Ok so the new business model of corporate America for the last few years has been what I term empty box marketing. The theory I have goes that companies have figured out that if they decorate an empty box with enough pretty ribbons and bows they can sell it as effectively as real goods and services. People think they are buying something special when in fact it is just an empty box.
I bring this because I just left a Groton, CT Planet Fitness. Now I travel a lot and have been working out for 34 years. I have been to every sort of gym imaginable from an all-women’s “Curves” I talked my way into for a day to Venice Beach gym where mostly pro’s workout. I have never been to a gym where I felt I was intimidated and in fact at every one without exception I have found pleasant helpful enthuiastic members as the majority. I am a very fit 52 yo but not a real big guy and I pretty much just go in, keep to myself, do a fast paced, intense work out and am polite enough to re rack my weights, not hog machines or leave gear lying on the workout floor for others to trip over, clean my sweat off the equipment and I don’t wear offensive clothing that lets my private parts hang out. Today I was finishing up and stretching when the gym manager came over and pointed out that I was wearing a head rag. I have been for the last 3 days now. That is not allowed under their marketing banner but I see guys wearing watch caps everyday now that it has gotten cold so I looked around and pointed at the 500 lbs of weight someone left on the leg press a small women was struggling to unload so she could use it, the 200 lbs left on one of the benches with no one around, the dumbbells left on the floor, the 3 guys wearing watch caps and asked “so those things are ok and a head rag to keep the sweat out of my eyes is ‘judged’ unacceptable? ” and pointed to the giant No Judgment Zone Sign painted in garish purple letters across the wall of the gym. He looked at me, blinked a couple of times and said “It’s gym policy”. Now I can understand some basic etique policies as the one I practice above and slamming weights is damaging to the floors and equipment and is not necessary for fitness nor is screaming loudly but when you overlook the basics and focus on extreme policing of the harmless like a head rag or a little grunting or sounding an obnoxious alarm at every lttle clank well... I just caved and left. The machine is just too inane to deal with on a holiday. For the first time in 34 years I left the gym feeling more stressed than when I got there. Planet Fitness is truly an obscenity in the world of fitness. Fortunately there are a great many worthy business competitors who stick to the basics.
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