I get what the OP is stating about the maddening hilarity you see at mainstream gyms. However, I’ve noticed it’s not the gym but often the people who use it that set the tone.
In my travels, I was lucky enough to train for a week at what most people would consider an old school/hardcore gym in North Platte, Nebraska. The place is called Firehouse Gym. To this day, I remember how gracious the owners were to me as well as the great energy within the gym.
There was, however, another “hardcore” gym in the same town. Maybe I was there on the wrong day but I couldn’t help but notice the great number of shit stains who thought they were above everyone else. The one exception was the in-house trainer there (and yes, she did look like she trained…hard).
This same rule, IME, applies to commercial gyms. I’ve had a membership at 24hr fitness for quite some time. When I signed up, I had access to almost all of the clubs in the country for $50 per year (since then, the corporate whores made changes where I now have access to most - but not all types of facilities). What I’ve noticed, again and again, is that the type of people who frequent the gym (as well as when they are there) plays a huge role in the overall atmosphere.
I will give a WARNING to anyone who plans on visiting the 24hr fitness in the business district of Los Angeles, Ca. It’s the one located on Flower Street at the basement level. This particular branch is truly doing all it can to earn the moniker of 24hr Shitness.
Case in point, there is a variation of a cable lat pulldown I do. It’s a unilateral movement performed in the standing area of the cable station. It’s actually a very nice variation on the traditional bi-lateral pulldowns. With a subtle shift in pelvis angles, you can get a great pre-stretch. And you cannot cheat by driving your thighs into the pads and driving the torso back the way many do on the sit-down version. I am at a point now where I have to add a pair of 35lb plates on top of the stack to get a quality set.
Unfortunately, I’ve also incurred the petty jealous attention of the club manager. I think he’s name is matt. Just look for a beady-eyed fool that looks like he pleasures himself to P90X videos.
When he dared lecture me about the plates on top of the stack, I challenged him to show me a written policy on the corporate site where such behavior is against the rules. I also told him that, of all the 24hr fitness clubs I’ve been to, this was the first time I’ve heard of such a silly policy. I accused him of being a little too subjective with his interpretation of what is safe. After all, I remove the plates when I have to walk away from the station. I also place the plates back (one of the few who actually racks his weights). He told me he would email me rules which validated his position. To this day, I haven’t heard a thing.
In stark contrast, I once trained at a 24hr in Manteca, Ca during a road trip (hell, it was near the highway and I felt like lifting). This gym had a platform with bumper plates, two serviceable squat racks, and the usual assortment of weights/machines. You had the hard-core power lifters training alongside the bodybuilders. You also had the usual collection of people who attend classes such as spinning, water aerobics, etc. What impressed me about this visit was how most everyone (with the exception of a pair of rednecks) co-existed in what is their idea of proper training. The manager of this particular branch was intelligent enough to understand that exercise and fitness mean different things to different people and he wisely did his best to cater to the people of that town. It’s been close to 5 years since I’ve been there so who knows…? Perhaps this gym has been taken over by a similar fool like the one in the Los Angeles Flower Street location.
The bottom line, for me anyway, is this: as long as the gym in question is reasonably well-equipped, it boils down to the management, employees, and the clientele that makes it a great environment or a sewer that just happens to look nice.
And yes, having a private gym of your own is a great option. However, I have, from time to time, seen techniques from others that I find educational. And we are all social creatures. On those magical sessions where every one is in their groove doing what they love, the energy is undeniable.
