Who is Emotionally Attached to the Gym?

Off Topic
1

I started working out when I was 17 and a half. Up until this past september (just before I turned 26) it was all at the same local gym near where I lived. I moved out to Boston so I had to stop going there. Oddly enough out of everything that changed in my life with the move, one of the 3 things I miss the most is that gym. It was more of a family gym, but the weights were decent, there were squat racks, hot tubs, steam rooms, tons of classes/activities, and friendly people.

I remember the day I ended my membership, I went up to the one of the owners at the main counter after my workout & shower and said “It’s been a great 8 ½ years but all good things must end, I need a cancellation card.” She was actually legitimately upset, she said that I was like part of the family there. I knew what she meant. I’m friendly with so many people there, I’ve been there as long if not longer than all of the current regulars, and over the last 8 ½ years that gym has been the only constant in my life aside from my family’s place in Old Saybrook. I’ve changed groups of friends a couple times in that period, yet I’ve always gone to that gym. I told the owner Barbara about the move to Boston and she was very encouraging and nice about it. She’s always been classy.

It’s funny because now at BU, no one is really friendly (they’re not mean, but no one really even makes eye contact), it doesn’t have a nice atmosphere, and the whole thing just feels sterile. I actually miss my old gym quite a bit

2

I used to be attached to mine. Then I heard about gays butt-fucking in the steam room, among other thing…

Ruined it for me for time continuum.

3

Same thing happened to me BlueP, 'cept I decided to get a platinum pass and lock into a 3 decade contract once I found out.

Don’t judge me.

4

Better to have loved your gym and lost, than to never love at all.

5

maybe im wrong, i thought it was like this in all of america, but most people out here dont make eye contact because it can easily lead to confrontation. and if you do make eye contact you have to be the last one to look away.

6

I used to be ridiculously scared of going to the gym at my university because I was uber skinny and used to think people would actually give a shit or judge me or something.
so it was a pretty big deal for me to overcome that and now I’m the weird guy who brings in bands and boards and does weird shit with everyone looking.
So I think I’ll probably miss it, sentimental value and all.

7

[quote]AccipiterQ wrote:
I started working out when I was 17 and a half. Up until this past september (just before I turned 26) it was all at the same local gym near where I lived. I moved out to Boston so I had to stop going there. Oddly enough out of everything that changed in my life with the move, one of the 3 things I miss the most is that gym. It was more of a family gym, but the weights were decent, there were squat racks, hot tubs, steam rooms, tons of classes/activities, and friendly people.

I remember the day I ended my membership, I went up to the one of the owners at the main counter after my workout & shower and said “It’s been a great 8 ½ years but all good things must end, I need a cancellation card.” She was actually legitimately upset, she said that I was like part of the family there. I knew what she meant. I’m friendly with so many people there, I’ve been there as long if not longer than all of the current regulars, and over the last 8 ½ years that gym has been the only constant in my life aside from my family’s place in Old Saybrook. I’ve changed groups of friends a couple times in that period, yet I’ve always gone to that gym. I told the owner Barbara about the move to Boston and she was very encouraging and nice about it. She’s always been classy.

It’s funny because now at BU, no one is really friendly (they’re not mean, but no one really even makes eye contact), it doesn’t have a nice atmosphere, and the whole thing just feels sterile. I actually miss my old gym quite a bit[/quote]

Well let’s see, you had friends there, you went there for 8 1/2 years…I’d say that’s good reason to be emotionally attached. Where’d you move to Boston from? If you’re not from the NE area, I can understand you being uncomfortable with people not making much eye contact and such; people tend to keep to themselves a little more in this part of the US.

8

The only time I’m emotional is at the end of my cycle before I get on Clomid

9

[quote]BluePfaltz wrote:
I used to be attached to mine. Then I heard about gays butt-fucking in the steam room, among other thing…

Ruined it for me for time continuum. [/quote]

Is it just me or do all gyms seem to have this problem?

10

oh how I’ll those fellow training brethren as we gathered for hours, curling in the squat rack…

11

I have a great gym at my university. If all goes well I have another year left, but I know that I’ll miss it like crazy.

200 lbs DB’s should I ever need to use them, 4 deadlift/snatch/jerk platforms, enough power/squat racks for an army, 3 free weights rooms, a special weightlifting club “performance gym” with so much chalk you could teach a class for a decade.

Heck, they EVEN have a sauna and a cardio section (altho, i’ve never used it I hear its great).

The worse part is knowing that probably, i’ll never find a gym like that again.

