"Audition" for powerlifting gym - standard protocol or judgmental BS?

Hi team,

Not sure which forum to ask this but figured I’d give it a shot. I’ve generally always trained in commercial gyms, but have been interested in joining a powerlifting gym. There is one by me that markets itself as primarily for personal training, but it does offer memberships without personal training if you can “add value to the gym.” I emailed the owner who invited me to come lift there as a trial session to “see how I move, see where my strength is at, and see how I blend in to the culture of the gym.” I was a bit taken aback by this, as it seems to me if I’m not strong enough or cool enough they don’t want me in their gym. You all have a lot more experience with different gyms than I do, is this pretty standard and not something I should be offended by? or is this a red flag and I should look to train somewhere else? thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.

JR

This isn’t really standard, though I did have to do this at a gym I trained at in LA so they could make sure I wasn’t going to be a d-bag in their personal training space. Ultimately, it’s there gym and they can operate it how they want to. It sounds like they’re set up as a personal training studio with limited availability for open gym. I’d wager that the owner/manager just wants to make sure you know what you’re doing and aren’t a tool. I wouldn’t worry about it. If the gym is logistically a good fit for you and it’s a great facility, just play it cool!

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