USAWA

by Al Myers

Every gym has their own rules, but I have found that Club Gyms have completely different types of rules than commercial gyms.  Clark’s Gym Rules pretty much “sum up” how club’s operate different than big commercial gyms. Let’s spend a little time going over Bill’s rules of the gym (while I make a few comments):

Rule # 1: No Drugs or Steroids

This is a big one in most drug-free clubs!! Bill makes it very clear that this behavior will not be tolerated in his gym. I have no doubt that Bill would pursue this to the point of criminal prosecution if someone was “dealing” in the gym premises.  I feel the exact same way in the Dino Gym.  Steroid users are a “rotten apple” in a gym full of drug free lifters.  They must be thrown out with the garbage.  We (the Dino Gym) make our DRUG FREE STANCE well-known and have not had this problem yet.  I do think I would have a “weightlifters intervention” with a fellow friend and gym member before throwing them out. I would enlist help from the gym’s enforcer Scott Tully, who would “slap them upside the head” and tell them “what the **** you doing!!! Quit that **** or your gone!!”  If that intervention didn’t work – then they would be kicked out.

The ironic thing about the whole “steroid scene” is that most commercial gyms don’t really care if gym members “juice”.  It looks good for business if other gym members see guys who are “buff from the roids” and gives them the false illusion if they keep paying their gym dues they will look the same someday. Now if these “roid heads” start grunting to much when lifting or sweat on the equipment – that’s another issue – and will soon be shown the door. Hard training is NOT TOLERATED in most commercial gyms!

Rule #2: No spitting. No profanity. No spitting. No Resin. No Food/Drink.

I put all these in the same rule because they all mean the same thing.  And that is – SHOW SOME RESPECT!  It’s Bill’s gym and he’s the one who has to clean up the mess you made! He doesn’t have a cleaning crew come in at night like a commercial gym has.  I know Bill doesn’t take these rules “to the extreme”  because I have seen some of the above rule number 2’s  “violated” before in Clark’s Gym and Bill didn’t seem to mind much – as long as you didn’t leave a cluttered mess behind!  I face these same issues in the Dino Gym.  If you have to spit – use the trash can, go outside,  or use a “spittoon”.  I don’t mind your water bottles if you take them with you after working out, throw the emptys in the trash, and not leave them on the floor.  Resin or chalk is not a problem – I expect some mess, but don’t crush an entire block on the floor.  I would say “treat the gym as you would your home”, but that might not be a true assessment as some guys are just born slobs.  Treat the gym BETTER than your home.

Now for profanity – that’s hard to prevent totally.  A few choice words after missing your last rep on a set of squats that you should have  made probably deserves a few choice words. But not from you – but from your training partners TO YOU for not putting out enough effort to get the lift!!

Rule #3: Safety first. Unload all weights when finished. Use Spotters. Tighten Collars on all overhead lifts.

This one just makes sense. The collars in the gym are there for a reason – so you can PUT THEM ON THE BAR!  The gym isn’t the beach where a lifeguard is watching to save your carcass when you go out too far and can’t swim back!  There’s no one to save you when you do something STUPID in the gym.  You put spotters at risk as well when you don’t use collars.  I have seen multiple injuries  occur because of collars not being on the bar and plates sliding off.  And PLEASE put the weights back where you found them!  There’s a reason I have plate racks in the gym, and it’s not because I need space to be taken up. Leaving stuff laying around creates hazards that others may stumble over. 

Rule #4: Park only in designated lot

OK – this rule of Bill’s confused me a little. There’s only one parking lot, and it’s right in front of the gym. His gym is the only business within a block.  Often it’s only partially filled because there’s more parking spots than gym members. Where does Bill think I’m going to park? Down the street half a mile at the gas station???  Most weightlifters I know try to MINIMIZE physical activity like walking so I doubt if this rule is very often violated. 

But it’s HIS GYM and he can make whatever rules he wants!!