Ugh it’s tough. I think people are just getting meaner, and even generally nice people are getting more stand-off-ish.
A guy did work in with me on the dip machine several months ago. It’s embarrassing that (mentally) my knee-jerk reaction was territorial, but then we started joking around, and now we’re buddies. He can work in with me anytime.
So maybe one solution is to win people over. I know that sounds like a hassle but when they see you as a friend, they’ll want to share. Plus, as you get to know them, you’ll discover who will never be the type to allow you in, so you can save your time asking.
A friend of mine owns a few gyms and says slightly less than 30% of members show up on a regular basis, and of those who do, a large percentage of them are regular class attendees (spin, aerobics, yoga et cetera).
It’s a great business model really. Nobody wants to officially give up on themself so they keep throwing free money at you because someday the time will be right.
