It's one of those tangible intangibles. The vibe of the gym isn't something you can put your hands on, but you know when it's lame (or awesome).

When I started training again after several years of fat-assery, I joined the local YMCA, mostly because it was convenient (right next door to where I was contracting at the time) and had the basic equipment. Even though it's a 'community YMCA', it's damned expensive as it has to support a weight/cardio room, gymnasium, 2 heated pools, saunas, kitchen, the whole nine yards, and it's a new facility. Given that it's a "Y", it's filled with everything from toddlers to old fat gay dudes that hang out in the locker rooms.

Long story short: I've outgrown it. On average, I've been there 5-6 days a week for 4 years, sometimes twice a day and at several different times of day. I know the regulars and you know what? Except for about 3 people, not one of them has progressed to any degree in 4 years. It's always busy and is full of people who read newspapers while doing leg extensions.

I haven't worked my back out there regularly in almost a year because I outgrew the weights and they have no desire to put more on. In all the vibe is just lame-- and I'm not that big at all, but one of the stronger people. Now THAT scares me.

So, since last winter, I've been going to a powerlifting gym on back day, which is about 40 minutes away. I've driven through 2 blizzards and an ice storm because it means that much.

I finally joined full time and I feel like a weight has been lifted (I guess pun intended).

I am the SMALLEST guy there. This little hole-in-the-wall gym has been around for decades, has produced a few national BB and PL champs (the walls are lined with mag covers, trophies, etc), and probably hasn't changed too much since the early 80's except for some new equipment.

It has 2 monolifts, an Oly platform, a 'pit' with a rack, monolift, chains, dozens of bars, DL platform, and a bench that is throne-like.

I walk in last night and a dude who absolutely dwarfs me is pulling 650 or so off the floor. 5 minutes later another B.A.D. walks in the pit and starts curling 80s and 85s. (db's in the main gym go to 75 and start again at 80 in 'the pit'). Even the girls/women there bench-- how refreshing (one of the owners, a woman, was a champion PL'er). It's one of those places where you add pounds to your lifts just walking in the door.

Just being exposed to that environment and having different, bigger, and heavier equipment at my disposal has renewed my commitment, even if it places a greater burden on me (much farther away which will suck in winter).

Additionaly, I joined even another gym which is a little closer, but dirt cheap with the essentials, to fill in when I can't make it up there, like if I want to work out around lunch and can't cut a 3hr block out my schedule. These two 'new' gyms cost less than "The Y" and both better vibes and weights. My "Y" membership runs out soon....

Since joining the new gym, my expectations for my training have shot up. My workouts are more intense. I've broken two plateaus. My commitment renewed.

Some people might be intimidated by being one of the smaller guys in the room, but it's really amped me and the bigger dudes are just happy that someone is asking them questions. It's inspiring to me and, of course, like any endeavor in life, being able to pick the brains of the experienced is priceless.

Hell, there's even a guy deadlifting on the membership key.

It makes all of the difference in the world. They just fucked up the 24 Hour Fitness that I've trained at since just after high school. They opened a whole new facility next door but decided to leave out all of the Hammer Strength equipment I use except for the shrug and the incline press. The dumbbells now stop at 120. he place looks great...like the way fitness centers look in movies. Too bad they fucked it up for anyone who is advanced and is looking to take it even further.


I don't know what I'll do now because being open 24 hours is the main reason I went there and the more hardcore places around here like One to One close at like 9 or 10 at night or earlier on weekends.

I can't even fucking train my chest like I used to.

I am so glad I workout in the basement at home...

Tonight I was doing squats/legs. First time I've ever squatted from a Monolift. Was VERY cool. Of course, I finish up with my lame-ass squats in the 400's and the "Powerlifting Team" steps in and some kid ends up squatting in the mid-500's. Oh well, I learned something tonight from someone stronger than me, which was worth the drive.

Also, was doing hack squats and seated calf stuff and wandered into the 'cardio room' to relieve the burning in my calves, which, even as small as the place is, I never really checked out that area. Turns out, they have machines in there like a lever row machine (not a HS Iso-row), but a nice usable one that's got 400 some pounds on it, a few other leg machines, a 'glute/ham' station, and some other goodies.

"The Pit"

i'm very fortunate, despite being in "friendly green" Vermont my gym owner is a former Mr. USA and the gym is home to a guy who took 8th at the USA NPC show in 2008, super heavy weight.

can of chalk near the racks, dumbbells up to 150lbs + one set of 200lb dumbbells.

