this post was submitted on 31 Oct 2026
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Mainstream gyms are attracting normies. Normies who come with casual goals and for a sanitised experience. They want people who come sometimes and then carry on paying but never really use facilities. Half the people in normal gyms have never actually done any reading into how yo do exercise or what they're training or how to avoid injury. Even the treadmill runners don't have a plan.... They just run till they're a bit tired and sweaty.
Weights gyms are different. Muscle heads intimidate normies. I used to seek out weights gyms and they would mostly be dark, dingy places. "Rough" looking places with "rough" looking people. Many have attached UFC or boxing training. People tend to come in groups and spot each other. There's grunting and weights banging. You may need to wipe someone else's sweat off a bench. The music may be non-mainstream. It's scary for the uninitiated.
When I was younger a friend convinced me to go to one of these gyms. We'd go stupid early in the morning, like 5am. There would be one other group of people that would go that early in the morning. After like a year of going I was in the best shape of my life and I'd get the nod in the morning from the other group.
It felt really good, but then I got a new job, moved where I was living, and a particularly cold winter rolled round. Went to my car; ready to go to the gym, and the door was frozen shut. Decided to skip it and climbed back into bed. It all went downhill from there and I now regret not having kept it up. I hope that the other morning group is still going 14 years later.
No one understands this more than me, and this isn't directed at you or anyone in particular, ain't here to judge, but in case anyone needs to hear that it's okay to slip, don't let being perfect stop you from being good enough.
That's something I needed to experience and practice to appreciate, unironically.
My friend has a saying about this. He says, "Even when you give up, don't give up."
My best decision was to start going, my worst decision was giving up. My 2nd best decision was to start going again a year ago. I won't say I feel great, but I feel better than I did before.
I love normie gyms. There's multiple treadmills, bikes, and all sorts of machines, but only one cage and only one bench - and they're never taken, even when the gym is busy!
I can just go in, even take both and no one bats an eye, it's amazing. And the gym is a 5min walk from my house!
My single experience in a scary weights-only gym was getting told by some beefed up roider that I train like a (very rude word for vagina that I couldn't find a good translation for). My current gym has a split of about 60:40 between weights and cardio in favor of weights and the atmosphere is so much nicer.
but was he wrong?
Unless state_electrician was doing Kegels, the dudebro was wrong.
I wish I had one of those weights gyms in my area. At best any gym might have a single squat rack and there's almost always someone using it.
Eventually I gave up and decided to stick with kettlebells at home. That being said, home workouts are tough to keep up with, especially with my schedule. There's been lots of starts and stops over the years
If you have space (like a garage) then buying equipment for a home gym works best. An Olympic bar and a squat rack and some plates and bench will get you started on every body part exercise you need. And this costs less than a year's gym membership.
I've got the above and slowly added dial-in-weight adjustable dumbells. A weighted belt and abs wheel.
Pro tip: secondhand weight equipment is just as good as new and less than half price. It is hard to damage weight equipment. Space is the limiting factor, otherwise buying your own equipment is far cheaper than a gym membership. Home gym also saves travel time, lowers the mental barrier by reducing friction for attending, and the biggest bonus is not having to interact with humans. I've got a TV in my gym for my Jellyfin TV shows as well while I work out. Super happy with it. Highly recommended.
Oh, I'm aware. Unfortunately I rent and also don't have the space for it.