Sac Arrow
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- May 11, 2010
- Messages
- 21,565
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
- Display Name
- Snorting his way across the USA
Alright, so, as many of you may have gathered, I am a member of a large national fitness chain and have been for many years. So there is this up and coming competing national fitness chain (sort of competing, rather) that has set up a gym next to my local burger shop. I'll just give them a fictitious name. I'll call them Anyhow Fitness.
Anyhow, has a different shtick than the typical gym. They set up in small storefront locations. A trainer friend of mine has defected from our gym to Anyhow for a staff position with them. She intercepted me inside the burger joint to give me a tour of the place and to convince me to come over.
Anyhow, is a small place. It has a fraction of the floor space and equipment my gym has. Now granted, it was very clean, very well maintained, and they have very modern equipment. Like Internet equipped treadmills. But they only have two of them. And an internet equipped Precor AMT. But they ony have one of them. They have a tiny group exercise room. Except it can't accommodate more than a group of three or four, it's really a training room. You can punch up a computer kiosk outside and pull up a virtual trainer displayed on a screen inside the room if you want. They have a Lemond training bike with all of the electronics. But only one of them.
No locker rooms. They have several, individual, single seater restrooms equipped with a shower and changing area. No pool or sauna. Place is cheap too. It's open 24 hours but it isn't staffed 24 hours. Members get a key card to use the facility after hours.
I liked the equipment, but the place was just too small. I could easily see how it could get overcrowded at peak times. There are economies of scale. I've never had a problem fighting 30 people for 40 cardio machines. I would have a severe problem fighting 5 people for 3 cardio machines. The weight area was proportionate. Two benches, a combination machine, and some fancy chrome free weights and dumbells. I don't need fancy chrome free weights and dumbells. I need enough of the drab stuff I always have access to it. "Oh how nice. Yeah. I'll think about it " Uh huh. I had to bite my tongue. I really didn't want to get in to it with her and explain I have too good of a deal going on at my present gym. I have a lifetime locked in to rate that is the monthly equivalent of three shots of cheap whiskey at the bar. What's the attraction of the place?
Rewind. Go back a few steps. Discreet. Lockable, individual shower rooms. Granted they fit the form factor better than two locker/shower rooms, but last night around 2:00 am I awoke and sat bolt upright in the bed drenched in a cold sweat. The realization instantly came to me.
Hookup joint.
Think about it. Maybe some can't relate but how many times have we wanted to take our newfound hot little workout partners to some quiet, private little spot for a little one on one or a massage or something? Or even that chick from the bar late at night. It's less sleazy than a motel, more discreet, and it doesn't cost anything. It's a quick in and out, so to speak.
Anyhow, has a different shtick than the typical gym. They set up in small storefront locations. A trainer friend of mine has defected from our gym to Anyhow for a staff position with them. She intercepted me inside the burger joint to give me a tour of the place and to convince me to come over.
Anyhow, is a small place. It has a fraction of the floor space and equipment my gym has. Now granted, it was very clean, very well maintained, and they have very modern equipment. Like Internet equipped treadmills. But they only have two of them. And an internet equipped Precor AMT. But they ony have one of them. They have a tiny group exercise room. Except it can't accommodate more than a group of three or four, it's really a training room. You can punch up a computer kiosk outside and pull up a virtual trainer displayed on a screen inside the room if you want. They have a Lemond training bike with all of the electronics. But only one of them.
No locker rooms. They have several, individual, single seater restrooms equipped with a shower and changing area. No pool or sauna. Place is cheap too. It's open 24 hours but it isn't staffed 24 hours. Members get a key card to use the facility after hours.
I liked the equipment, but the place was just too small. I could easily see how it could get overcrowded at peak times. There are economies of scale. I've never had a problem fighting 30 people for 40 cardio machines. I would have a severe problem fighting 5 people for 3 cardio machines. The weight area was proportionate. Two benches, a combination machine, and some fancy chrome free weights and dumbells. I don't need fancy chrome free weights and dumbells. I need enough of the drab stuff I always have access to it. "Oh how nice. Yeah. I'll think about it " Uh huh. I had to bite my tongue. I really didn't want to get in to it with her and explain I have too good of a deal going on at my present gym. I have a lifetime locked in to rate that is the monthly equivalent of three shots of cheap whiskey at the bar. What's the attraction of the place?
Rewind. Go back a few steps. Discreet. Lockable, individual shower rooms. Granted they fit the form factor better than two locker/shower rooms, but last night around 2:00 am I awoke and sat bolt upright in the bed drenched in a cold sweat. The realization instantly came to me.
Hookup joint.
Think about it. Maybe some can't relate but how many times have we wanted to take our newfound hot little workout partners to some quiet, private little spot for a little one on one or a massage or something? Or even that chick from the bar late at night. It's less sleazy than a motel, more discreet, and it doesn't cost anything. It's a quick in and out, so to speak.
.