Best feature, the owner gives members the option to buy a key for 50 bucks, with it you have 24/7 access, turn the lights on w/ a dial timer, use the stereo, tv for cardio.

Having BB's and PL in one place is nice, when i switched to that gym from my initial "Fitness Center" i busted right through a few plateaus i was experiencing.

My beloved Gilly's has closed.

No more 150# db's modified to 194#

Goodbye Monolift

Farewell Hammer Strength Flat Press, Incline Press, and Shoulder Press

Ciao power rack

Arrivederci heavy iso-row machine.

Via con Dios awesome lateral raise machine from the 80's.

FML.

Sorry to hear that Steely... Damn... Not enough paying members or what?


Got an alternative in mind yet?

Happy to report I found a new '2nd Gym'. It's in the same town as the other gym that closed, but on the other side of the river, so about a 40 minute drive.

It has pros and cons. No HS equipment (I started going to Gilly's for the HS Flat bench).

However, they do have adequate benches and a power rack.

Dumbbells only go to 140 vs 150, so not so bad in that department.

New one has chest supported T-Bar (not one at Gillys) and a seated calf raise machine (vs my gym where I have to do straight leg calf raises in the LP machine).

They have a trap bar. This is new for me. I did shrugs (up to 405#x15) today, and Oh, Man... Totally different experience than with the barbell or even 1-armed on the Smith Machine. That's a keeper FOR SURE as my traps piss me off.

Also, they have a lat pullover machine, which I have never used, but have always wanted to try (since DORIAN had high praise for the movement). Totally felt those.

This will be my new 'back day' haunt.

I'm happy again ;)

So, I'm over at the new gym today doing rack pulls and back workout and I look over in the corner and what do I see? Someone doing lateral raises on a machine! Turns out they DO have one! yeah. (It's like the one pictured above, but black padding instead of blue)

I couldn't resist and super-setted lateral raises with lat pulldowns. Weight goes to 150 and I was able to add a 45# plate to the stack for many reps.

The other thing: I love the trap bar. This is the 2nd week in a row that I've done shrugs and actually felt the damn things vs barbell shrugs where I feel them (and they've been working) but the forward weight just kills my lower back (also why I stopped doing bent barbell rows).

So now I'll do lateral raises twice per week (shoulder day and formerly on bench day, but now on back day with the discovery of this machine) and shrugs twice per week on back day (w/trap bar immediately after rack pulls) and shoulder day (either BB or 1-armed in the smith machine).

This is looking better. I'm not sure how the lateral raises the day before bench day will pan out, but we'll see after a couple months.

http://www.insiderpages.com/b/...

Stroud's in Hurst, Texas.

i feel lucky to have this place along with my garage gym.

A new gym just opened minutes from my house. This guy has been collecting gym equipment for awhile and decided he had enough to actually open a gym, so he did.

Full line of HS machines, and he actually picked up the HS flat press from the gym that I went to that closed, so that will be on the floor hopefully soon. HS shoulders, various HS rows (include DY), HS triceps, and on. This is literally the only gym within 40 miles that has HS equipment (well, there's a Planet Fatness that I've never been in, but that's never been an option).

Benches, inclines, hack squats, LPs, squat rack, db's to 140. No power rack and a no chalk rule, but that's certainly not a show stopper.

It's going to be a private gym with a (small) max number of members and keycard entry only. Checked it out today and it's pretty sweet.

Talking to the owners it sounds like most if not all the equipment is paid for and they picked up the building for a song, so it's likely to stay open. They both have other jobs and the business model is based on a fixed number of members, in fact, they only WANT a certain number and no more.

We'll see where this goes...

I have a training partner again after several years of training alone. We just started training at Fitness Connection (as well as 24) which has the machines I have been looking for...the HS dip machine, the laying HS bench press and others. I swear I haven't been able to build up my tris like I wanted because of lack of access to a machine like this.

Hopefully all of this adds up to taking this to the next level.

We also have Metro-Flex here now so there really is no excuse to not train hard.

PX- I think most would agree you haven't done too shabby training alone.... That will actually be a downer for me in a way because I have a friend I train with, mostly bench spotting and handing me db's for shoulder presses. I'll probably split time between the two gyms as I'm not quitting 'the Y' (kids on swim team and we have family membership).

Pics from 'new' place.