First off, I expect this will be a longer post than I intend it to be, but I need to let off steam with people who'll get it! ðŸ˜„

I'm a member of two gyms. The first is great - positive atmosphere, people who love being there, every bit of kit anyone could ask for - but it's the other side of town and I can really only get there at weekends and an evening now and then. The second gym I can hit before work, or at lunch as it's literally a two minute walk from my office, and it's got a pool... the convenience is the clincher, and that's the only reason I put up with the place.

It's stuck in the early 90s, any younger members it once had have moved on - the average now is 60+ - and that's created the weirdest atmosphere I've ever encountered in a gym! To be fair, there are a handful of regulars in their 80s who are there every day lifting, or swimming with the stamina of people half their age - and major respect to them!

However, the rest of the members have turned the place into a strange private social club - anyone outside the clique is an unwelcome addition. I also have to bite my lip in the changing room when I overhear some of the biggoted nonesense they talk about.

I get an earbashing every couple of weeks - and I got so paranoid about it I brought someone along with me to check it wasn't me being an ass and just not realising... they got moaned at too! 😂 

Some of the things I've been chastised for so far...

"I hope you're going to wipe up all that water you're dripping all over the floor, young man." - I'm 36, and was showering.

"All I can hear is tss' tss' tss' coming from your vicinity." - Referring to my earbuds.

"I really do wish you wouldn't bump those around so much, it's very distracting." - As I racked a weight.

"You've almost collided with me twice now, don't do it a third time." - As I swam around a guy who spent five minutes standing motionless in my lane of the pool.

Saving the best to last, this happened today...

As I got to the end of a length I was stopped by an irate couple and asked "Can you please stop splashing?" I politely queried how that would be possible, and was told "There's splashing, and then there's splashing!" I really wasn't sure how to reply to that... 😩 

Honestly, most days I want to chuck my membership card back at them and tell them to stick it - but now it's become a point of principle that I just want to remain courteous, and use the gym for its intended purpose and not be put off by the nasty snarky atmosphere caused by the other members.

Anyone else relate?

First off, I expect this will be a longer post than I intend it to be, but I need to let off steam with people who'll get it! ðŸ˜„

I'm a member of two gyms. The first is great - positive atmosphere, people who love being there, every bit of kit anyone could ask for - but it's the other side of town and I can really only get there at weekends and an evening now and then. The second gym I can hit before work, or at lunch as it's literally a two minute walk from my office, and it's got a pool... the convenience is the clincher, and that's the only reason I put up with the place.

It's stuck in the early 90s, any younger members it once had have moved on - the average now is 60+ - and that's created the weirdest atmosphere I've ever encountered in a gym! To be fair, there are a handful of regulars in their 80s who are there every day lifting, or swimming with the stamina of people half their age - and major respect to them!

However, the rest of the members have turned the place into a strange private social club - anyone outside the clique is an unwelcome addition. I also have to bite my lip in the changing room when I overhear some of the biggoted nonesense they talk about.

I get an earbashing every couple of weeks - and I got so paranoid about it I brought someone along with me to check it wasn't me being an ass and just not realising... they got moaned at too! 😂 

Some of the things I've been chastised for so far...

"I hope you're going to wipe up all that water you're dripping all over the floor, young man." - I'm 36, and was showering.

"All I can hear is tss' tss' tss' coming from your vicinity." - Referring to my earbuds.

"I really do wish you wouldn't bump those around so much, it's very distracting." - As I racked a weight.

"You've almost collided with me twice now, don't do it a third time." - As I swam around a guy who spent five minutes standing motionless in my lane of the pool.

Saving the best to last, this happened today...

As I got to the end of a length I was stopped by an irate couple and asked "Can you please stop splashing?" I politely queried how that would be possible, and was told "There's splashing, and then there's splashing!" I really wasn't sure how to reply to that... 😩 

Honestly, most days I want to chuck my membership card back at them and tell them to stick it - but now it's become a point of principle that I just want to remain courteous, and use the gym for its intended purpose and not be put off by the nasty snarky atmosphere caused by the other members.

Anyone else relate?

Are gyms hard to come by in the UK? Im in Arizona USA I have probably 12 gyms within 8 miles of me. Just bragging :) But that sucks!!

Wow the things people are saying to you are just ridiculous. No splashing in a pool? Making noise while re-racking weights? And they can hear the music from your earphones.. too bad for them! Haha.

 

Seriously, I would say something to the employees about it. If they do nothing about it, just take it into your own hands. Be polite for as long as you can, and then just let them have it when they go too far (verbally of course.. I don't expect you to be fighting anyone haha.. unless they decide to throw a punch first).

 

But if you really don't enjoy the atmosphere, get out of there. I had a gym I went to for YEARS, a gym I helped get off the ground. It was a great gym at first. Over time it got worse and worse and I just got sick of being singled out for stupid little things like yourself. At the end of the day, I wasn't going to put up with it, and they didn't get my business any longer.

Cheers Scott, yeah I remember seeing your video about that - dust bunnies and folks being over-protective about the floors, made me laugh 😂 Glad I posted, feeling more positive now - not going to put up with any more of their crap haha 😉