Virgin Active have ( no doubt very expensively) had a complete face lift of their gyms (which is a national initiative). The downstairs area has been largely cleared to make way for what I thought was going to be a calisthenics dedicated area. Which in itself is excellent. The floor has been specially covered to reduce sound to help with collapsing weights, bodies etc.
http://www.virginactive.co.uk/inside-our-clubs/gym-floor/fast-classes/thegrid
However, they have added to this floor a matrix of grid lines. Then, for those of us who enjoy solo training, came the huge catch. A whole series of in-your-face 'grid classes' at least 2 or 3 times a day every day, all of course at peak lunch and early evening slots. Of course it doesn't stop there - with it you get the obligatory manic instructor on a microphone set so loud that it ensures that the whole of the town can hear and join in. The participants are required to keep moving to different grid sections doing different manic exercises.
However, they have added to this floor a matrix of grid lines. Then, for those of us who enjoy solo training, came the huge catch. A whole series of in-your-face 'grid classes' at least 2 or 3 times a day every day, all of course at peak lunch and early evening slots. Of course it doesn't stop there - with it you get the obligatory manic instructor on a microphone set so loud that it ensures that the whole of the town can hear and join in. The participants are required to keep moving to different grid sections doing different manic exercises.
Now don't get me wrong - I can see and to some extent appreciate what they're trying to do. It's partly an education of their members to exercise in a much more efficient way and that's to be applauded.
Nevertheless I note it is the usual lags who join any class going and numbers then made up by the gym's own staff! For those of us in the silent majority, this is an in-your face- class depriving us of key facilities at peak times. Don't get me onto the introduction of the Queenax, which I will post on probably tomorrow.
The area that should be for calisthenics is pretty much absorbed by the class and you can't escape the noise anywhere in the gym.
Nevertheless I note it is the usual lags who join any class going and numbers then made up by the gym's own staff! For those of us in the silent majority, this is an in-your face- class depriving us of key facilities at peak times. Don't get me onto the introduction of the Queenax, which I will post on probably tomorrow.
The area that should be for calisthenics is pretty much absorbed by the class and you can't escape the noise anywhere in the gym.
What really gets my goat about this is that more often than not (and certainly today) there is one or two empty studios which were designed for exactly this sort of thing.
For those who want a manic priestess screaming at them in order to train, that was the reason they were built. The concept doesn't actually really require grid lines. Frankly a gym mat will mark the territory or, if impractical, so what if you mark the floor if that's how people really want to train?
So my dilemma -do I leave and find a slightly further away gym which is dedicated to solo training or suffer this.
If you've experienced this at your gym the let us know in the comments.
Andy@Concept
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