Malcolm, I haven’t been to WH or Probodies yet, but within a month or so, I’ll be gone from Gold’s and lifting without getting yelled at. I’ll let you know about the $. Regardless, I’m not going back to Gold’s. Time for me to stop complaining about it and get it done.
We train at a 24Hour. As sucky that may sound, get this. It has a deck with bumpers and four squat racks.
We can also use chalk and our bands. AND we found out (from them two powerlifter guys) that they don’t mind chains. Yes, we’re lucky.
Oh, and dropping a heavy dead, snatches, cleans? Oh yeah. No problem there. Of course we don’t THROW the weight down, but c’mon how do you set down nicely a heavy dead?
Story: a chick was performing wee leg lifts on the deck as we approached; our intent was to deadlift that day. We asked if she could move (she was beginning some ab work at that point). “Oh, I won’t mind” was her answer. “This is goin’ to be so gooooood” was my immediate thought. She moved to the very back edge of the platform (I kid you not) with her mat and continued. As I set up for our deads. It was a “max effort” day…so I was smiling.
All I did to get the idiot chick to move? DROP my heavy sets. After the second set of 285? She moved.
Works all the time. Try this with cleans, too. bwahahahaha
Patricia – I wonder what accounts for the differences amoung 24 Hour fitness sites? Do you know if yours opened as a 24 Hour Fitness or if it was part of an aquisition?
Jim: there were five Golds Gyms around the Portland area (we train at the first one that had opened in 1989). Around 1996, they all became 24Hour.
So, yes: they were a part of a aquisition.
Unfortunately in 1997, 24Hour chased away all the really good private personal trainers to make way for their “inhouse” trainers. Bastards.
1,2
patricia, reminds me of the girl I caught doing a stretching routine in the squat rack in this gym I worked out in Toronto back in July. At the time I wished I had a camera. You wouldn’t believe it. She had a mat in there and all her stuff arranged like it was her livingroom.
Malcolm - another possible reply would be that if the music were up loud enough, no one would have to worry about the noise made by you putting down your heavy weights.
Shhhhhh!
I actually miss working out at Gold’s. The people there were much more hardcore than in the fitness center I am in now. I’m surpized they let me do deadlifts!