Okay, so I went to my little ol’e gym yesterday to workout. Anyone who knows me or has seen my posts, knows that I live in a VERY small town in NY (pop. 2500) and that the majority of people who workout where I train are middle-aged overweight moms and dads. Now, I have been training at this place since it has been open and I have been known to change the music whenever I wanted to. Normally this place plays the radio and it is usually on some soft rock station which is just absurd in my book. If I dont have my headphones with me, I just put a techno cd in to liven the place up a little and to help me get psyched to workout. Well, on this particular day there was a “dance” cd on already which was cool, but it wasnt MY cd…haha. Anyways, I asked the lady working if it would be alright if I put my cd in cause I figured since there was dance music already playing (albiet VERY low) that it wouldn’t matter if I put my cd in the stereo. So, I put my disk in and turned the volume up to what I thought was a reasonable level. Not more than 5 minutes later, this older lady on one of the eliptical machines yelled from across the gym if someone could turn the music down! I looked back at her and just shook my head…but in my head I was like, “what the fuck???” No big deal really, atleast I still had some “good” techno music pumping me up. Wellllllll, about 10 minutes later…I just completed a set of weighted dips and the lady working walks up to me and asked if I brought my headphones with me cause someone asked if they could listen to the radio which, as I stated before…plays soft rock, contemporary music. She asked if I would mind. I was like, “well…I guess not, but I came here to workout, not to be lulled asleep.” Anyways, I got my headphones and continued with my workout. But, for the love of god!!! Sometimes I get so pissed working out there. It is such a freakin drag to be in an environemnt where I am surrounded by all these overweight housewives whos idea of “working out” is walking on a small incline on the treadmill. God for bid if I want to play some music that is actually motovational and will bring some life to the place. Instead, some people want to listen to Phil Collins and Brian Adams while they are working out. I am not knocking people’s personal preferences in music…but its gym for crying out loud!!! Am I wrong to be so pissed about this? I know it seems a little bit arbitrary, but the atmosphere in that gym sucks sometimes. I want to be able to crank some LOUD techno or blast some Limp Bizkit while I train. I could go on and on about some other shit that pisses me off about people there, but I had to get that off my chest. Anyone else have similiar “issues”.
You have a right to vent. Is it justified? Maybe. Read on. Since you are not the owner of the gym, you are a client. However, since you are not the boss, who has a certain ‘niche’ of clients he had in mind for the ‘concept’ of the gym, ask yourself this: are you in the ‘target market’ that the gym owner had in mind when giving it it’s ‘flavor’? If not, ranting over it won’t change a thing for the boss. He’ll maybe lose a client if you drop the gym, but he’ll never change unless the bulk of his clientele asks it. It all boils down to being in the target market, whatever it is (even if it is average joes). If you’re in it, you have a chance of being heard. If not, better forget it or bring a portable CD/Walkman/Discman or considered buying yourself a home gym piece by piece. You have options, target market or not.
I feel your pain, this morning it was …
“I like the way your sparkin’ earrings lay, against your skin so brown…”
I feel your pain so much. I’ve worked out in gyms, while excellent gyms equipment-wise, played the local “Jammin Oldies” station. (By the way, they played Madonna on that station, which kind of made me feel old that they considered her and “oldie”.)
I just switched to the YMCA here in town for convenience, and it’s even worse at the time I go in - a morning talk show.
I must say that my little MP3 player is a Godsend. I can’t imagine having to work out without it now.
Definitely hear you folks on this, my gym plays the radio think all of it is classical music.
I recommend a gym DJ.
Sorry Tony but you were wrong, at least in my opinion. What if everybody wanted to play their “style” of music at the same time? It would be a cacaphony of incoherent sounds. I applaud you for asking but a more appropriate solution is to just bring your earphones with you. It’s up to the gym as to what music should be played. If you don’t like their selection, leave or bring headphones. No big deal. BTW, if you ever find a gym that just plays CW, let me know and I may join it. 
I don’t know what this says about me, but I do have at varying times both Brian Adams and Phil Collins on my mp3 player at the gym. I do agree though that more aggressive music is better in the gym environment.
