Gym Frustrations

Hi BBM Team!

Just got started with my individualized coaching and am extremely excited! Can’t wait for the gainzzz.

I live in Manhattan and go to a commercial gym nearby my apartment. It’s not ideal as the best gyms have only two squat racks that are in high demand, but I make it work with my current gym by going at 5:30am right upon opening and grabbing a rack right away. I still, however, deal with people hovering around me all the time (especially since I’m basically using it for the full 75min my LP takes). I may move this year and also I’ve searched around for better barbell gyms in NYC, but there don’t seem to be any options within an hour commute of me (I know there is one or two in Brooklyn, but they’re quite far). Do any of you have any friends or trainees in NYC / Manhattan? If so, where do they train?

I’ve been eating up all of your content on YouTube and it’s been absolutely fantastic! One thing I noticed is that Jordan seems to use Crossfit gyms a lot. I’m not sure if this is his main gym or if he uses these while traveling, but I was under the impression from a friend that had done Crossfit for a stint that you basically had to take classes for your workouts and cannot really follow your own programming, but Jordan seems to be doing whatever he wants in these gyms. I thought “open gym” time was like an hour a day, a few times a week at most “boxes.” Is this not the case? Any details on this you could provide? Does it completely depend on the location?

Any other tips would be much appreciated! I’d rather not hear another gym manager tell me “oh yeah, we have 3 squat racks” to find out 2 of them are “assisted squats.” :rage: Meanwhile, I’ll daydream about the day I leave the city, buy a house, and build a swanky gym in my garage.

-Andrew

I think you’ll be able to get some helpful advice on this front from our community, so I’ll bump this down to the unmoderated training forum.

I don’t live in Manhattan but I work out at a commercial gym too, The solution to this particular frustration mentioned above is to politely ask the hovering person if they wants to work in. Rest time for LP can be pretty long and it does tend to make you look like a jerk occupying one of the only two racks for such a long time. Two people loading the bar together actually saves a lot of time and once you’re in a friendly mood with the person, you’re less likely to become distracted by their presence. If that person for some reason does not want to participate in this wonderful time-saving and friendly interaction, tell them that you would let them know once you’re done. Most of the people would take the cue and walk out of your sight to let you concentrate.

What I personally can’t stand is people doing none of the big lifts, or deadlifting from the floor, in the rack, doing circuits of exercises (pull-up, push-up, curls, abs) that use blocks and bands to prevent any work-in possibility. You know, the silly bullshit et al.

Working in and letting others work in is pretty important in a busy gym. As far as working out at a CF gym, you will need to contact each one and find out their policy. Most are not set up with open gym options. Jordan and I train at one here, but I have been a member there since their first month of operation. When we travel, it’s pretty simple to find a CF gym to allow a drop in, but regular training with your own programming is a toss up. It often depends on the space and the staffing.

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