How many times have you either heard someone say or maybe even said to yourself, “uhh I gotta go to the gym today.”? I feel like it is something pretty common that I hear and to be honest, I’m guilty of saying it myself at times. I either don’t feel like dealing with the crowd, not in the right mindset to train, or will feel like it’s a chore. So even though I stand behind saying that training is my favorite part of my day, there are times when it can take a hit due to my mentality heading to the gym.
One thing that has recently changed for me that hasn't made me feel any of those negative feelings in over 3 months now, was I found a home gym that has an unbeatable atmosphere and culture. A new gym opened up in my area, Iron Rails, and it’s been one of the best experiences that I’m lucky to be a part of. Everything that I always talk about when it comes to the positive side of the fitness culture is embodied here. Everyone respects one another, wipes down their equipment, re-racks their weights, and encourages one another. And if someone is lacking in one of these areas, the community collectively holds people accountable. It’s already been posted to the gym’s Instagram page when someone didn't put equipment away correctly several times, that way it does not become a habit and it’s knocked off. It’s no problem at all to work in with anyone on any piece of equipment. I’ve let tons of people hop in on a piece I was using and people encourage me to do the same back if they see I need to get on a piece. Everyone also makes sure we are all training hard or sticking to our plans. Every day I’m talking with people about their goals and troubleshooting any problems they may be facing in reaching them.
To this day I still haven't met someone that was unfriendly there. And what I think is even more amazing is that Iron Rails truly embodies that everyone who walks in the door are brothers and sisters in iron. This goes for the IFBB Pro all the way to soccer mom Suzy. It doesn't matter the skill level or goals you're trying to attain, if you come train at Iron Rails you’re held to the same standard as everyone else, which means you get treated just like everyone else.
When I head to the gym, even though I've always enjoyed it before, I actually get excited every time now. It’s filled with so many positive like-minded people who are there to better themselves. I actually feel like I’m going to a friend's garage to train, not going to the gym to workout.
Now I realize not everyone is going to be able to find this. I just happened to be lucky enough that such an amazing place opened up by me. I did used to have some of the same feelings when I trained at my old gym, it just wasn't to the same effect as it is now. There was still the comradery and encouragement for new-comers, but there was also groups of teens that were just there to hang out, people disrespecting equipment, and a level of over-crowdedness that was sometimes hindering.
So if you are in a large enough area that has multiple gyms, I would highly recommend you trying them out to see which one has the best feel and atmosphere. Overall most gyms will allow you to have a good experience but some take it to the next level and create an unbeatable atmosphere.