Easy Karma, don’t bash my Eagles. “Peacefull Easy Feeling” is one of their best songs.
Yes, I know I'm lame.
Dustin (who's been known to workout to Bob Dylan before)
techno pumps you up???
I do wish that gyms would play more “pump you up” music, but I agree that it is geared towards the majority of the clientele. I have to lift in a similar environment for the next 3 weeks and I hate it. I’m just going to buy a pack of AAA batteries, bring my mp3 player, and play what I want. Drown 'em all out man, it works, plus it helps you focus on what YOU are doing, not the people around you.
And hey, at least those people are there “working out”. It beats being sedentary.
LOL… Dustin, I’m not bashing the Eagles at all. Love the guys! It’s just not at all “motivational” for me in the gym. I find myself singing along and loosing track of where I am in my set. 
I need something hard, driving and lacking in vocals… wait, we were talking about music, right?
Power rack from NYBB 250.00
Adjustable bench 225.00
300 lb Oly set 99.00
Dumbells and plates 200.00
Not putting up with the gym…priceless
Working out whenever you want…priceless
Having your entire music collection right there…priceless
Having the privacy of your own shower, etc right there…priceless
No newbie or roided out assholes…priceless
I go to a gym that has separate rooms for soccer moms who are serious about treadmills and another for people serious about lifting weights. It’s not like one is for the girls and one is for the boys, just that one is definitely for the more hardcore lifters. I don’t want to hear Britney Spears when I work out (or ever for that matter). I’d say if you can’t get management to work with you, go to a different gym that does not suck. The mainstays at my gym include:
Tool, System of a Down, Godsmack, Limp Bizkit, Old Metallica, Zombie, Rage, Deftones, Filter, Korn, and more I’m forgetting.
Ok I’m starting a new thread on the best music to workout to.
huck - classic, and very true.
I have a shitty weight bench, 300 lb weight set with EZ Curl bar and 7 ft straight bar and it’s great. When I don’t feel like leaving the apt, it’s great. Just go out, watch whatever I want while lifting.
While I can’t do everything I could at the gym, it is a nice alternative.
That sucks, Tony. I don’t particularly care what music they play as long as it’s not Country cuz I hate it. I typically just zone out the gym music and listen to my own. (Altho I’m quite sure it’ll shock you if I were to tell you that it’s either in Japanese or Korean or outright classical – Beethoven, Brahms, Liszt, or Belioz)
Striker,
Ah, you wound me. I like to listen to Bach’s Air in G when I want to do squats w/ a very specific tempo cuz it’s such a well-measured out music (the beat’s TOO regular…better than metronomes)
Just kidding. I love classical music and would not mind listening to it when I work out, but I know most people want something with a bit more…contemporary flavor.
Personally I don’t care what music they play as long as it’s not soft rock or Country. I cannot stand Country music in general.
I’m actually with Avoids Roids here. While I understand being pissed in the situation, there is nothing you can do about it but bring your own headphones. If I walk into the gym and they’re playing tekno, I want to put my CD of MachineHead or Slayer in… you know to pump me up. But you have to understand you don’t always get what you want, or to listen to what you want when you’re dealing with a group of people.
Stella-
I like classical to, just not when I’m working out ;p.
you wound me jk I love country , although in a gym the best kinda music would be something that gets you pumped and ready to go, for most it’s music you’d hear at a party event.
dustin, when I work out in my basement, it’s all Dylan, all the time. Whatever gets you to concentrate and motivated.
The music is generally terrible in most gyms. I wish they’d just turn it off and let me work in peace rather than force me to suffer listening to Celine Dion.
“I was just too stubborn to ever be governed by enforced insanity.”
-B. Dylan
Hate to say it, but I think you were wrong and AR was right on the money. What you find motivating isn’t necessarily what someone else is going to find motivating - especially if that someone else is a little older…
Personally, I would rather listen to anything by the Eagles than anything by, say, Nirvana. I agree that Linkin Park is better than most “soft” stuff for working out, but that’s just me.
If I ever own a gym, there will be NO music played. Anyone who wants to can bring in their headphones, but personally, I prefer the sound of silence, punctuated by clanging weights.