Coming just out of the Asia Wellness Summit held this past Saturday, I was prompted numerous times about the state-of-affairs on the gym scene here in Shanghai.
People in general seem to have similar feedback when talking about the big box commercial gyms.
Since, I also used to train out of these gyms (prior to opening Olive Branch), I not only understand but have witnessed these grievances in the gym.
So here is a list of all the things that I have witnessed while training in a gym that has enraged me.
1. Spitting!
Yes! I’ve seen people spit right on the floor in the strength training section. This is not only vile and disgusting, but extremely unsanitary since people use the gym floors for certain floor exercises! There are some exercises that bring the shoes in contact with skin so hygienically this is a major health risk for communicable diseases.
2. Topless people sweating all over the equipment.
Of course there will be sweat left behind from a workout. It is a gym after all where people are there to ‘sweat it out’. But there is a difference between residual sweat that’s been deposited after a tough set, and a workout bench dripping in someone’s back sweat because they were lying on it topless. Sorry to be so graphic, but it’s disgusting. Especially, since those same people don’t clean up after themselves.
3. Excessive grunting and posing.
So this is common in a lot of gyms around the world in fact. But it’s particularly bad here in Shanghai. I’ve seen too many times guys posing in front of mirrors in the most obvious and pompous manner. This phenomenon overlaps with my previous point. Some grunting and posing in front of mirrors is inevitable, but when the grunts start to sound like death shrills to seek attention, then it gets very distracting for everyone else.
4. Weight dropping/throwing.
This one is particularly bad. As the title suggests, there are some who are inclined to simply drop (I’ve seen some who threw) the dumbbells from at least knee-height to the ground with no care in the world to what happens to them and the risks that may bring to people working out next to them. I have been hit by by a dumbbell who threw them on to the ground next to me and it bounced off the ground and hit my ankle.
5. Lack of environmental control.
Expensive membership fees were paid, surely they can afford to turn on the air conditioning units; especially during the thick of summer when the inside of the gym can get even hotter than outside. When the air quality index is high, closing the windows seems fairly common sense – apparently, not to gym facility managers.
6. No water.
A gym has to provide at the very minimum, healthy, drinkable water. It is not acceptable for a gym to have simply run out of drinking water. No excuses.
7. Annoying personal trainers harassing you all the time.
I’ll be dedicating an entirely separate blog post on this one in the near future – oh yeah…
That’s all I can sum up for now, but I’m sure there are loads more that maybe some of you guys have experienced. If so, please feel free to email me and let me know what were some other crimes committed in the gym – I will append them to this list in a future post and we can track the state-of-affairs of the Shanghai gym scene together like a tiger mom reviewing her kid’s high school report card.
I’ve experienced #7 countless times at Kingsport and Cali Fitness (both commercial chain/franchises) in Shanghai and have a personal vendetta against these establishments that encourage their PT’s to do this to their members. The last thing I want is to be “sold to” at the gym, at the expense of my time and personal space and especially when I’m in the zone! It ruins my impression of the gym and makes me take measures against getting harassed ie. wearing my headphones ALL the time, consciously avoiding treading in the path of any one of these aggressive PT’s, etc.
Big gyms here in Shanghai are full of unprofessional people, the staff and the patrons