I recently started working out again at a local Rec Center. What I realized in the first week of working out really made me think. What are some of the benefits of working out at a big Fitness Center as opposed to a local Rec Center? What are some of the benefits of working out at a local Rec Center as opposed to a big Fitness Center? The pros and cons might surprise you, then again they might not. We'll see how it goes.
First I'll start in the locker room. I go to the gym after work and need to get changed into some workout clothes. Well, in a large Fitness Center you'll find lockers, toilets, showers and whatever else you'd expect to find. In my local Rec Center you'll find the same things in addition to a sauna. So, they are basically the same in the locker room. However, the way people act is a little different. Large Fitness Centers are all about working out. You go into the locker room to change, then you get out. After the workout maybe you shower, get changed and get out. In a Rec Center it's more laid back. By laid back I mean that every old man in there likes to walk around naked. To the shower, from the shower, to the toilets, from the toilets. Sometimes they just stand there with their towel over their shoulder letting it all hang out. I don't know why they feel it's appropriate but it's gross.
Next we'll go into the weight room. This is where the differences really stand out. At least in my case. A large Fitness Center has stacks and stacks or free weights with benches galore to use them on. They are nautilus machines all over the place and you can do whatever exercise you need to do when you need to do it. In a Rec Center, or at least in my Rec Center, there is one rack of free weights and three benches to use them on. There are two nautilus machines and you may or may not be able to do the exercise you want when you want to do it. Rec Centers place a little more emphasis on the atmosphere and with the average age of the members being around 84 years old, they don't really need all those weights. The amount of people in the weight room at one time is significantly lower in a Rec Center as well. Which is good and bad. Good because you have more room to move around, and you won't feel as if someone is always watching you. It's bad because they odds of seeing a hot little number working out are really low. In fact, I've been working out there for a week now and I've seen zero hot little numbers working out.
Another thing that goes along with the above paragraph is, being in my lower late 20's, I'm one of the fittest guys in there. It really makes a difference when you're working out and don't have to look at the meat heads lifting a thousand pounds right next to you. That would have to go into the pros column for the Rec Center, but not seeing hot chicks working out is in the cons column so it's really tough. What is more important? Getting a good workout and feeling good about it? Or, seeing hot chicks in workout clothes getting the most out of their kickbacks? I know, I know it's tough. I'm going to go against the grain here and say the workout is more important. It sounds kinda gay, but I'm sorry it's just the truth.
What about the staff? In a Rec Center the staff is comprised of local kids or residents that are just looking for a job. Maybe they have some kind of exercise background, probably not. Large Fitness Centers have very knoledgeable staff that are willing to help out if need be. I would have to give the edge to Fitness Centers on this one, but I don't really need the staff for anything so it doesn't matter to me.
I didn't tally them up and I don't intend to but overall I would say I like working out at a local Rec Center instead of a large Fitness Center. My Rec Center also has a 12, 25 meter swimming pool which is an awesome after a hard weight training workout. So I'll continue to enjoy my local Rec Center with all the old people and inappropriate nudity. I'll also continue to enjoy going to the IHOP in Ballston and getting a Hand-job for a Ham Sandwich out back from the Spanish speaking staff.
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