I’ve been a coach in the fitness industry for more than two decades and I recently did a thing for the first time in my professional career.
No, I didn’t recommend a juice cleanse to a client.
Nope, I didn’t perform my first kipping pull-up.
And no, I didn’t not play Wu-Tang Clan on Wu-Tang Wednesdays
I joined a commercial gym.
Who Cares? And, Why?
Admittedly, I can understand why some of you reading might be thinking to yourselves “ooooookay, Tony.”
It’s quite an inane thing to announce.
I mean, people join commercial gyms all the time. Much like they brush their teeth in the morning, make a grilled cheese sandwich or, I don’t know, shop at The Gap.
People do shit.
What’s the big deal?
Well, nothing. But you made it this far so you may as well keep reading…;o)
1990 (or maybe it was ’91)
That was the year it started.
I was 13 and that was the year Mariah Carey dominated my bedroom walls I got my first weight set. You know, one of those sets that was always on sale at K-Mart and came with a bench, a barbell, and cement weights covered in plastic.
I loved that weight set. I set up shop in my parent’s basement and got to work.
I followed the poster of exercises it came with to a “T” and, along with my Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco rookie cards, it became one of my most prized possessions.
Soon I entered high-school and became old enough to be allowed to use the weight room at the school itself. By then shows like Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, In Living Color, and Martin were dominating my cultural landscape, along with baseball (and the idea of playing it at the collegiate level).
Also, not for nothing: Salma Hayek entered my life.
via GIPHY
I spent just about every day after school between my sophomore and senior years lifting weights in that dungeon. It had one of those universal gyms complete with a chest and shoulder press station, pulldown, leg press, leg extension/curl, and dip station. There was also a squat rack (and, if I had access to a time machine I’d go back and tell myself to start using it sooner), a few barbells, and a smattering of weight plates that were rusty enough to have required a yearly tetanus shot
I have fond memories of that dungeon.
It’s where I benched pressed 135 lb for the first time.
1996
In 1996, while home for summer break after my freshman year of college, I was punched in the face (in a good way) by the welcome surprise that a commercial gym had opened up in my hometown.
My hometown was surrounded by nothing but cornfields and dairy farms, we didn’t have a fast food joint (or a traffic light), but it now had a gym.
I was beyond excited.
It wasn’t perfect, but it came with all bells and whistles I had never had access to prior…
- Two squat racks (at this point, still not a fan. Dammit Tony!)
- A litany of selectorized machines
- More weight plates than I could count
- And even the token old-timer meathead who, much to my mother’s gasp, told me to put raw eggs into my protein shakes.
It was glorious.
It was mine.
I think most of the other patrons hated me because I’d do everything I could to play techno music whenever I was there
And then…
2002-Present Day
In 2002 I became a fitness professional.
For the first five years of my career every workout took place in a menagerie of gyms I was employed by, except for the one year Eric Cressey & I drove to Stratford, CT 2x per week to train at South Side Barbell (a powerlifting gym) amongst giants.
That gym doesn’t exist anymore, but it was one of the best training years of my life.
Then, in 2007 I helped co-found Cressey Sports Performance and ever since I’ve lived in this peculiar strength & conditioning bubble where people perform full-ROM pull-ups, are more inclined to squat on Monday than bench press, and shrug it off as no big deal whenever someone deadlifts 405 lbs for reps.
Cressey Sports Performance, Hudson, MA
It’s been 25+ years since I’ve paid for a gym membership because I’ve either worked in one or owned one.
- From 2015-2024 I worked and trained out of CORE…500 sq. ft of badassery.
- My current space – Core Collective – is 5500 sq. ft (counting the various offices) and it’s a lovely place to lift heavy things.
Core Collective, Brookline, MA
It gets the job done and I have everything I need to fulfill my training goals:
✅ Keys to the door.
✅ Ample weights.
✅ Specialty bars.
✅ Power Racks
✅ Sick 90’s hip hop beats.
That said, I’d be remiss if I didn’t confess I’m sometimes bummed I don’t have access to certain types of equipment.
Think: Hammer Strength machines, functional trainer, or, cue dramatic chipmunk…
…a leg press
That said, I hit a tipping point recently and came to the conclusion I needed a change of scenery; even if only 1-2x per week.
Now, it’s not lost on me I’m complaining about something many would kill to have access to (especially during the pandemic), but working out where I work has been getting monotonous and boring.
I needed a change of pace. A break. A separation of church & state if you will.
After doing a bit of reconnaissance I ended up joining a neighborhood commercial gym, and so far it’s been a splendid experience and a welcome jolt to my training. Granted, I don’t miss the incessant “peacocking” of dudes walking around, or the perplexed looks I’ve received whenever I ask someone if I can jump in on a piece of equipment.
Relax.
I’m only going to take 30 seconds and then you can do your 47th set of seated rows.
Regardless, thus far the benefits have far outweighed the drawbacks. I quite enjoy the silent camaraderie with the other people and the change in vibe has been welcome. Plus, it’s definitely offered a chance to disconnect and just focus on my training with less distractions.
Plus, I never thought I’d be so smitten to see a pec deck…;o)