BlueP: I feel your pain.

12

I had an awesome gym in college. It was a private gym for my side of campus. I was on the committee that managed memberships and all that. I’ll never forget the workouts I had there. My last workout there was even rather sentimental. My gf and I went in for a late night workout and had the place all to ourselves. I even took pictures that night to help remember it. Sounds weird I know.

13

Sometimes I’ll go back to the community-owned gym across the street from my junior high school.

I spent six days a week there during the 8th and 9th grades. Tiny, old equipment, in disrepair, full of seniors, but still a very sentimental place for me.

ElbowStrike

14

[quote]hungry4more wrote:
Well let’s see, you had friends there, you went there for 8 1/2 years…I’d say that’s good reason to be emotionally attached. Where’d you move to Boston from? If you’re not from the NE area, I can understand you being uncomfortable with people not making much eye contact and such; people tend to keep to themselves a little more in this part of the US. [/quote]

I lived out in the Springfield area (western massachusetts), people were actually nicer out there which is odd.

15

[quote]swissrugby67 wrote:
I have a great gym at my university. If all goes well I have another year left, but I know that I’ll miss it like crazy.

200 lbs DB’s should I ever need to use them, 4 deadlift/snatch/jerk platforms, enough power/squat racks for an army, 3 free weights rooms, a special weightlifting club “performance gym” with so much chalk you could teach a class for a decade.

Heck, they EVEN have a sauna and a cardio section (altho, i’ve never used it I hear its great).

The worse part is knowing that probably, i’ll never find a gym like that again.

BlueP: I feel your pain. [/quote]

And you go to university in Scotland?!

16

[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
maybe im wrong, i thought it was like this in all of america, but most people out here dont make eye contact because it can easily lead to confrontation. … [/quote]

Or butt fucking.

17

[quote]AccipiterQ wrote:
hungry4more wrote:
Well let’s see, you had friends there, you went there for 8 1/2 years…I’d say that’s good reason to be emotionally attached. Where’d you move to Boston from? If you’re not from the NE area, I can understand you being uncomfortable with people not making much eye contact and such; people tend to keep to themselves a little more in this part of the US.

I lived out in the Springfield area (western massachusetts), people were actually nicer out there which is odd. [/quote]

I see…I don’t go to that area often. Is Springfield a heavily populated area?

18

I’ll probably miss the gym I’m in when I leave for Hong Kong next spring.
I’ve probably spent almost as much time in the gym as in class. That’s an exaggeration, but I don’t miss workouts because I wake up late.

19

When I graduated college in January, I moved away from NYC.
One of the things I miss the most is the gym.
It wasn’t the best gym, it was actually pretty small, but that’s the gym where I discovered exercise and fitness. Those treadmills where I lost a ton of weight, when I had no clue, and that power rack which I used, the one power rack which hardly anyone else used. Where I went from a fat, unhappy mess to a thinner, happy mess.

I definitely became emotionally attached to that place. I changed a lot within those 4 walls, and after a while, most of my friends were made there. On days like Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc when not a soul was in the gym, it was mine. My place. No matter what else was happening, it all came back to the gym. It was non-negotiable.

Man, I miss that place. When I’d go, I’d usually be listening to some very loud, heavy music, with my hat pulled down low, and the people who knew me knew I wasn’t there to fuck around so we usually just nodded. There was a certain understanding, a certain bond there.

Now, the place I’m working out at, there’s so much estrogen in the air that I have to refrain from being self-conscious if I listen to loud music, grunt occasionally, etc. I’m surrounded by cardio machines, trainers who usually work somewhere around a 3 on the RPE scale, and shitty, light pop music…

The other day I was doing squats and the owner of the gym comes up to me and says he hasn’t seen my training partner around lately. I told him he was mistaken, I don’t have a training partner. Turns out he was worried about what I was doing. He said it looked scary - and that “you’re going pretty deep there.” I explained to him that, if I fail, I can drop the bar on the supports - I don’t need a partner. He walked away muttering.

Anyways, when I actually see someone exerting themselves there, it’s a good day. When I saw a kid lifting there the other day doing compound exercises and actually busting his ass, I almost shed a tear. (check out my other thread “do you encourage a young lifter” - http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=2069966

Wow, this turned into a long post, shit.

20

To answer the original question, yes, I’m emotionally attached to the weights I bought. I really do love them, and the fact that I don’t have to think about using chalk, setting the weights down a little hard, grunting, getting myself psyched up, making weird noises, farting, etc. It’s my little piece of heaven, distraction free.