{"id":15694,"date":"2026-03-06T21:07:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T14:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=15694"},"modified":"2026-03-06T21:07:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T14:07:10","slug":"heres-why-tony-gentilcore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=15694","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s Why \u2013 Tony Gentilcore"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>I\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n<p>No, I didn\u2019t recommend a juice cleanse to a client.<\/p>\n<p>Nope, I didn\u2019t perform my first kipping pull-up.<\/p>\n<p>And no, I didn\u2019t <em>not<\/em> play Wu-Tang Clan on Wu-Tang Wednesdays<\/p>\n<p>I joined a commercial gym.<\/p>\n<h2>Who Cares? And, Why?<\/h2>\n<p>Admittedly, I can understand why some of you reading might be thinking to yourselves \u201cooooookay, Tony.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s quite an inane thing to announce.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019t know, shop at The Gap.<\/p>\n<p>People do shit.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s the big deal?<\/p>\n<p>Well, nothing. But you made it this far so you may as well keep reading\u2026;o)<\/p>\n<h3>1990 (or maybe it was \u201991)<\/h3>\n<p>That was the year it started.<\/p>\n<p>I was 13 and that was the year <del>Mariah Carey dominated my bedroom walls<\/del> 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.<\/p>\n<p>I loved that weight set. I set up shop in my parent\u2019s basement and got to work.<\/p>\n<p>I followed the poster of exercises it came with to a \u201cT\u201d and, along with my Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco rookie cards, it became one of my most prized possessions.<\/p>\n<p>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 <em>Beverly Hills 90210<\/em>, <em>Melrose Place<\/em>, <em>In Living Color<\/em>, and <em>Martin<\/em> were dominating my cultural landscape, along with baseball (and the idea of playing it at the collegiate level).<\/p>\n<p>Also, not for nothing: Salma Hayek entered my life.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/media3.giphy.com\/media\/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExNmM5eGpicHo4aDNlazA1MnRsdWNlaGN1c2kwcWJwdXNpMG9jb2VyeCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw\/1308aSVsMbjbdm\/giphy.gif\" width=\"245\" height=\"245\"\/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">via <a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/blake-salma-hayek-rph-1308aSVsMbjbdm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>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\u2019d 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<\/p>\n<p>I have fond memories of that dungeon.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s where I benched pressed 135 lb for the first time.<\/p>\n<h3>1996<\/h3>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>My hometown was surrounded by nothing but cornfields and dairy farms, we didn\u2019t have a fast food joint (or a traffic light), but it now had a gym.<\/p>\n<p>I was beyond excited.<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t perfect, but it came with all bells and whistles I had never had access to prior\u2026<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Two<\/em> squat racks (at this point, still not a fan. Dammit Tony!)<\/li>\n<li>A litany of selectorized machines<\/li>\n<li>More weight plates than I could count<\/li>\n<li>And even the token old-timer meathead who, much to my mother\u2019s gasp, told me to put raw eggs into my protein shakes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It was glorious.<\/p>\n<p>It was mine.<\/p>\n<p>I think most of the other patrons hated me because I\u2019d do everything I could to play techno music whenever I was there<\/p>\n<p>And then\u2026<\/p>\n<h3>2002-Present Day<\/h3>\n<p>In 2002 I became a fitness professional.<\/p>\n<p>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 &amp; I drove to Stratford, CT\u00a0 2x per week to train at South Side Barbell (a powerlifting gym) amongst giants.<\/p>\n<p>That gym doesn\u2019t exist anymore, but it was one of the best training years of my life.<\/p>\n<p>Then, in 2007 I helped co-found Cressey Sports Performance and ever since I\u2019ve lived in this peculiar strength &amp; 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.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-460587\" src=\"https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Screenshot-2026-03-06-at-8.48.18-AM-1024x470.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"294\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Screenshot-2026-03-06-at-8.48.18-AM-1024x470.png 1024w, https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Screenshot-2026-03-06-at-8.48.18-AM-300x138.png 300w, https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Screenshot-2026-03-06-at-8.48.18-AM-768x352.png 768w, https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Screenshot-2026-03-06-at-8.48.18-AM.png 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\"\/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Cressey Sports Performance, Hudson, MA<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been 25+ years since I\u2019ve paid for a gym membership because I\u2019ve either worked in one or owned one.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>From 2015-2024 I worked and trained out of CORE\u2026500 sq. ft of badassery.<\/li>\n<li>My current space \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.corecollectivebrookline.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Core Collective<\/a> \u2013 is 5500 sq. ft (counting the various offices) and it\u2019s a lovely place to lift heavy things.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-460588\" src=\"https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Screenshot-2026-03-06-at-8.55.59-AM-1024x485.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"688\" height=\"326\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Screenshot-2026-03-06-at-8.55.59-AM-1024x485.png 1024w, https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Screenshot-2026-03-06-at-8.55.59-AM-300x142.png 300w, https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Screenshot-2026-03-06-at-8.55.59-AM-768x364.png 768w, https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Screenshot-2026-03-06-at-8.55.59-AM-1536x728.png 1536w, https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Screenshot-2026-03-06-at-8.55.59-AM.png 1866w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 688px) 100vw, 688px\"\/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Core Collective, Brookline, MA<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It gets the job done and I have everything I need to fulfill my training goals:<\/p>\n<p>\u2705 Keys to the door.<br \/>\u2705 Ample weights.<br \/>\u2705 Specialty bars.<br \/>\u2705 Power Racks<br \/>\u2705 Sick 90\u2019s hip hop beats.<\/p>\n<p>That said, I\u2019d be remiss if I didn\u2019t confess I\u2019m sometimes bummed I don\u2019t have access to certain types of equipment.<\/p>\n<p>Think: Hammer Strength machines, functional trainer, or, cue dramatic chipmunk\u2026<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"**Original** The Dramatic Chipmunk **Original**\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mfhBM_Yay6w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2026a leg press<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Now, it\u2019s not lost on me I\u2019m 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.<\/p>\n<p>I needed a change of pace. A break. A separation of church &amp; state if you will.<\/p>\n<p>After doing a bit of reconnaissance I ended up joining a neighborhood commercial gym, and so far it\u2019s been a splendid experience and a welcome jolt to my training. Granted, I don\u2019t miss the incessant \u201cpeacocking\u201d of dudes walking around, or the perplexed looks I\u2019ve received whenever I ask someone if I can jump in on a piece of equipment.<\/p>\n<p>Relax.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m only going to take 30 seconds and then you can do your 47th set of seated rows.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s definitely offered a chance to disconnect and just focus on my training with less distractions.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, I never thought I\u2019d be so smitten to see a pec deck\u2026;o)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/tonygentilcore.com\/2026\/03\/i-joined-a-commercial-gym-heres-why\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019ve 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\u2019t recommend a juice cleanse to a client. Nope, I didn\u2019t perform my first kipping pull-up. And no, I didn\u2019t not play Wu-Tang Clan on Wu-Tang &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15694"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15694\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}