So true Rob. They should also make a rule that unless you are an emergency room surgeon, in the armed Special Forces, or a government official, absolutely NO CELL PHONES allowed in the gym. I friggin' hate when I am supersetting and some bozo is on Facebook messenger while sitting on a machine or lifting station. /:-0

John

That's a good idea man about the cell phones. I like how Arnold said, "Are you here to workout or are you here to text?" Stop fooling around and either make gains and be serious or go somewhere else where they serve pizza to the members and have lunk alarms lmao

I also agree on the cell phones.

That being said, I have to say that I understand the idea that Planet Fitness is trying for. I don't think they're doing it right but I understand the idea of trying to be a place that doesn't put a person through hell because they aren't already in shape before they hit the gym. When I weighed 350 and got up the nerve to go to the gym, I got more than my share of, "What the hell are you doing here, lard-ass? You're not going to do anything here - go back to the buffet and stop wasting our time." And that was from the staff - you don't want to read what I got from the other patrons. Needless to say, I didn't have a lot of motivation to do much of anything until I turned 50 and didn't care what people thought of me and had a doctor's support.