Gold's Gym sucks

[surfsatwerk]

So I was doing deadlift yesterday when in the middle of a rep the counter flunky gets in my face and tells me I'm not allowed to do that particular exercise. I'm literally half way through the movement when he stands right and front of me and starts bitching. It was all I could do to not just drop 315lbs on him out of spite.

So now I'm in the market for a new gym and I'm hoping to get some suggestions about what to keep my eyes out for that would indicate a quality establishment. I'm just getting back into power lifting after a decade away from it, so I'm hoping to find a place that is friendly to that activity.

 

[Deeko]

Gold's varies DRASTICALLY from gym to gym. Actually, as do all of the chains. 24 hour, LA Fitness, Golds, Ballys...each individual gym is very different from the other.

My favorite of the chains was the Gold's Gym in Conshohocken, PA or the 24 hour fitness in Bellevue, WA. However, the Golds in Seattle and 24 hour in Queen Anne were both abominations. Your best bet is to just check them all out - they'll usually give you a week or two free trial if you ask for it.

 

[Lamont Burns]

No deadlift? Boo

 

[BeauJangles]

You should know that big box gyms won't let you do anything that builds actual fitness or requires you to sweat.

Sweat is icky.

 

[EvilYoda]

Wow...considering how far the bar moves (and how far it's off the ground), they must not allow a lot of bar-related exercises. That sucks, most of the Gold's that I've been have been heavy-lifting friendly!

 

[Bateluer]

Hmm, I'd ask if where its written in your contract.

 

[wwswimming]

stay away from Club One, they will feel free to withdraw money from your banking account without your permission.

then when you ask about it they will claim it's covered in the fine print.

 

[surfsatwerk]

Hmm, I'd ask if where its written in your contract.

I did go and double check the little flier they gave me with their "rules of conduct". Apparently they classify dead lift under their no Olympic Lifts rule. Also it appears that I violate their "no grunting or moaning while lifting" rule. Seriously how in the hell does someone lift without making any noise?

F- this place.

 

[PingSpike]

C'mon asshole, why can't you just pay your monthly dues, do a couple 20 rep sets of bicep curls and walk on a treadmill for 20 minutes once a month like everyone else?

 

[Lamont Burns]

I did go and double check the little flier they gave me with their "rules of conduct". Apparently they classify dead lift under their no Olympic Lifts rule. Also it appears that I violate their "no grunting or moaning while lifting" rule. Seriously how in the hell does someone lift without making any noise?

F- this place.

I flatulate quite a bit when deadlifting, but I definitely never moan.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

My golds gym let's us deadlift. I think it's the assholes that are banging 300lbs on the floor or dropping the weight when they're done they have a problem with.

 

[surfsatwerk]

My golds gym let's us deadlift. I think it's the assholes that are banging 300lbs on the floor or dropping the weight when they're done they have a problem with.

If you're using 300lbs without bumper plates it's going to make some noise when you're done with a rep. I always controlled the weight when placing it back on the floor, it's not like I was dropping the bar from waist high.

 

[Lamont Burns]

If you're using 300lbs without bumper plates it's going to make some noise when you're done with a rep. I always controlled the weight when placing it back on the floor, it's not like I was dropping the bar from waist high.

I just became regularly able to do something like 305-310x2, and yeah after the 2nd rep it makes some noise. No bumper plates at mine either. Oh well. The dudes doing curls and smith machine squats can blow me.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I just became regularly able to do something like 305-310x2, and yeah after the 2nd rep it makes some noise. No bumper plates at mine either. Oh well. The dudes doing curls and smith machine squats can blow me.

Take it easy on the smith machine squats. 99% of the time I'll do below paralell free weight squats but if some chicken leg dude doing 185 lbs squats going down 3-4 inches is on the squat rack I'm not opposed to using the smith machine for squats.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Take it easy on the smith machine squats. 99% of the time I'll do below paralell free weight squats but if some chicken leg dude doing 185 lbs squats going down 3-4 inches is on the squat rack I'm not opposed to using the smith machine for squats.

You should be considering it builds the most pronounced imbalances and lack of functionality of practically all machines. Do something else and let the other guy finish. You could also warmup with front squats or DB squats. Stay away from the smith machine. It is the devil, if you use it for squats.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

What is so bad about it? Not doubting what your saying I just don't see why it's so bad.

 

[brikis98]

What is so bad about it? Not doubting what your saying I just don't see why it's so bad.

Smith machines enforce a strictly vertical bar path for all exercises. This is great in theory, but in practice, human biomechanics cannot support a perfectly vertical bar path when squatting (or just about any barbell exercise, for that matter). Therefore, if you squat in a smith machine, you are forced to change your technique significantly from the free weight version to accommodate the machine. There are many variations of smith machine squats, but they are almost always dangerous, produce inferior results and lead to muscle imbalances. The most common technique I've seen in a smith machine is people leaning back against the bar (impossible in a free squat), squatting with their feet pointing straight forward, dropping their butt way behind their legs, and stopping above parallel, as shown in this picture and this picture. This sort of technique removes any hamstring/glute/adductor involvement, puts all the work on the quads, and puts enormous stress on the knees. Compare that to a proper free squat, where there is a forward lean, the toes are pointed out, the butt drops between the legs, and the crease of the hip gets below the knee joint, as shown in this picture and this picture.

Moreover, as with all exercise machines, the smith machine does not allow for "functional" exercises that develop neuro-muscular coordination. Since you don't learn to balance the weight yourself, it will be very difficult to transfer any strength you develop into real world activities or even to other exercises.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Smith machines enforce a strictly vertical bar path for all exercises. This is great in theory, but in practice, human biomechanics cannot support a perfectly vertical bar path when squatting (or almost barbell exercise, for that matter). Therefore, if you squat in a smith machine, you are forced to change your technique significantly from the free weight version to accommodate the machine. There are many variations of smith machine squats, but they are almost always dangerous, produce inferior results and lead to muscle imbalances. The most common technique I've seen in a smith machine is people leaning back against the bar (impossible in a free squat), squatting with their feet pointing straight forward, dropping their butt way behind their legs, and stopping above parallel, as shown in this picture and this picture. This sort of technique removes any hamstring/glute/adductor involvement, puts all the work on the quads, and puts enormous stress on the knees. Compare that to a proper free squat, where there is a forward lean, the toes are pointed out, the butt drops between the legs, and the crease of the hip gets below the knee joint, as shown in this picture and this picture.

Moreover, as with all exercise machines, the smith machine does not allow for "functional" exercises that develop neuro-muscular coordination. Since you don't learn to balance the weight yourself, it will be very difficult to transfer any strength you develop into real world activities or even to other exercises.

Bing bing bing. I've actually recently gone over neuromuscular adaption in detail recently. When you train a certain exercise, you improve the neural connections to those muscles in that range of motion. Therefore, if you don't build that strengthened neuromuscular connection to the stabilizers, it doesn't transfer. That's why the smith machine's "squat" has little to no functionality in the real world or in the real squat.

 

[surfsatwerk]

Exactly why I'm trying to do normal dead lift rather than use that abortion they refer to as a "dead lift machine".

 

[alkemyst]

I did go and double check the little flier they gave me with their "rules of conduct". Apparently they classify dead lift under their no Olympic Lifts rule. Also it appears that I violate their "no grunting or moaning while lifting" rule. Seriously how in the hell does someone lift without making any noise?

F- this place.

we will need a video to see this.